We held three special training sessions in the mission during December. We took those opportunities to also have special Christmas programs with the missionaries. During lunch we played some holiday games. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and feel the true spirit of Christmas at each session. The training focused on discovering and magnifying our gifts and talents and using them to serve the Lord as missionaries. We also enjoyed several missionary Christmas stories and learned more about the Savior, his life and mission, and the true meaning of Christmas.
Elder and Sister Shimada trying to open a gift during our lunch games.
Lunch games during one of the trainings.
Elders playing the oven mitten game.
More fun!
Some parting treats from President and Sister McIntyre and pictures with the missionaries.
President and Sister Iwaki joined us at the Osaka training.
This is the group at the training held in Okayama.
Sister Shields had a birthday here in Kobe right after Christmas.
The Kobe district and our family celebrate with Sister Shields. Ricky and Erika were back with us from school.
Christmas dinner in the Kobe Mission home.
Some singing after dinner.
Sister Kadekaru also had a birthday in Kobe.
She got a face cookie too!
President preparing Christmas treats for the training sessions.
Elder Hinton and his family visited us before departing Japan.
We stopped by to see Elder Escalante in Osaka before Christmas. He was bit by a dog and had stitches in his nose. Sister Escalante, his "real" sister, is also serving here and they are in the same zone. We took this shot of them and sent it to their mother.
Kobe City's Luminaria which is held every December in commemoration of the Kobe Earthquake.
Sister McIntyre and Erika hanging on a tree in Nara park.
After 5 days in a row of zone conferences, we took the boys and the assistants out to dinner at our favorite Brazilian restaurant.
Delicious as usual.
Four missionaries got aprons from Sister McIntyre. Three traveling training assistants, Elders Kimura, Spohr and Slater and Elder Osaka who worked for several transfers in the office.
We celebrated Elder Camacho's birthday while he was passing through Kobe this past week. We had a big group there as it was transfer week and new missionaries were all with us.
Elder Camacho got a face cookie.
The next morning in Niihama, we visited the Aoba family and had the chance to make some pottery and learn from a Master Japanese Potter. 
Everyone made something and we are excited to see the final fired pieces.
Erika working on her ceramic light.
The boys working on their art.
The boys shot a few baskets with President Aoba's son. It was a very hot day.
We stopped in Kouchi for a couple of nights and relaxed. Here is a famous rock formation. The rope signifies these rocks are married. There are only 11 of these "married rocks" throughout Japan.
The light house near the rocks in Kouchi.
There were a lot of people playing at the beach.
The kids enjoyed the pool more and everyone got pretty sunburned.
Sunday the whole family visited the Yahatahama Branch Conference where I presided and we both spoke.
The church is in this rented building right on the main street through town in front of the train station. It is a small branch.
After conference we enjoyed a nice meal with the members.
We then travelled to Uwajima, further down the west coast of Shikoku where we attended the baptism of Brother Ii. This is the Uwajima church building.
Brother Ii with missionaries.
The Kids
The boys
The girls
The cause of it all! The parents...
