MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Can you believe that this Wednesday is Christmas?! I can't believe it!  We had a great week and actually went on exchange with the Sister Training Leaders in Woodley.  I was with Sister Ross in her area and we saw so many miracles within 24 hours of our exchange.  We ended up finding 2 new investigators and had a great dinner appointment with a YSA in her ward.  She invited some nonmember friends over (member missionary work - props to her :) and we were able to get one of her friends email and phone number to meet up again!  We ended the night watching the Joy to the World DVD which is always a great way to invite the Spirit of Christmas.

 

We found out on Saturday that Sister Brooks' foot won't need too big of an operation.  We have to go back on Jan. 2nd for an MRI scan to find out what is exactly wrong, but it's good that she will most likely be able to stay out on her mission. :)

 

The Basingstoke ward is the best.  I can't believe their kindness and generosity!! At the end of our Sacrament Meeting yesterday, they invited the four full time missionaries in the ward up to the stand.  The Bishop went on to tell us how grateful the ward is for our service and then they brought in these big boxes full of wrapped Christmas gifts - one box for each of us.  I was so grateful and overwhelmed by their thoughtfulness and kindness.  I hope to repay them by working hard and building the ward up as much as I can while I serve here. How blessed I am to be in Basingstoke over Christmas. :)

 

I have truly felt closer to my Savior this Christmas as I've learned more about His Birth, continued to study His teachings, and shared the true joy that comes from the Gospel with others.  I'm so grateful for this time of year and know that without the birth of our Savior, we would have no way to return to live with our Father in Heaven.  I will forever be indebted to Him for His infinite atoning sacrfice. I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas and remembers the "reason for the season." 

 

Scripture of the week: "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." -Matthew 1:21-23

"The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer, is [Playing] Loud for All to Hear" :)

Amongst all the Christmas hustle and bustle, Sister Brooks and I have had to take things pretty easy because of her injury. It is really hard for her to get around and put any weight on her left foot.  On Wednesday, due to Sister Brooks' frustration and pain, her parents got permission to come down and visit the Hospital A&E with us.  (When does that ever happen?! :) They took an xray and found out there was nothing wrong with the bones, but there is probably something wrong with her tendon. We have another appointment scheduled at a specialized orthopaedic hospital this Saturday to find out more. Sister Brooks' parents treated us on Wednesday with a nice dinner and ended up coming to the Elders' baptism in our ward that night.  It was a great experience and there was a very special Spirit there.

 

Thursday we got to go to the London Temple for a session and Christmas dinner as a gift from President Millar. I loved every second of it! It was great to be there with 75 other missionaries and feel the Spirit of Christmas at this special time of year.  We found out that the 75 of us that were there was only a quarter of our mission.  It's incredible how much our mission has grown. The Lord is truly "hastening His work" and I'm grateful to be a part of it.

 

Saturday I was blessed with the opportunity to go play my violin on the High Street.  I was so nervous, but I knew the Lord wanted me to share my talent and would help me out, so I did the best that I could.  I played Christmas carols for about an hour and a half while the Elders handed out pass along cards and taught lessons. All I wanted was for people to be able to feel the Spirit and remember the true meaning of Christmas which would possibly soften their heart to our message.  I will never forget the appreciation I saw in some of the people's faces as they walked by and the love and happiness I felt for them. What a blessing it was to feel and spread the Christmas Spirit.

 

Scripture of the week: "Verily, I say unto you that ye are chosen out of the world to declare my gospel with the sound of rejoicing, as with the voice of a trump. Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom." D&C 29:4-5

Christmas Cheer

You can feel the Christmas spirit in the air and I love it. This is my favorite time of year, and what a blessing it is to be a missionary on top of that. I'll only have one Christmas on my mission so I plan enjoy, remember, and take advantage of the great opportunity it allows us to share the gospel. My spirits are high this week because I've received answers to my prayers and we also get to go to the temple on Thursday for a session and Christmas dinner!  It's our Christmas gift from President and Sister Millar! How awesome! I told him in my letter this morning that I was so excited to go I could scream! :) It'll be a great week.

 

So my prayers have been answered, like I said.  And I know, prayers are always heard and answered.  But this was a special answer. All my mission, I have prayed for baptisms - like any other missionary would right?  I've done all that I can to receive this blessing: been obedient as possible, read my scriptures, talked to as many people as I could, worked with the members, and loved my companions.  I have been blessed to teach some amazing people and I love them so much! I don't doubt that they'll be baptized one day and I'm so grateful for that.  But my answer came as a realization and comfort from the Holy Ghost that it's not what my mission is about.  I am here to serve the Lord where He needs me and whether I go home without any baptisms at all, I will know in my heart that I served the way the Lord the best of my ability and did His will. And maybe later down the road, the work that I did will be a blessing in someone else's life.  I am so grateful to be a missionary and be a part of the Lord's work.  I know it's inspired and I feel the help of the Holy Ghost every day.  How blessed and overwhelmingly happy I am to serve. So we continue on, still finding and teaching with the hope to find those who want to be baptized! :)

This is our Christmas tree! :)

 

December Already?!

What a week!  I hope everybody in America had a great Thanksgiving because we celebrated right along with them. :) Sister Brooks and I did our own little thing and I was pretty proud of our efforts if I do say so myself. No turkey, but we did have roast chicken, mashed potatoes, carrots, peas, corn, rolls, and for the finale we had apple pie with strawberry ice cream and whipped cream on top. It was delicious and while we ate, Sister Brooks and I counted our blessings. I'm especially grateful for my family and extended family this time of year.  My mission has made me realize what a blessing it was to spend every minute with them. :)

 

We had a great opportunity this week to hear from Elder and Sister Teixera. He is in the Quorum of the 70 and gave us a great message about becoming a BOLD missionary and focusing all our efforts on baptism. That is our ultimate goal for all the people we come in contact with is that they will accept the invitation to come closer to Christ by receiving the restored gospel through faith, repentance, baptsim, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Our job is to give them that opportunity and helping them make the right decision.  I've decided that to be a better missionary, I need to become a "purer vessel of the Lord." Sister Teixera talked about how frustrating it is to have a thought, and want to write it down, but she can't because her pen won't work.  It's the same with us and the Lord.  He needs us for His work and we are His pen, but I don't want to be the broken pen!!! Through the Christmas season, I hope and pray we'll be led and guided by the Spirit to bless a family that is looking for the gospel.

 

This week we saw a miracle while doorknocking.  We went to an area to contact a referral, but there was no answer.  One of the last doors we knocked, a tired middle aged man answered the door. He told us he reads lots of things but isn't set in any particular denomination. He willingly accepted the Book of Mormon and listened to us as we explained the Restoration. He told us he would read and that we could come back again this week!  It was amazing to meet him and we felt the Spirit as we talked and testified to him of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I can't wait to go visit him again this week.

 

It doesn't feel like December to me and I even keep writing October in my journal! I can't believe how fast the time is going. Maybe it feels like October because the leaves are just now starting to turn brown and fall off the trees. It's beautiful here. The lights are slowly starting to be hung up all around town, so that will help. Sister Brooks and I also bought a real tree to go in our flat!! It's a Charlie Brown Original. :) We decorated it with tinsel and jingle bells, and we always have the MoTab Christmas album playing. Joy to the World pass along cards are my new best friend for finding. I love the Christmas season and I can't wait to share my love for the Savior and His birth with all the people I meet this week!

 

Scripture of the week: "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." -1 Tim. 4:12

 

Happy Thanksgiving this week!!

I attached a file to send the pictures. It won't let me copy and paste! Hopefully it works...?

 

The picture is a surprise visit from the Sister Training Leaders and a member last night. We were so happy to see them!

 

This week has been one of adjustments and learning because of the recent transfer, but I'm so happy and feel excited to be here.  I can truly say I love being a missionary. Moving to a new area has definitely pushed me to improve myself and continue to look to the Lord for guidance and direction.

Exchanges

I am shocked because of the miracles that have already happened while serving here in Basingstoke, particularly the blessings we received while on exchange. On Friday, Sister Brooks went to Woodley, and Sister Jensen (Sister Trainer Leader) came to Basingstoke.  She has served the past 5 months here, so she knows her way around and is a great example to me.  I loved working with her.

 

We decided to try and contact some less actives she had never been able to get a hold of.  We went ot the area Black Dam, and started knocking on the less actives doors. First door, no answer. Second door, the lady answered, said the less active had moved, but she had her new address, and the lady told us she had a friend that was Mormon and would be happy for us to stop back by sometime!! Amazing! What a blessing! After knocking a few more less active doors, we felt prompted to go back to the one we had started with.  To our surprise, her husband was just on his way in, so it was perfect! She came to the door and we were able to get a return appointment with her this Tuesday! What a great experience it was to find and meet these people! I'm grateful for the promptings of the Spirit and the leaders we have in the mission to help us improve ourselves and our service.

 

I'm now using library computers and have a limited time to write. Hopefully, I'll have some time to upload a photo or two.

 

Scripture of the week: Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee ^awhole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. Matthew 9:22