Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year

Here in the Congo celebrating Christmas is not just a certain day, it is a season. They are wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and expressing their love for the birth of the Savior all season long. I like it. Christmas is not just a day it is a season. It was prophesied to happen and we all waited and waited. The Congolese celebrate with family and a large meal, like chicken or duck. No presents. They save up for the meal. The streets are empty, which is saying a lot because there are at least10 million people in the city and at least 1/2 of them are out (in the middle of the street) everyday.
We went to a Christmas party this week for Temporal Affairs. The guy conducting wished everybody a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and he talked about the year 2011 being the year to remember.... the announcement of the Temple. It was an answer to their prayers and they are all so happy and feel so blessed. Even though this country is filled with uncertainty with the elections and having 2 presidents that are causing much grief, pain, and death they are looking at 2011 as the year of the announcement of the Temple. Very inspiring to me. This Temple will take a while to complete, but I bet it will be quicker, just because they have the faith here to make miracles happen! From the Westerners point of view, it truly seems an impossible task, good thing the Lord is in charge...and the faith of the good Saints here.