Week 79

An 80 degree Christmas...

Dec 23 at 10:19 AM

Hola family!

So, yes, I received said pink package :)  I have already commenced in eliminating said delicious cookies :)  Thanks mom and dad.  Y'all are the best.  I also received a package from Sister Nelson, and Deej+Karolyn...I'm not opening those until Christmas though because I don't know what's in them.  I also got letter 78 and one from grams.  Possibly some other letter from mom last week.  also, a Christmas card from Nana.  Tell her I love her :)  and...I think that's it... needless to say...I feel loved :)

As mentioned in the subject line, the weather here is not Christmas weather.  It doesn't feel like Christmas at all.  At least let it be cold even if we don't get any snow, but to be in the 70s and 80s...so much so that we have to turn our air conditioner back on is sick.  The disgusting type of sick (I would never use such an undignified term as the slang sick as a missionary . . . whom do you take me for :) )

Correct on the 40 minutes to talk with y'all. 

Okay...I really don't know what to say anymore...Time just flies by and trying to differentiate it out is difficult.  Oh, we did have Christmas zone conference last week...that was fun :) 

Elder Bagley and I instructed half of the mission on how to better plan lessons within companionship study.  It went pretty well.  Then for the 2nd half of the conference, we had musical numbers from the 3 zones.  I accompanied another Elder in our zone as he played the Violin.  We played Silent Night, and Sister Bernhisel recorded, so maybe I'll be able to get that too you.  I think it sounded pretty decent...who knows though :)  People tell you what they think you want to hear ;)

The spirit definitely guides us in little ways though.  For example...there is a recent convert in our ward that Elder Mortensen knew but that I had never met.  The sisters were the ones that finished teaching with her, so they were ones that it appeared to me were working with her versus the Elders.  After she was baptized, she got very sick, but then we never saw her at church.  I had never met her . . . . . . until last week.  For the 3 months I have been here, I have never had the impression that we should go visit her, until Thursday night when we were planning for Friday.  We didn't have any direct time in the day, and it was kind of an after thought for planning, so I just wrote her name down the side of the planner on that day as a "just in case we magically have any time" plan.  Then, we also were trying to figure out who we could ask to come on exchange for Friday night to come to a lesson we had planned with a family.  A name came into my head.  Okay . . . Friday comes...we call this individual to see if he can come on exchange with us.  We talk with his wife since he's at work.  She says that he would definitely be able to do that.  He calls us back after he gets off of work to finalize times. Everything is worked out.  He picks us up.  We go to the lesson.  It falls through.  Our back up plan is to visit this other Less Active member when it all clicks.  We need to visit that other individual that is a recent convert and a less active member.  More things begin to make sense...turns out this member that "happened" to pop into my head as the individual we should call for exchange was the primary member fellow-shipper that helped this recent convert along with her conversion.  They were good friends of hers.  Now it gets better...she lives pretty far away from where we were, so he calls her to see if we can come by.  Keep in mind, no one has been able to really see her or get in her house for months.  No one picks up the phone, but we decide that we're going to go anyways.  She calls us back while we're still driving and says that she would love for us to stop by.  We had an amazing lesson where a lot of powerful testimonies were shared and the spirit was definitely felt.  It truly was a miracle, yet how did it come about.  By little thoughts and impressions that at the time, may not have felt ridiculously inspired.  Nevertheless, I am so grateful for the spirit, and the way he guides us as we live our life in harmony with the revealed truths of Jesus Christ's gospel, as we strive to be obedient and to improve, and as we act in faith, not sitting back on our heels, waiting for God to direct our every foot step. 

Oh, there's a family in our ward that I love.  They are a great family and are so diligent in doing missionary work and are committed to our Savior.  A wonderful family indeed.  A humorous side note is that his little brother knows Chris as well as dad, and probably mom ;) . . .why you may ask?? Because he served in your ward!!  Elder Ridge.  Funny story right ?? I thought you'd enjoy it :)  I did.  He said our ward is a good ward.

We had a couple families in church yesterday.  One of them has come a few times and they really enjoy it, but they have difficulty getting up so early. . . they have been making progress though because at least now they are coming some, but they never make it to Sacrament meeting.  However, in 2 weeks, our time will change to church at 1:00pm, so people won't have that excuse of it being too early anymore.  They are a great family though, and I hope they will continue to progress forward.  It may be difficult at times, particularly because they need to get married, but there is nothing that the Lord can't do.  I've definitely learned not to doubt.  :)

Well, look forward to chatting with y'all on Wednesday, albeit it will be weird, but there's nothing we can do about that. 

Again, and always, I love y'all

Love,

Elder Patty