*CHRISTMAS*

On Christmas Eve our ward went to a nearby orphanage to deliver blankets we had made and toys that we were able to purchase through a fundraiser we held earlier in the month.


Our local missionaries dressed up as Santa and His Elf to help pass out presents. Each child's name was called and they had the chance to go tug on old Kringle's beard.



This is one little girl that did a very good job at waiting patiently for her turn with Santa.

There was no way for anyone in our branch (other than the 1 Korean lady) to actually communicate with these children. So I thought to myself, "what was I into at this stage and age of my childhood?"
The answer came in quick hand jives. We communicated with smiles and I taught them to count "1,2,3" with each slap of our hands.


This kid got an awesome tonka truck.













These kids got some cool magnetic toy thingys.

There's a nice man in our ward who had to spend Christmas without his family this year.... military life. He told us that every year his family eats mexican food for their Christmas Eve dinner. Since Taco Bell is the only restaurant in Korea that remotely represents mexican food, he mentioned that he will be there on Christmas Eve, eating a burrito, thinking about his family that is so far away.

Well after visiting the orphanage, the entire branch decided to surprise this brother with our company for Christmas Eve dinner. We all went to eat at Taco Bell on the military base. (Our ward is all military-- it's the only branch within 1.5 hours traveling distance that's english speaking). Being invited onto base was so nice. I even got a little choked up when we walked into the "food court." It was like a miniature America in the middle of this completely foreign country. I'm not sure if any American truly realizes how much they love their country until they are outside of it's coastline, trying to survive somewhere else.

This was us, sleepy, Christmas morning. That big thing in newspaper-- well that's my new yoga mat :)




Jake got some spices. He's my personal top chef... and we love that show too!