A BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS DAY!

We had a beautiful Christmas!! We had a one hour Sacrament Meeting and a pot-luck lunch afterward. Then we went to the hospital with the Seminary kids and youth leaders. The kids rode in the back of a pick-up standing up...CRAZY!!

The hospital reminded me of a WWII tent with rows of beds. We were in the pediatric wing with sick children...most of whom had Dengue fever from mosquito bites! The sad part was that the hospital is "open air" so there were mosquitos flying around re-infecting the patients and staff. The hospital was very dirty. There was a “bleeding room”...I wondered if the doctors still believed in the practice of  “bleeding out” infirmities, as they did 100 years ago??  Sandun dressed up as Santa and handed out candy and gifts as  he danced to the music of another young man playing a bongo drum. The youth sang "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" to the tune of Feliz Navidad!! It was hilarious...I hope it didn't give the sick children headaches!  We returned to the Church for a Sri Lankan Holiday dinner provided by the Branch Leaders. Everyone eats with their hands... including us!


President Anton from the Mission Presidency (2nd Counselor) and Sister Ann came to Negombo for Church today and stayed for the Christmas dinner.  Afterward, they came to our apartment to visit awhile, before going to a family party in the evening. They brought us each a Christmas present. My gift was an attractive silver necklace. They had a XXL shirt for Elder Lee shipped from London because he is so big!... nothing here is big enough. They had it shipped 3-day-air. So kind and giving!!  They live in Colombo and met us at the airport when we flew in. He is a psychologist...Great  people! 

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