Slippers! Slippers?!? Slippers!!!

Slippers! slippers?!? slippers!!!  you say!

Why a blog about slippers anyway?

Is it Cinderella's glass slippers?

or Dorothy's Ruby Reds?

Nope...Crazy Gift Slippers

and Service Slippers instead!

Our mission had it's Christmas party on Cebu.  All of the missionaries from Bohol and the Camotes ferried over for the celebration.  We started our day with a Mission Zone Conference and received training from Pres. and Sis. Tanner, the APs and Elder Robertson, our finance manager.  That was followed with a delicious lunch and root beer floats.

Our Christmas celebration started with the whole mission singing "The 12 days of Christmas".  Each zone, the Tanners, the APs and the Senior couples were assigned a day.  Not only did we have to sing our verse, we had to come up with an action to match it and if it wasn't enthusiastic enough we would have to do it over.  We had day number 5 - "five golden rings".  Well, there were 8 of us so 5 formed circles with their hands  for rings and danced in a circle around the 3 in the center that jumped up and down yelling "Bling! Bling!"  We were laughing more than we were singing.  Yes, we looked quite ridiculous but we never had a "do over".  No one could fault us for not having enough enthusiasm.  I love my fellow Seniors! 

Then we played the CRAZY GIFT SLIPPER Game.

Okay, Once upon a time, in a land far away, a new mission was created for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It was called the Cebu East Mission and it came to be in the month of July in the year 2013. Bro. and Sis. Tanner were serving a mission in Croatia when he was called to be the mission president for this new mission.  They LEFT Croatia and went RIGHT home to prepare for their new calling.  They LEFT their family, they LEFT their friends, they LEFT their animals and LEFT their home in Brigham City to journey to this far away land called the Philippines. But even though they LEFT everything behind they knew it was the RIGHT thing to do and they always wanted to choose the RIGHT. Well, RIGHT after they got to Cebu they met the Robertsons who would serve as their office couple.  They knew RIGHT away that they were the RIGHT couple for the job...."etcetera, etcetera" (Yul Brynner - The King and I)

Everyone brought a decorated pair of SLIPPERS and then passed 'em back and forth as the story was read.  Now, imagine 198, 18 to 26 yr. old missionaries, in 2 large circles, being quiet enough to hear the story and follow the directions. Got that picture in your mind?  Good, that's about as close as you'll get to that scenario..a picture in your mind. 

Me -"What did she say?" 

Elder Caycayon -"Oh! That right!" 

Me -"Are we on right or left now?"

Elder Caycayon -"Who cares just pass it already!" 

Did I say 198, 18 to 26 yr. olds?  Let me restate that. 18 to "senior citizen" year olds.

It was loud, it was chaotic, and soooo much fun!  I ended up with slippers that were too big and that had someone's face plastered on it.  I gifted "the face" with my slippers.  Elder Caycayon ended up with slippers that were too small for him and he gifted me.  Sweet!

 After the games each Zone did a Christmas musical presentation.  

Bogo Zone - "The Nativity Song" and  "Silent Night" was my favorite.

Our anak nga baje (daughters)

Our beautiful Polynesian missionaries from Samoa, New Zealand and Hawaii

The Originals - First Batch of missionaries of the newly created Cebu East Mission 2013

We are Originals too! First Batch Senior Couple Missionaries 

Cebu East Mission 

We ended our Christmas celebration on a spiritual high note as we watched the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional.  It was the perfect way to end our celebration.

SERVICE SLIPPERS

"Grandma, what dirty slippers you have!"

"The better to serve with, my dear."

October 2013

December 2014

With a wheelbarrow, an old wooden float, 2 trowels, some buckets, 4 shovels and the help of two elders and two senior couples.....Day 1

Day 2- Two Sisters came to help.

Making a well for the water to be added to our 3-2-1 mix

Elder Halladay and Elder Caycayon finishing up a section on day 2

Day 3-Two more elders came to help.

Putting in the front step

With a wheelbarrow, an old wooden float, 2 trowels, some buckets, 4 shovels and the help of 6 missionaries and 2 senior couples

We are finished!!!

How wonderful it was to be done and to know that the Saballa family would have a roof over their head and a floor under their feet after living in a tent for over a year.  

The party was fun and we enjoyed being with all of the missionaries but the joy we felt when we finished was a greater joy than parties and games could ever provide.  It was the joy that is felt when we help one another. It was our Christmas gift to the Savior. 

My dirty service slippers was the best Christmas gift ever.  I'll take those anytime over Cinderella's glass slippers, Dorothy's Ruby Reds and even Crazy Gift Slippers.