Christmas in Loas

DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS,
BY THE TIME I WRITE AGAIN IT WILL BE NEXT YEAR, SO ............

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU. MAY EACH OF US REMEMBER AND BE THANKFUL FOR THE REASON WE CAN HOPE FOR AND WORK FOR LIFE ETERNAL WITH OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN. MAY EACH OF US HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR, REALIZING WE ALL HAVE A NEW START EVERY DAY, BECAUSE OF OUR SAVIOR, A CHANCE TO LIVE BETTER THAN WE HAVE AND DO MORE THAN WE HAVE TO BLESS EACH OTHER AND THE WHOLE HUMAN FAMILY.

THURSDAY, THE 17TH OF DECEMBER WAS A SPECIAL DAY IN THE HISTORY OF THE LAO MEMBERS, AT LEAST 5 OF THEM. AT 12:50 PM THE BOOK OF MORMON COMMITTEE FINISHED READING THE ENTIRE BOOK OF MORMON IN LAO. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO TOD HARRIS’ VISIT, JAN 20-25 AND HOPEFULLY SOME TIME DURING 2010 THE BOOK WILL BE PRINTED AND SENT TO THIS NATION AND WILL BE AVAILABLE TO LAO SPEAKERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. THIS IS ONE OF 14 TRANSLATIONS GOING ON IN THE ASIAN AREA RIGHT NOW. IF YOU HAVE ANY EXTRA PENNIES, PUT THEM IN THE BOOK OF MORMON FUND THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE A TITHING SLIP. IN FACT, THERE ISN’T ONE AREA ON THAT SLIP THAT COULDN’T USE YOUR HELP. THAT IS PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO HELP BLESS PEOPLE OUT SIDE YOUR PERSONAL SPHERE OF INFLUENCE.

OF COURSE, HUMANITARIAN AID IS NEAR AND DEAR TO US, TOO, BECAUSE OF YOU WE HAD A WELL AND TOILET TURN OVER IN NAMONE---A SMALL HMONG VILLAGE ABOUT THREE HOURS FROM HERE. WE HAD TWO OF THE TOP HMONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS THERE ALSO, WITH THE BIGGEST CROWD WE HAVE HAD AT ANY TURN OVER, EVER. IT WAS THE HMONG NEW YEAR – THE HMONG DRESSES WERE AMAZING – HUNDREDS OF THEM!

THE SEA GAMES ENDED FRIDAY. IT WAS FUN TO SEE THE PEOPLE OF VIENTIANE, LAO SO EXCITED ABOUT ALL THAT WAS GOING ON. IT WAS GOOD FOR THE COUNTRY.

DR. CALL AND HIS WIFE FINISHED THEIR STAY AND FLEW OUT MONDAY NIGHT. THEY WILL PROBABLY BE BACK ABOUT THIS TIME NEXT YEAR AND DO A GREAT JOB ON A VISION PROJECT. HE IS A TRAUMA VISION SURGEON AND WILL BLESS LIVES AND TEACH OTHERS HOW TO DO THE SAME WHEN HE LEAVES. THEY REALIZED AT THE AIRPORT FLYING OUT THAT THEY DIDN’T HAVE A VISA INTO CAMBODIA. THEY HAD USED THEIR SINGLE-USE VISA AND DIDN’T HAVE ANOTHER ONE AND CAMBODIA DOESN’T HAVE VISAS ON ARRIVAL AVAILABLE AT THE AIRPORT. THEY WERE PLANNING TO JUST STAY THE NIGHT AT A HOTEL NEAR THE AIRPORT, BUT WITH THAT INFORMATION, THEIR ONLY OPTION WAS TO STAY THE NIGHT IN THE AIRPORT! FROM ABOUT 7:30 PM WHEN THEY ARRIVED TO 11:00 AM THE NEXT DAY WHEN THEIR PLANE LEFT! THAT’S SACRIFICE! AND THEY WERE SCHEDULED TO DO SURGERIES IN ST. GEORGE THE MORNING AFTER THEY GOT HOME!

WE FINISHED PUTTING 95 FAMILIES IN THE “PAF” PROGRAM. NOW, TO PUT THE INFORMATION ON “NEW.FAMILSEARCH” AND GET SOME OF THE NAMES THROUGH THE TEMPLE.

AGAIN, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

LOVE,

ELDER AND SISTER RISER, DAD AND MOM,

GRANDPA AND GRANDMA, SCOTT AND JOLENE