A very busy week. Part 1

Dear Family,
Here are a couple pictures of the kids during the Thanksgiving week-end.

Here is our Henri!

At the train museum, "The Girls" found Mrs. Claus.

Last Saturday, December 10th, we went again to Coloma, CA because they had a Christmas themed celebration of the Gold Rush that took place there.  It was a nice day.  There was no snow, and the sun was out.  They had a number of venders plying their wares, and there were a number of food booths with people in period dress.  There also was a band that was pretty good.  It was a fun outing for us.

This week has been busy.  We started Monday with our monthly Office Staff Meeting.  We always do lunch after the meeting, and we have 2 former Ward and Stake Relief Society Presidents.  You can imagine that it is always good.  

That evening we attended a Christmas concert at our non-member friend's Church.  He is the 15th century Organ builder that is married to a member and does the Organ/Piano duets with mom.  They had the Sacramento Strings group there.  They were very good, and mom and I wanted to go buy violins afterwards and learn to play like that.

Tuesday we dedicated to getting our Christmas Gift program organized.  We have asked missionary parents to send one modest present and a personal letter to their missionary through the office, where we would collect them for a special missionary Christmas program, and distribute the collected presents and letters.  

We have a number of foreign missionaries in our mission whose families are too poor to even pay the postage for a package.  We also have a number of missionaries who do not have parental support. Who are the only church members in their family, or, who have been disowned by their families for joining the Church.  We are totally aware of these missionaries, (there are about 30 out of 195 missionaries), and we are preparing gifts and personal letters for them.  We were prepared to mobilize our immediate and extended family to help with providing presents for these missionaries, but people have been so generous.  The Lord always provides for His own.  Missionary parents have send extra presents and gift cards for us to give to those who needed them.  Members have also asked how they can help.  Just yesterday, somebody gave the President $1000 to use for the missionaries.

There is much more to say, and this entry will be too long, so I will do it in parts.

I will be back soon.

Love, Dad