Dec. 13, 2010

Hello family!!!

I hope that everyone is doing really well as we head into Christmas. I wanted to apologize in advance for the fact that I'm not really sending any presents home to anyone for christmas--- unless I'm in the name drawing for the immediate family, in which case, you need to tell me who I have so I can send it! --- Otherwise, I figured that purchasing gifts and then shipping them would be cost too much, and on my limited budget, I just can't afford it. Sorry. I love you all and really wish I could do more for you. :(

We had Santa Run this week. It was tons of fun. President and Sister Pendleton dressed like Mr. and Mrs. Clause, and the APs were dressed like elves. It was fun. We got called up one by one and had our pictures taken with our packages and the President and his wife. It was fun. The mission office had just been saving every package they got for a couple weeks, so I got the big one (thanks mom) plus a smaller one filled with cookies, and the package from Grandma Mary. Plus, Mom, the letter you sent before the funeral they saved and I didn't get it till Tuesday. Sorry I wasn't able to send a story about grandma. I opened the two smaller packages and the letter on Tuesday because I figured they weren't part of it. Then, just in case, I had my companions open the bigger one that night. They checked it for perishables, and when they found the individually wrapped gifts inside, they gave me the all clear to come out. We haven't gone through the stockings--we'll save that for Christmas Morning--and I've saved the letter/card and the presents for then as well. Both Sister Silva and Sister Christensen were really touched that you thought of them and made them stockings. And they laughed when they saw all the poptarts. I had to explain about the cereal/oatmeal/poptart evolution tradition. :) So we all have something to open on Christmas Morning. Which is awesome!!

Otherwise, for the rest of the week, we've just been working hard. It's been a lot of mostly visiting with people for a few minutes here and there because of the holidays. I'm sure things will get much busier after the holidays, but until then, we're mostly just trying to get into the homes of some of the less actives and our investigators to share a short holiday message with them. It's been a hard couple of weeks, for sure, but I'm optimistic. We've got a really strong list of Potentials that we're working with, and our ward is behind us one hundred percent. Which I love them for.

We had interviews this last week and President said that he's going to transfer Sister Silva somewhere else and leave me with the area and the training of Sister Christensen. He told me he trusts me with this and he knows that I'm up for the responsability. I'm really going to miss Sister Silva. We've been together a long time (6 months), and the ward won't be the same without her either. But I'm also really excited for a little change. And I think I'm really going to like being the Senior Companion. :) Transfers are on the 21st, so we still have a week to go together. Which is good. :)

I don't know if I told you all this, but President Pendleton issued all the missionaries a challenge to read the Book of Mormon by January 13th. He gave us 3 months, basically, to get it done. It's been a really neat experience to read through the Book of Mormon so quickly. I'm always amazed that I've somehow missed all these amazing things the other 10 times I've read the book. How does that happen? I've just finished Alma and I'm working on Helaman. I'm really impressed with, and somehow forgot about, Nephi and Lehi, the sons of Helaman, who were called on missions just after the last of the big wars between the Nephites and Lamanites. They traveled all over the land and met up with everyone. And because of them the ENTIRE nation of Nephites and Lamanites were ALL converted. Such that anyone could travel back and forth between them and not get hurt. There was basically not a division anymore between the Nephites and Lamanites, except maybe it was cultural. Nephi and Lehi were AWESOME!!! They're my new favorite missionaries. Forget Ammon and the Arms, or Alma and the 8000 lamanites... Please... read about them in Helaman. I like how they were put in jail, and they called down fire and conversed with God, and Christ spoke to the mob at the jail. And they were all converted. I want to teach with that kind of power! That would be SOOOOO COOOL!

Speaking of teaching... As you all are very aware, I'm sure, my six month mark is this week (on Dad's birthday coincidentally). I've been thinking about my mission so far and what I have left to do. My testimony has grown so much from when I first came. And I've learned all about what Missionary work really is. It's been so wonderful. With all this introspection, and especially this opportunity to take over the area and become a Senior Comp coming up, I feel like, as a Missionary, I'm about to grow into so much more as well. I feel like, as much as I've grown in the past 6 months, I'm about to grow that much more in the next transfer. My faith and testimony of this gospel and the savior and his atonement are all about to take this huge giant leap. I've really gained a strong testimony in the power of repentance, Because, to be honest, I haven't been the most obedient missionary. We've wasted a lot of time as a companionship and I've had to account for that to the Lord. But I know that as I've repented, and I strive to do better, I really do feel the forgiving power of the Atonement working in my life! I don't know if I'm making any sense... But I wanted you to know that I'm not wasting my time here. I'm really working hard to be a better missionary every day, and to be a better person every day. A month ago, I don't think I would have said that I was changing that much... but something has happened in the last couple weeks... I dunno... I'm changing. The Atonement is changing me. I'm being converted! It's amazing to feel this way. I guess I'm really just rambling, but I wanted you to know how I'm feeling right now. :)