Week 15 in Tarawa

Week 15, Christmas week.  Christmas in Tarawa has been very different in some ways, and very much the same in others.  This is a picture of a large bird that came to visit on Christmas day.

Raison filled cookies

Raison filling

Things that were the same:
We made English toffee and small gifts to give to those around us.
We prepared and listened to lessons on the birth of the Savior in church.
We watched touching Nativity programs.
We listened to Christmas music on my I-pad and the radio.
We got together with other couples to celebrate.
We baked cookies to share.
We decorated our apartment.
There were lights on the stores and some houses

Things that were different:
We attended our first Christmas program in October.

Filling Stockings

We didn't rush around madly shopping for last minute Christmas gifts.
Our decorations were simple and didn't take much time or effort to put up.
Our Christmas cooking was minimal so we didn't gain 5 pounds.
We focused on service such as preparing stockings and serving a meal for the young missionaries.
We spent more time studying the scriptures and pondering on the great gift of the Savior.
The weather was warm and rainy, no cold or snow.
We truly appreciated the importance of family as we Skyped with children and relatives.

Serving Christmas dinner to the missionaries

Brownies with little rat decorations

Potato Salad