25 December 2009
Dear Family and Friends,
May this letter find you filled with joy and love for your dear ones, for the Lord, for His birth, for His life, for His promise of a better world for us all forever. May your hearts be bursting with gratitude for the tender mercies and multitudinous blessings of our Heavenly Father. We send our love, indeed greetings with an attitude stronger than the cords of death. Connections with family and friends in and through Christ are our joy and our sacred burden. Sharing in all life’s experiences with the heart in and through our Savior is the essence of peace and joy in this world and gives hope with surety for a better world even Eternal Life.
Last evening, Christmas Eve, we enjoyed a smooth sail on the ferry from England to the Isle of Man, disembarking, after four hours, in Douglas about 6:00 PM. With us were the young missionaries, Elder Kingsley from South Africa and Elder Cowley from Sandy, Utah. On the outside passenger deck we meet many friendly people, some of whom give us an invitation to visit with them later in their homes. From such encounters on this recent ferry trip, the Lord blessed us with three “call backs”. We are presently teaching a couple who live on the very north end of the island. We met them on the previous ferry ride coming from the last zone conference. Karen (41)wants to get married and be baptized while Jonathan (47)has committed to get married but needs to feel the Spirit to want to be baptized. Last Sunday we had a sweet meeting with them and our Chinese friend Jei Shen (27) in our apartment. We shared a special Christmas message and enjoyed “tea”(dinner) that Sister Allen prepared—vegetables and fish. Jei and Karen both should be baptized in the near future.
Joining us for last evening’s Christmas
Eve celebration were the young Elder Kingsley from South Africa, our District Leader and the tall Elder Cowley from Sandy, Utah. We enjoyed a meal prepared by Elder Cowley, his specialty dish of caramelized chicken over rice with sesame seeds. Together we read from Luke 2 the Christmas story. At appropriate times in the reading we sang together “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem”, and “Silent Night”. Our hearts were filled with love. In this simple setting of five of God’s children, repeated over the world countless times, is the real miracle of Christmas manifest—repentance, forgiveness, softened hearts, the healing power of Christ causing us to feel the “song of redeeming love”. We are happy to be together and not alone nor ever will be because of 
the miracle of the perfect love of Jesus Christ in our lives. Alma 5:26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?[Picture - Shelly Nattida Roberts, Yanisa (Ning) Sananueah, Daneille Yanisa Roberts.] There are experiences that are so profoundly imbued with love, repentance, and forgiveness unto a mighty change in heart that we are left breathless as it were with joy—we are led to say, “that one experience, a gift from God, makes all the effort, time, rejection, separation from family, and trials of faith worth every minute a missionary”—the mission becomes a great blessing, a choice experience to be savored forever. Such has been our blessing with this little family baptized the 12 of December 2009. We bask in the midst of miracles. Sharing heartache and burdens is an equal part of God’s plan of happiness. One such blessing is multiplied by many if we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to feel. Alma 26:37 Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his 
people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.
D&C 76:23 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—
Ning said after being baptized and confirmed, “I want to keep this good feeling all the time. How you do it?” Jei Shen is on the right of Sister Allen—she is our “adopted daughter” from China. 24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God. [Picture - Ning said after being baptized and confirmed, I want to keep this good feeling all the time. How you do it?” Jei Shen is on the right of Sister Allen—she is our “adopted daughter” from China.
]
Love, Mom and Dad, Ron and Carol, Elder and Sister Allen.
[Picture - Looking toward the Lakes District, England, across a calm (rare) Irish Sea. The air is always fresh and clean.]
Dear Family and Friends,
May this letter find you filled with joy and love for your dear ones, for the Lord, for His birth, for His life, for His promise of a better world for us all forever. May your hearts be bursting with gratitude for the tender mercies and multitudinous blessings of our Heavenly Father. We send our love, indeed greetings with an attitude stronger than the cords of death. Connections with family and friends in and through Christ are our joy and our sacred burden. Sharing in all life’s experiences with the heart in and through our Savior is the essence of peace and joy in this world and gives hope with surety for a better world even Eternal Life.
Last evening, Christmas Eve, we enjoyed a smooth sail on the ferry from England to the Isle of Man, disembarking, after four hours, in Douglas about 6:00 PM. With us were the young missionaries, Elder Kingsley from South Africa and Elder Cowley from Sandy, Utah. On the outside passenger deck we meet many friendly people, some of whom give us an invitation to visit with them later in their homes. From such encounters on this recent ferry trip, the Lord blessed us with three “call backs”. We are presently teaching a couple who live on the very north end of the island. We met them on the previous ferry ride coming from the last zone conference. Karen (41)wants to get married and be baptized while Jonathan (47)has committed to get married but needs to feel the Spirit to want to be baptized. Last Sunday we had a sweet meeting with them and our Chinese friend Jei Shen (27) in our apartment. We shared a special Christmas message and enjoyed “tea”(dinner) that Sister Allen prepared—vegetables and fish. Jei and Karen both should be baptized in the near future.
Joining us for last evening’s Christmas
Eve celebration were the young Elder Kingsley from South Africa, our District Leader and the tall Elder Cowley from Sandy, Utah. We enjoyed a meal prepared by Elder Cowley, his specialty dish of caramelized chicken over rice with sesame seeds. Together we read from Luke 2 the Christmas story. At appropriate times in the reading we sang together “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem”, and “Silent Night”. Our hearts were filled with love. In this simple setting of five of God’s children, repeated over the world countless times, is the real miracle of Christmas manifest—repentance, forgiveness, softened hearts, the healing power of Christ causing us to feel the “song of redeeming love”. We are happy to be together and not alone nor ever will be because of 
the miracle of the perfect love of Jesus Christ in our lives. Alma 5:26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?[Picture - Shelly Nattida Roberts, Yanisa (Ning) Sananueah, Daneille Yanisa Roberts.] There are experiences that are so profoundly imbued with love, repentance, and forgiveness unto a mighty change in heart that we are left breathless as it were with joy—we are led to say, “that one experience, a gift from God, makes all the effort, time, rejection, separation from family, and trials of faith worth every minute a missionary”—the mission becomes a great blessing, a choice experience to be savored forever. Such has been our blessing with this little family baptized the 12 of December 2009. We bask in the midst of miracles. Sharing heartache and burdens is an equal part of God’s plan of happiness. One such blessing is multiplied by many if we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to feel. Alma 26:37 Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his 
people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.D&C 76:23 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—
Ning said after being baptized and confirmed, “I want to keep this good feeling all the time. How you do it?” Jei Shen is on the right of Sister Allen—she is our “adopted daughter” from China. 24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God. [Picture - Ning said after being baptized and confirmed, I want to keep this good feeling all the time. How you do it?” Jei Shen is on the right of Sister Allen—she is our “adopted daughter” from China.
] Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Love, Mom and Dad, Ron and Carol, Elder and Sister Allen.
[Picture - Looking toward the Lakes District, England, across a calm (rare) Irish Sea. The air is always fresh and clean.]
We echo the words Jehovah after the creation, “The earth is glorious” It will be our eternal home.
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