MISSION CONFERENCE

     Yesterday we spent a wonderful day at a Virginia Richmond Mission Conference.  There were lots of musical numbers by various missionaries, and even the Mission President and his family.  We were taught some great truths by President Perry and his 2 "Assistants to the President".  It was all very sweet and spiritual.  When it started, the assistant who conducted told us that throughout the day we would laugh, and cry, and feel The Spirit.  It was all true.  We were fed a wonderful meal by the Stake Relief Society ladies, and our spirits were fed too.
     One of the lighter moments was when it was announced that the next musical number would be by the Virginia Beach District, singing "O Holy Night".  So they all stood where they were, in the congregation and grabbed their hymn books.  The pianist had a funny look on his face, and the announcer realized he had made a mistake.  He got back up and said, "Oops! Wrong district!  The Chesapeake District will now sing for us."  The Virginia Beach district looked visibly relieved and sat down.  The Chesapeake District then went up to the front and sang the song that they had practiced. The really funny thing was that the Virginia Beach District was going to do it.  They were all looking in the hymn book for the song, but it's not in there.  We laughed about that one for the rest of the day.
     The senior missionaries (at a fun senior missionary Family Home Evening activity) had put together some stockings for the younger Sisters and Elders so we were able to present those at the end of the conference.  It was fun.  The stockings, goodies and gifts had been gathered by the Relief Societies all over the mission.  I'm sure we got some of them wrong too.  Some Elder is going to find some pink fuzzy socks in the bottom of his stocking and some Sister will undoubtedly find some nice black dress socks.  Oh well.  We did the best we could.
     When we were stuffing all those black dress socks into the stockings for the Elders, I couldn't help but think, "It's too bad that I don't have time to write 'sock notes' for all of them."  When my kids went on missions, they found little personal notes in their socks.  It was a fun thing for me to do, to let them know that they were loved.  There were a few  Christmas stockings from one ward that did have notes written by Primary children.  Too bad all the wards didn't think of it. 
     We plan to have one set of Elders over for dinner tomorrow evening on Christmas.  That should be fun.