Thoughts and stories, by Pal

This is # 562, but numbers are mixed up!  # 561 is the latest posted, today! 3 Touching True Stories That Celebrate the Joy of Christmas by Various Authors  | Dec. 22, 2015 Mormon Life The holiday season is a time of reflecting gratefully on those experiences that have drawn us closer to our family and the Savior. These touching, true Christmas stories will warm your heart and help you remember the blessings in your own life. The Invisible Christmas Tree by Carla Kelly [When] my husband lost his job at a Southern university because of religious discrimination in 1992, [we tried] to hold things together during the ensuing legal battle. Martin did some substitute teaching and worked as a van driver for a local ophthalmologist and ward member. I was in graduate school and had a part-time job at the same university that had fired Martin illegally. And to say that money was tight and hope was slim was no exaggeration. With two daughters still living

This touching article written by a missionary in Africa will touch your hearts and help give you the true Christmas Spirit!  Merry Christmas to all from our house to you, wherever you are! An Unadorned African Christmas By Michaela Proctor  · December 23, 2015 While her parents and siblings lived in the bush of Malawi, this 21-year-old girl grew up alone with her uncle in the city. When she met the missionaries she spoke broken English and couldn’t attempt to read a full verse in the Book of Mormon. She spent her days washing, cleaning, cooking, and going to market for her uncle. She joined the Church, still with little knowledge but a great desire to grow in truth. Ever since her baptism she worked with the missionaries multiple times a week, improving her English but not helping her living conditions. On Christmas day we went to visit her in her concrete house that seemed to be sagging in the rain. As we handed her a small gift, she was overcome, holding in