December 31, 2015: Maryland Baltimore Mission Musical Performance at the Washington DC Temple Visitors Center

Our mission was invited to present the evening programs in the Washington DC Visitors Center on New Year's Eve.  Under the direction of our very talented Elder Jaccard (a BYU professor of music),  a beautiful Christmas program was performed by several companionships from across our mission.

This definitely is one more of those incredible experiences where poor pictures fail to capture  the beautiful spirit that was felt.

December 23, 2015: Maryland Baltimore Mission Christmas Conference

Our Christmas conference was entertaining, fun, delicious, inspiring and uplifting!!!  We started the event with the game Minute-To-Win-It organized by two amazing sister training leaders, and then enjoyed a traditional Christmas meal.  Following lunch we were awed by performances of several of our missionaries who volunteered to share their talents.  We then moved into the chapel for a beautiful musical Christmas program directed by Elder Jaccard, and an inspiring devotional given by the mission presidency.  It was wonderful to be together and to celebrate the life of our Savior, and to rededicate ourselves to our purpose as missionaries.   

As the missionaries left, they picked up the rest of their Christmas mail.  They were also given a gift from the mission.  The gift was given in a Maryland Baltimore Mission drawstring bag and included a gift of homemade handwarmers/note/treat from the Columbia 1st ward and two beautiful scarves generously donated by people who love missionaries.  Many of the scarves were handmade, in particular several sisters in the Ellicott City ward knitted a beautiful cowl for each sister missionary. The missionaries definitely felt loved as they received these sweet gifts so kindly given by a wide variety of individuals who did not know them personally, but are so grateful for their service.

Another sweet act of service was performed by Brother Johnson, (a member from the DC area),  who volunteered to come and take a mission picture for us.  We LOVE this picture and are so grateful for this great kindness to our mission.

We had been told that for many reasons Christmas in the mission field is the BEST - and we would definitely agree!