This week has been so busy we  haven't had time to sneeze. We Love being on a mission. We are so happy we chose to serve the Lord..Every week just seems to get busier than the one before. On Monday  evening we joined about 100 people of the community to do an Avent Walk. I'm not sure if that is the country's tradition or if it's the many Christian demonatations tradition. Anyway, we walked through pouring rain, mud puddles and cold carrying a lantern. We stopped on our two hour walk at six different churches. Once inside the church, we listened to a ten minute sermon by the priest or pastor. Then we sang a couple of songs from their hymnals. So different from anything I've experienced.  They were :  Hope United Church,  Catholic,  Christ Church Anglican,  Hope Pentecostal Assembly,  Hope Harvest Church. We were two Mormons proudly wearing our missionary tags , amoung 100  "saved by grace" believers.  I couldn't feel the spirit in any of them. Our church was not in the event because the community believe Mormons have tails. Well ,we went amoung them to show them who we are & that there are Mormons in Hope.  We came home and had hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows.
     We ate Iranian pasta with Hussain & Fatima.  It's  spegetti with chicken pieces, diced fresh tomatoes, limes,  carrots, and a very spicy sauce.  We also had spicy rice with little dark somethings which I couldn't recognize, yogurt, peach jam & goats milk.. But we loved the company. This week we are taking a 6ft Christmas tree and lights with decorations to suprise Fatmia. She really wants a Christmas tree but her husband says "look outside, there are many trees."
     One of our young missionaries had a birthday this week so when we made the dinner for the District meeting, we made him a Birthday cake with candles & a song. It's great to be able to spend sometime with the young faithful Elders. They are amazing.
     On Thursday we made an appointment for me & Jack to get some help at the family History center in Abbotsford which is an hour away each direction. We have set a Hope Brach Baptism day at the temple next Friday. The whole branch will be doing baptisms. I can't remember how long it's been since I've actually got in the water. Should be amazing.
      We had our Branch Christmas party this week. I started out volunteering to cook a 20 pound turkey. I ended up cooking two turkeys, making gravy, and tearing up six loaves of bread to make dressing for 50 people from scratch. We were also assigned to set up the tables & chairs & clean up. Most of the branch came which was only 20 people. One little family was missing. The best part about it was we had 7 non-members who attended. Fabulous.
       Today our non-member friend , Lucy, asked us to cook a Birthday dinner for a lady in our branch. She wanted it to be a suprise party so it was at our house.  We took Lucy to the grocery store as she wanted to pick out & buy the food so I could cook it. Party turned out great. Our plan went well & the birthday lady was very suprised. They have gone home now so Stan is preparing the priesthood lesson for tomorrow and I'm trying to put together a sharing time for the rowdy noisy primary kids.
      Oh, I did have a little fun with Marlene. I invited her to the birthday dinner. She came over early. I had a big roaster full of turkey bones I was cooking down to make "real" stock to freeze for later cooking. She & I were standing in the kitchen. I looked at her seriously and said:" Marlene, I am a witch and Stan is a warlock."  She just stared at me, didn't say a word. I opened the roaster and showed her it was full of bones bubbling. She didn't say a word. "This is what we do with people we don't really like " I said.. The look on her face was so funny, I just had to laugh & tell her I was joking.  I know that wasn't very missionary-like but the opportunity was there & I couldn't resist. I'll repent before I go to bed tonight.
     The new church intivitive "Light the World " is amazing. I hope all of you are participating. It's an amazing missionary tool. Also amazing for our families and personally as well. We are excited for the Christmas season and the real reason we celebrate, which is of course our Lord & Savior , Jesus Christ. We love him and honor him.
Merry Christmas to you all. We love you tons !

Sister Fisher........