Christmas week in Kentucky

On Monday, the 23rd, we had an all-mission Christmas conference. We had missionaries who live 2 hours or more outside of Louisville come in the night before and stay overnight with other missionaries in the area. A Senior couple from Olney, Illinois stayed in our apartment with us. We drove a lot of missionaries to and from the conference and Jason drove back and forth to get the mail.

Me and the Halvorsen's were in one of the rooms at the conference dispersing mail to the missionaries. 

The cultural hall was set up with tables for the luncheon.  There were over 270 people who attended. 

The food served  was ham, funeral potatoes, rolls, salad and green beans with brownies for dessert. It was great.

We worked in the office on Christmas Eve day then that evening we met up with Elder and Sister Hiatt. We went to Panera Bread for dinner and then went to an event called "Christmas under Louisville".  It was set up in an old limestone cave that is under the Louisville Zoo. It is usually used for storage and is big enough for large trucks to enter.  We drove our car through it. There was about 2 1/2 miles of light displays.  There was Christmas music playing and it was a fun thing to do.  It reminded us of the "It's a Small World" ride at Disneyland.

We had a quiet and enjoyable Christmas Day and appreciated all of the gifts that were sent to us. We went over to the Hiatt's for dinner that evening.

The Thursday and Friday after Christmas we were back at work.  On Thursday evening we went out with the missionaries to help them with one of their investigators.

On Saturday, we went to a baptism of an 8 year old boy in our branch. It was very nice. After the baptism we went with Elder and Sister Hiatt for a drive across the Ohio River to Jeffersonville, Indiana. It is a quaint community on the river.  Then we crossed back over to downtown Louisville and went to the famous Galt House Hotel. 

 

We went to a display called "Kalightoscope Christmas". It was a display of a lot of Chinese Christmas lanterns that are put together each year by Chinese artisans. They were much taller than us. It was amazing.  

They also had rooms with old animated store window displays and a room full of gingerbread houses. The last picture is a gingerbread house made to look like Church hill downs.

Today, Sunday, we had a lot of people and investigators out to church. We continue to drive them to and from church. We had the elders to our house for dinner after church. Salmon, creamed peas and potatoes, salad and a chocolate cake and ice cream to celebrate Elder Clarke's B-day.

We can't believe Christmas is over and we are on our way to a new year! 2014.  We love you and thank you for all you do. It was so fun to see and talk to our family on Christmas. We wish you a happy new year!

Elder and Sister Moulton