Dec. 12, 2011

Hello Family!!!

This week has been a really good one! :) We have district meeting every Wednesday, so this Wednesday the Zone leaders were there and took some time to teach us a little. They started by telling us all how great the district had done this last week! They were all excited and so proud, but then looked around at all of us and were like, "Wow guys! What's the matter?!?" None of us had felt like the previous week was that spectacular. Ha, they were trying to tell us all how great we did, and we just weren't feeling it. We had done a lot of tracing that week and didn't really feel like it was that beneficial. I guess the whole district was feeling the same way. Any ways, so we set some goals as a district and hopefully this Wednesday we will really have something to celebrate! :)

Christmas is coming right up!! It's so crazy how fast time goes out here! I get to call you in like 2 weeks!! HOORAY!! It is starting to get a little colder these days. I think that it got down to like 18 one night while we were out stopping by less actives. It was quite the adventure! There was ice EVERYWHERE and we were both all bundled up in all of the warm clothes we could find, trekking up to the doors dressed like Eskimos, in the dark, and slipping and sliding all over the ice! :) Then you have the dogs barking (EVERYBODY out here has dogs-- yup ATLEAST 2 or 3! Ha ha, you know me and dogs. . . . .  I just try to think of Dona and how they are all God's creations and we should love them. :) ) So, it's great! We are learning patient and love and really trying to enjoy the moment!

So, last night we had correlation with Bro. Wrathall, our ward mission leader. We LOVE to go to the Wrathalls!! They are so good to us. They are the ONE family that I can think of that doesn't have a dog or any other animal. So that is REALLY nice! But the Wrathalls are always just plain funny! He can get us laughing and by the end of the night, we are rolling. I love that he is funny and he doesn’t even have to try. :) Last night he was giving Sis. Burnham some pictures of her and her previous camp. He proceeded to tell her that there was only 1 good picture and in the other pictures they looked like the devil! Ha ha, Sis Wrathall was mortified; I thought she was going to fall out of her chair! We were shocked at first then couldn't stop laughing!!!! LOL. This actually sounds really lame as I'm writing it so it might have been in real life too and the only reason we thought it was funny was cause we were tired! :) The Wrathalls have 4 kids, but they are all moved out, so they love to have us over. We really love them so much! Sister Wrathall heard that we didn;t have any Christmas decorations so she rounded us up a tree, a pointsetta, and some of her decorations. SHe even made us some CD's with Christmas music!! She is the greatest!!!

I’m so glad that you all got to go to the Savior of the World! That was so good last year! I loved it!! I thought about you all day driving up there, enjoying eachother’s company and the spiritual feast that I’m sure you experienced. As missionaries we can’t usually participate in the choir because it takes so much time to practice. Our choir director Sis Taylor called Prs. Holmes to get special permission for us to sing cause they only have a choir of about 6 people!! To our surprise, Pres. Holmes said yes!!! J We were super excited!! Since then we have sung with the choir every week in sacrament meeting! We are singing on Christmas and I’m so glad that we get to! Music brings a special spirit and it’s a blessing to be able to share our talents with the ward. Sis Burnham is really good at singing and they actually gave us a duet to do! J Plus we are singing at a mission fireside this Thursday! God gives us talents and expects us to use them! I’m feeling a little inadequate, but exercising my faith and I’ve seen miracles! It’s so amazing!!!

Faith is something that I have really worked on this week! We have been challenged to baptize someone in the month of December. That would be a miracle that we have really been trying to have faith in! But more especially I felt like I was lacking. I felt a little unfocused and unsure of my self. I was reading in 1 Nephi  chapter 27 or 28 I think and found a verse that really hit me! It said something about how people go out and profess to be God’s servants but then their actions don’t align with their teachings. (We also talked about Hypocrisy in zone conference a few weeks ago.) I was thinking about all of this and realized that this was me!!! I was slacking! I felt inadequate and let those feelings get the best of me. I felt like when we were teaching, I would let Sis Burnham take the lead and then I hardly ever contributed. I didn’t feel like I knew the people well enough to put in my 2 cents. Well, this really hit me! I WAS WRONG!!!! I have been called of God, set apart and I CAN receive inspiration to know the needs of these people! I can’t do this on my own, but the Savior has promised that he will make up where we fall short.  Never before has the sentence, “With God all things are possible!” Been so real!!! After that insight, I was recommitted! I KNOW my purpose! I am here because there is someone that needs only what I can give them! If I don’t open my mouth I am failing them and myself, but more importantly I have failed my savior! I am here to represent HIM and help others to feel of HIS love! I have to step out of my comfort zone, depend on him and know that he will help me!  I hope this all makes sense! J It was such a neat learning experience, I was so excited to share it with all of you!!  I guess if nothing else, remember that Heavenly Father is REAL!!! He is another Dad and he loves you more than you will ever know!!! He wants you to talk to him and he will send blessings, answers and help in so many ways! All we have to do is open our eyes to recognize them!  One more insight: In Preach My Gospel Ch 1 it talks about how the Atonement of Christ should be the center of our teaching. When we really understand the Atonement then we are more motivated to share it with others and we will feel  like Alma, wanting everyone to have the same experience of being clean and “knowing God!” I don’t understand very much, but as I continue to learn, I can see that desire to share my knowledge with others! I really love my Savior! I love this Gospel!! I’m so thankful for this wonderful Holiday season that we have to really focus on his life, his example and his sacrifice for me! J What a wonderful time to be a missionary!! J

Well family! I love you all SUPER MUCHO!!! J I think of you all the time and pray for you every day!!! I miss you like crazy, but this is a wonderful work to be a part of!

Merry Christmas!! I LOVE YOU!!

Lisa