Monday, December 18, 2017

"I'll be home for Christmas... if only in my dreams"

December 18, 2017


This week was really good! Because today was kind of crazy I'm running low on emailing time so I will just share a few of the highlights.

We had interviews with our mission president on Thursday and it was great! I love the time that I get to spend talking one on one with my mission president and his wife. They are always so full of insight and answers to prayers that I say. After our interviews we got to have a "Christmas Experience" as Sister Loveland called it. We all brought cheapo gifts and did a left right game. It was super fun to celebrate Christmas with the Loveland's and all the other missionaries who are close by. 

On Friday we got a text early in the morning and it was from the church's referral center. A lady named Sarah had contacted them and requested a Bible and a Book of Mormon which is really exciting. We went and met with her and she told us that she had been in an accident with a semi truck and it was a miracle that she survived and was able to function after. She said that her relationship with Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father are the only things that get her through. It was neat because we got to talk with her about how the Book of Mormon will improve her relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. She said we could come back in a week and read the Book of Mormon with her! It was really cool!

On Saturday we got to help with the Primary Store. The Primary took a bunch of donations in November and December and then let the primary children come shop for their families and sold everything for a quarter. The missionaries were asked to come wrap the presents they bought so we did and it was SO FUN to watch the kids carefully pick out presents for their families and then pick out which wrapping paper would be best. I loved it. After that some members took us to lunch and then we had a lesson with Craig and Carol! We talked to Craig about his baptism and how important baptism actually is and how Satan tried to distract us. It was a super good lesson! At the end of it he said that unless he wakes up dead or gets hit by a bus he will be getting baptized on the 30th! We were pretty happy about that. :)

The last thing I want to share is about Sunday. For some reason I woke up pretty homesick on Sunday. I think it was just me missing going to church with my family during Christmas time. But I was a little teary. Well after a beautiful sacrament meeting a member came up to us and handed us a loaf of bread that he made for us that week. Just because he thought the sisters might like it. After that we were in Gospel Principles and someone poked their head in and waved for us to come out. When we did there was a little gang of six primary children holding hand drawn pictures and a plate of treats. They all told us Merry Christmas and gave us hugs and told us they appreciated us. Another member gave us a Thank you card for a small service we did a few weeks earlier and expressed how much she loved us. I felt overwhelmed because I was so grateful for the opportunity I had to see that even though I missed my family, I had people looking out for me and helping me continue on. I was so grateful for this tender mercy to see that even though we sometimes feel lonely, we have people around us supporting us. 

For my spiritual thought today I wanted to share the words to a song that was sung in Sacrament Meeting. I am a Christmas Fanatic and I thought I had heard all the Christmas songs, but I'd never heard this one and it struck me a little differently. I hope that you will read the words and let them sink into your heart. You could even look up the song and listen to it. It's beautiful. I love y'all and I hope y'all have a very Merry Christmas and that you remember that Jesus Christ loves you. Heavenly Father loves you and Sister Lloyd loves you! Merry Christmas!

"They journeyed far, a weary pair;

They sought for shelter from the cold night air.

Some place where she could lay her head,

Where she could give her Babe a quiet bed.

Was there no room? No corner there?

In all the town a spot someone could spare?

Was there no soul come to their air?

A stable was where the family stayed.

 

Do you have room for the Savior,

And do you seek Him anew?

Have you a place for the One

Who lived and died for you?

Are you as humble as a shepherd boy,

Or as wise as men of old?

Would you have come that night?

Would you have sought the light?

Do you have room?

 

A star arose, a wondrous light;

A sign from God this was the Holy night.

And yet so few would go to see

The Babe who came to rescue you and me.

This Child Divine is now a King.

The gift of life to all the world He brings.

And all mankind He saves from doom,

But on that night for Him, there was no room.

 

Will you come tonight?

Will you seek the Light?

Do you have room?"
~

~Sister Madisen Lloyd

 

Pictures :

1. A member who we were heart attacking had a turkey so I had to take a picture

2. Heart attacking is our favorite way to appreciate members

3. Us driving. This is what happens when Sister Fife has my camera and I say "I need to take more pictures"




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