Chapter 67: Joy

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:10-11 Merry Christmas—I sincerely hope all of had a wonderful Christmas time wherever you are and that you were able to enjoy being with family and loved ones. My Christmas was fun; we were able to spend the 24th and 25th at the Mission Home with a couple different missionary companionships and it was great. I am grateful for the birth of Christ—the entire reason why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. The symbolism of the season runs deep and there is a richness of experience to be had if one is willing to seek it out. In all honesty, this entire month I have been struggling to feel like it is actually Christmas time. At first, I thought it was because so much was different from what I was normally used to: I'm in a completely different country, I'm far away from my family, I haven't been able to participate in certain traditions, and much more. As the season went on, I tried to make up for these things; I played more Christmas music, tried to have more meaningful interactions with family, and attempted to bring certain traditions traditions home here to Scotland: I put up lights, made cinnamon rolls for Christmas day, wrote cards for others, etc. As Christmas day came, however, I still found that my joy simply was not full. I was having fun, but inside I felt like there was a sense of hollowness. I realized, as The Spirit then taught me, that the reason why joy wasn't there was because I was missing out on the glad tidings of great joy: the Saviour. The Saviour had not become the central focus of my Christmas season. I had been so worried and caught up with the temporal side of presents, parties, and planning, that the sacred symbolism of the season was lost to me. Luckily, I was able to get on my knees and have a very meaningful conversation with my Heavenly Father about the gratitude I have for the Saviour, and his decision to come here to Earth to help us all. In so doing, I found the joy of Christmas. As you can tell, I am far from perfect. You would think that a missionary as seasoned as I am would be able to figure out earlier to focus on Christ during Christmas. Many times, honestly, I get frustrated with myself for the simple things I lack, for my pride I fight against, and how they both translate into bigger things I struggle with. With that said, I do want you to know that I am always desiring and trying to be better. The true miracle of Christmas is the reality that a Saviour truly was born—a Christ who in any season and any struggle of our lives would be there to lift and heal us. How? Well, how did the shepherds find their joy and healing? The Wiseman? Or any other? They came to The Saviour. They sought him, found him, and let him into their lives. I know we can all do the same, because I have done the same over and over again. Although at times I may absently walk away from the Manger, or lose sight of the guiding star, or even tune out the glorifying and directing angles of heaven, I know that Christ is always there to help us in our weakness as we consistently strive to come to him and come to stay. Merry Christmas to all of you. Life is good. God is wise. Don't give up. Elder Childers

Cliffs of Moher

Gus O'Conners Pub near Cliffs of Moher

The Copper Kettle in Drogheda, Ireland

Painting of Saint Oliver Plunkett in St. Peter's Cathedral in Drogheda

Shrine to Saint Oliver Plunkett including his literal head!

Christmas gingerbread houses: our tree house almost worked.

Christmas group all together