December 25, 2016 - CHRISTMAS DAY

We woke up to a very white Christmas. It snowed most of the day.

Our lovely Temple Square!

The morning started out with a lovely Christmas Sacrament Meeting program.

SALT LAKE TEMPLE SQUARE MISSION SACRAMENT MEETING

December 25, 2016

Presiding and Conducting: President Brad Risenmay

Welcome/Visitors:

Announcements:

Chorister: Sister Oeser

Organist: Sister Kogure

Opening Hymn: #213 The First Noel

Invocation: President Mulford

Mission Business:

Sacrament Hymn: #169 As Now We Take the Sacrament

Sacrament Administration Priesthood Bearers

Musical Number: What Child is This?

Sister McFarlane, Sister Troncosco, Sister Ripa, and Sister Shumway. Accompanist: Sister Kogure

Musical Number: O Holy Night – Piano Duet

Sister Oeser and Sister Klippel

Speaker: Sister Risenmay

Musical Number: It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

Sister Eging, Sister Pilapitiya, Sister Stahle, Sister McColgan, Sister Richins, Sister Newlin, and Sister Sneddon. Accompanist: Sister Butler

Musical Number: O Come, O Come Emanuel

Sister Ward, Sister Hug, Sister Mark, and Sister Troncosco. Accompanist: Sister Kogure

Speaker: President Risenmay

Closing Hymn: #206 Away in a Manager

Benediction: Elder Skanchy

Following Sacrament Meeting, breakfast of Elder Spencer’s famous pancakes and McDonald’s breakfast burritos were served with hot sauce for the burritos and Nutella and syrup for the pancakes. White and chocolate milk along with orange juice were also served. Each sister also picked up a fresh orange. Elder Spencer, Sister Heesch, Elder and Sister Sharp cooked all of the pancakes.

Elder Spence, Elder Sharp and Sister Sharp

Elder Spencer and Sister Heesch

Elder and Sister Sharp

Following breakfast, sisters were able to call their families. It was so fun to roam around the mission office and see sisters speaking to their families. After everyone had connected with their families, they were given free time until 1:00 pm.

At 1:00 pm the sisters arrived back on the Square for Christmas gifts. The gifts were all set out on the main level of the South Visitor Center by the Temple cutout. What a beautiful location, facing the Temple, for the sisters to receive their gifts. There were so many incredibly generous people that contributed to make this Christmas memorable for the Sisters. Cottonwood Heights Stake – Sister Barbara Fortuna, Midvale Stake, Sister Connie Hubbard, Wasatch Stake – Sister Jeri Watson and Salt Lake Highland Stake – President Ryan Kolliker all contributed to the stockings for each sister. Sister Sturzenegger’s parents wanted to do something for the sisters, so they posted on Facebook what they were planning and family and friends from Utah to Georgia participated. A Young Single Adult Relief Society prepared 25 bags themselves. These were string bags with all sorts of goodies in them. The Thursday and Friday morning Hosting Missionaries at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building along with their family members gave each sister an apron and box of brownie mix. The Primary children in wards from Northern Utah spent sharing time making cards for the sisters. An anonymous Young Women’s group provided lovely scarves they had made. Sister Risenmay’s sister and friends made rice bags for the sisters.

Gifts laid out before the sisters were gathered

Sisters gathered to receive guidelines from Sister Risenmay before making their way to the gifts

Opening Gifts

String bags from Sister Sturzenegger’s parents, family and friends

A sample of the gifts

Temple Square Mission Sweatshirts, purchased by the Mission, back and front

Following opening the gifts, a Christmas program was presented in Theater 1.

Christmas Program

December 25, 2016 – Theater 1

Presiding: President Risenmay

Conducting: Sister Eging

Pianist: Sister Kogure

Chorister: Sister Oeser

Opening Hymn: #201 Joy to the World

Invocation: Sister Cochain

Purpose: Sister Evans

Story of the Shepherd Elder Spencer

Musical Number: Were You There?

Sister Sturzenegger, Sister Smsith A., Sister Hug, Sister Mark KM, Sister Roberts, Sister Strihavka, Sister Newlin, Sister Richins, Sister McColgan, Sister Seol and Sister Clement

Three Christmas Stories: 1. Cookie Story – Sister Valenzuela

2. Russian Christmas – Sister Naranjo-Zazueta

Musical Number: Sister Semenova and Sister Steffensen – Piano Duet

The First Noel

3. Small, Snow Covered Tree – Elder and Sister Heesch

Musical Number: Sister Skouson and Sister Fouti-Makaya – flute duet

Dona Nobis Pacem – Away in a Manger; Accompanist: Sister Kogure

The Living Christ Reading: Sister Lybbert, Sister McColgan, Sister Almeida, Sister Donald, Sister Lu, Sister Tuttle, Sister Fischer, Sister Oeser, Sister Pilapitiya, Sister Strihavka and Sister Risenmay

Closing Remarks: President Risenmay

Closing Hymn: #204 Silent Night

Benediction: Sister Sneddon