Dear Parents and
Friends,
Merry Christmas from the Texas
Houston South Mission!! We have attached the Christmas photos from our
Christmas Conferences held last week. Our theme was “Come Let Us Adore Him”. We
had wonderful speakers, music and even missionary choirs. The service project
was a highlight. Members of the Sugar Land 1st and 2nd
wards provided a big Texas BBQ. It was both a spiritual and physical feast. We
have attached two pictures, each with half of the mission. Please look for your
missionary on either the Monday or Tuesday group depending on when they came to
Christmas conference. (We have all but three of our missionaries in the photo.)
We hope you can treasure this picture of the wonderful group of dedicated
missionaries serving here. We love each one of them and work diligently daily
to help them fulfill their missionary purpose.
We are so grateful for you and
the many ways you support and encourage our missionaries! A huge thank you for
your tremendous support of our service project!! We express appreciation
for your generosity! Thanks to you, we were able to provide "Socks,
Soup, and Snuggles" to hundreds of refugees, homeless, and foster children
in Houston and its environs. We received daily contributions from loving
parents and family and were able to do well over what we initially hoped! Your
thoughtfulness is blessing so many of our missionaries and those in our
community.
We love you and feel so
privileged to serve with your missionaries. On the whole, they are healthy and
happy. They are serving with all their hearts, dedicated to bring the gospel
joy to many people, and willingly serve where asked. Since we arrived in June,
our hearts have been bursting with love for each missionary. We love them from
the minute they are assigned to us and it just deepens as we get to know them
personally. Our hearts have been so touched by their testimonies and
willingness to work hard to share the gospel of Christ and bring joy to the
people of Houston.
We distributed all your packages
at the Christmas conferences including the ornament/statue, service project
supplies, or any gift packages. Since then, we have received additional
packages. We along with the help from our Senior missionaries, will make sure
that all Christmas packages that arrive to the mission office by December 21st
will be delivered to your missionary on December 22nd. After
the 22nd, the mission office will be open on a limited time basis so
that our local senior missionaries who give 40+ hours each week, can also enjoy
time with their families. Again, please do not send packages to your
missionary’s apartments. Missionaries can be moved at the last minute (several
missionaries were moved suddenly this past week because of medical emergencies
or visa requirements) and are often not at their apartments to receive
packages, since they are out teaching. Nor do we want them to be asked to stay
at their apartment to await package delivery. They are also not supposed to
come to the mission office to retrieve packages unless they are close and it is
PDAY. Additionally, many of them live in gated apartments for security and
their apartments add a holding fee if packages are sent there.
Thank you also to those
of you who have sent extra Christmas ornaments or packages for
missionaries who need them. Mission Christmases are not about the material
gifts. Instead, our missionaries are learning the sweetness of focusing on
Christ and ministering. However, we are trying to discern needs so if you hear
from your missionary of simple personal needs or that their companion has needs
that are not able to be met by you or their families, please email Sister
Moline and we’ll see what we can do to bless them.
We wish you joy at this wonderful
Christmas season!
Love,
President and Sister Richards
**additional photos can be found at this link: https://spidercannonphotography.smugmug.com/Houston-South-Mission-Dec-2021/n-TSMrwf/
and, on our Mission Facebook. Search the Texas Houston South Mission
under Facebook “Groups”
