Merry Christmas to all our family, friends, missionaries, and missionary families. We are so grateful for your love, support, prayers and dedication to the gospel of Jesus Christ. May this season find you blessed with the knowledge that Christ lives and loves each of us.

This wonderful week began with our new missionaries arriving! It took a bit but we found them at a station and brought them over to the mission home. 

With a few minor adjustments we were all able to sit together to enjoy their first lunch in the mission home.

The assistants do a great job going over the "First 12 weeks" in the mission... 

...And transfers began on Wednesday this week at the Ola chapel.

Our daughter was excited to meet Elder Lybbert.  His sister was her Sister Trainer Leader in Portugal when she served as a Sister Missionary. 

Off to Tarkwa we went this week for the beginning of Interviews in this next transfer cycle. 

So we got new missionaries in on Monday and then on Friday we had the trainers and the trainees come for their follow-up training that arrived last transfer.   There is such a change in them in only a few short weeks. 

...and the game is on.  We love to play Jeopardy to see how the missionaries are doing in their training. 

On December 22 we had a desert night for all the staff who help us at the Mission Home.  Bishop Lainge and his family came.  We are so grateful for all he does to help keep all the missionaries and us up and running!

We very much  appreciate our Assistants and Supply Elders who are always there for everyone in the mission.  

We actually took a tour of the Elmina Castle this week.  What an experience to hear and see  a part of the history of Ghana. 

Our Zone Leaders in Praso.  We were in Praso on Sunday and made a quick stop to the church and so grateful we got to see Elder Kabba and Nelson.  

Christmas morning at the Mission Home.  A Hillam tradition is to line up before going in to see our Christmas Stockings.  Our line was short this year but we had a wonderful day and were so grateful to recieve many Merry Christmas songs, texts and phone calls. Merry Chirstmas to All!  

A few Fun pictures along the way but the best was Madison arriving in Ghana for Christmas!

This might just look like a tree but look close...all the trees along one road in Accra have these! They fly and are black! They hang upside down? 

Leaving soon on a plane!

Madison was so glad to arrive after a few days of travel!  We are so excited to have her come to Ghana!

Church in Komenda is so fun!  The desks are perfect!

The children love her so much.  She had them all laughing and smiling! 

Just a pretty caterpillar. 

This transfer our "going home" missionaries left before our new ones arrived so...

Best of Luck Elder and Sisters.  We hope you all return home safe.  We love you!

Sister Mawasha flew out a few days earlier.  We will miss you!

At the airport ready to go! 

Always fun weighing the luggage and making MINOR adjustments. 

Up and ready to head to Accra 

So very grateful for these Elders and Sister and their devotion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Remember who you are...

"What a Wonderful Time of the Year" ...the beginning of transfers. First Train the Trainers...

Our Assistants Elders Tovela and Smith instructing on the First 12 weeks.  This program is so critical for our new missionaries and a great review for our trainers.  

Trainers for the Christmas Missionaries.  

Christmas Zone conferences along with a Stake Conference, MLC, and baptisms...and Harmattan?

Our Beautiful Ghanaian Children!

Mission Leader Council December 2017

The Christmas Box

A Christmas Tree with flowers in front.  Just so  awesome.  We love it!

We were able to attend the baptism of these 6 wonderful new members and all the people who would be loving and supporting them.  We just could not fit everyone in the picture!

So we noticed a breeze starting up and when we came out of church this is what we saw.

Our Elders in Nuamakrom. 

We were so surprised at what had happened but the saints said, Harmattan has come!

The sun was looking incredible as its rays burned through the sand from the Sahara Desert.