December's Happenings

A Relief Society Luncheon at the Park Avenue Hotel in Holywood with all the amazing Holywood Ward sisters and Sisters Morgan and Hansen.

Christmas Caroling with some of our favourite people of all time 

The Sisters, Joanne, Darren and Lee.

All-Ireland Christmas Zone Conference. Here are all the missionaries that are serving on the Isle of Ireland (There’s an even bigger group in Scotland!)

 Some festive eating and shopping in Victoria Square with our district (except for the Sisters, who were off shopping).

Victoria Square’s viewing dome where you can look out across the Belfast rooftops and harbour

Victoria Square’s three story tree

Our district members and zone leaders.  (At least the sisters are normal?)

A wonderful visit from son Jeff and his sweet girlfriend Grace

 This is in Carlingford, Republic of Ireland.

Carlingford

We spoiled ourselves and them for a couple of nights at the Culloden Hotel 

Us with the doorman at the Culloden

The lobby at the Culloden

A dander around the Titanic Quarter. The museum wasn’t open, being Boxing Day and all, but we still had fun exploring the grounds.

Inch Abbey, a Cistercian monastery near Downpatrick, Northern Ireland, built in 1177.  For you Game of Thrones fans, this was one of the many Northern Ireland filming locations.  

You absolutely cannot come to Northern Ireland and not partake of the fish and chips here.  (Jeff & Grace were not disappointed.)

Even in the dead of winter you will never see a place more lusciously green and beautiful!

Some very clever origami by Jana Lynn Fuller (such talent!). Note the astonishing lifelike appearance she has given us, including our missionary badges. 

A New Year’s Eve day double decker bus tour of the city of Belfast with 6 of our younger counterparts.

2012 was an amazingly wonderful experience for this senior couple.  We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve studied the gospel more than ever before, we’ve given more talks than I want to count (okay, I’ve given fifteen in fifteen months! My companion has given three more than that)!  We've taught many a lesson and born many a testimony. Met and have come to love SO many amazing people that we, in all seriousness, want to take home in our suitcases!  We are just so thrilled to be having these experiences!  Already planning on crying like wee babies when our time comes to leave.  We’re already down into the two digit countdown (number of days remaining).  

Elder and Sister Paddy just want to wish youse all a very healthy, happy and "filled with all good things" 2013.  As President Howard W. Hunter so beautifully put it, “This year, mend a quarrel.  Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again.” We would do well to implement as many of these suggestions as we possibly can into our daily lives.

WE LOVE YOU!!!

xoxox

Sister Paddy

Northern Irish Slang-

Snog -                          Proper kiss

You keepin’ okay? -  Are you doing alright?

Safe home -                Travel safely, be careful on your way home