December 19-25, 2010

Sister Nelson in the German town of Fredricksburg, Texas

Dear Loved Ones,

We are grateful for this season of the year as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. I suppose being on a mission helps one to focus more on the true meaning of Christmas where we are not so involved in all of the commotion of preparations etc. However there are many traditions of the Christmas season that we miss such as the family gatherings and delight of children.

Generally it has been a slower week at the Employment Center as far as people coming in needing assistance. There have been several that have come in to report that they have found a job (such as the attorney whom we have mentioned in the past couple of weeks), we have cheered for them and been excited with them at this good news. However there have also been a couple of new candidates that have come in having just lost their jobs this week. It seems to happen during this time at the end of the year but it sure is hard on them. It’s also a very busy time at the store house, if you lose your parking spot you may have to circle for a while to find a new one. We have also had quite a few volunteers come in this week. We have had them assist in putting companies and jobs on to the web site.

We were only open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Monday and Tuesday were rather slow days, mostly assisting the volunteers so we were told on Wednesday if it was a slow day we could close up shop a few hours early. However Wednesday afternoon it got very busy and we were good to close by 5:00. I guess everyone realized it was their last chance at getting in this week. It was of course fine, it didn’t hurt us a bit.

Monday evening we took Sister Gloria Lyle out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant, they have a lot of good ones around here. Afterwards we drove out to Grand Prairie and drove through the Prairie Lights display. She lives out near there in Mansfield. We enjoyed a nice evening with her.

Tuesday Jack helped a lady create her resume, Wednesday morning she called in and said she had an interview that very afternoon, she was so excited and we were excited with her. It was the first interview that she had been able to get in quite sometime. We always say the purpose of the resume is to get you an interview, so they did GOOD!!

Thursday morning we left for Fredricksburg, TX. This is the town that was settled by the Germans that we had gone to last Spring. Their historic district was beautifully decorated for the holiday season. We enjoyed window shopping and seeing all the decorations.

On our drive there were stopped President LB Johnson’s ranch and cemetery. We were also able to locate Luckenbach, Texas, no easy feat. All the Willie Nelson fans out there would appreciate a visit to this little town. AND I mean little, population is 3, actually I just read that there was a recent death and so now the population is 2!

Friday morning we left Fredricksburg and traveled over to College Station to the Texas A & M University and visited the George H. W. Bush Presidential library. We both enjoyed this visit, of course this is exactly the kind of stuff that Jack loves. It seems like he was a very good president, stating that faith, family and friends were at the heart of a good life.

This has been an unusual weather week. Tuesday the high was 87 degrees. We noticed the young Elders were back in their short sleeve shirts. However yesterday and today were very cold, the coldest yet this year, the highs only in the low 40’s. Friday on our trip back to Dallas we got in a pretty good rain storm for a couple of hours. It seems the rain storm that had been drenching the West for several days finally made it to us. It passed on rather quickly however.

Friday evening we were invited over to the Mark Morell’s home for Christmas Eve. It was so nice to be with a family. We enjoyed some yummy treats, dinner and the Christmas story and thoughts. On Christmas day we went to Charlie and Carla Morell’s home where all of their children and grandchildren gathered for a delicious turkey dinner.

Today Carla Morell asked our group of Charlie, Duane & Alaina Bryner and myself to play the prelude music and a special musical number in the Plano 6^th Ward. We played some Christmas music, it was things we had played together before so it was easy to pull together.

We are so grateful for all of you. We are so blessed to have a wonderful family and friends who support us and support each other. I have been reading President Monson’s biography, the other night I read a paragraph of what he taught at a mission presidents’ seminar. He uses a scripture to reassure missionaries: “Your families are well; they are in mine hands, and I will do with them as seemeth me good; for in me there is all power.” We continue to put our faith, trust and hope in the Lord as we serve him and the people here in Texas.

May His blessings be with us all this week,

Mom & Dad, Grandpa & Grandma, Jack & Gaye

Elder & Sister Nelson

Elder Nelson

26 December 2010

Jack n Gaye