Christmas Week

December 30, 2013

We had a good week, everyone was willing to meet with us even though it was right around Christmas.
On Christmas Eve we went and did a little bit of Christmas tracting where we would talk about the light Christ brought into the world and invite people to learn more. We actually didn't have much time for that though sadly. We got to visit with some older less active ladies who didn't get to go visit their families for Christmas. It was really good being able to share some time and the Christmas spirit with them, and just be there and share the feeling of not being with our families. One gave us a BUNCH of ornaments for our little fake tree so I got to decorate that and stare at it for a few moments on Christmas eve. It was a tender mercy because laying on the ground staring at Christmas trees is one of my favorite things ever. I even took a pic of me with my Christmas Eve present in front of the tree so I wouldn't feel left out. 

We found out Christmas Eve morning that the lady who was going to have us for Christmas Eve dinner was in the hospital, so we got blessed for being obedient and telling the ZL's we were going to be just outside our area because they were eating at the Stake Presidents house and found out about it and invited us there. So we got to see her in the hospital and have dinner at President Penas. 

It was soooo good skyping everyone! My companion called me heartless for not crying but it was just too happy to cry. I was lovin every second of it. The babies are sooo big and so cute! I feel like I talked and talked and talked, sorta wish I would have made you guys talk more  but I just remember when we would talk to Alex and Ben wanting them to do all the talking. 

The rest of our week was just really awesome. Let me tell you about Alice, she became even more legit this week. We got her to open up to us and she talked about how when she first saw us she wasn't going to let us in, she was just going to take our pamphlets and send us along. But something made her let us in, and she says she has been so happy ever since. What a gem! She couldn't come to church Sunday because she didn't order her oxygen tanks in time. She identified it to the adversary not wanting her to go to church and someone from another church even came and invited her! We were like "someone else invited you to church!?" and she was like, "yeah, the devil!" 

We got back in contact with Tameka finally and taught her some commandments, she is so ready it's to the point that teaching her is more of a requirement than a need. The cool thing about people here is that they are so familiar with a lot of the commandments and the gospel. She asked us if she could start paying tithing, who does that!? 

I taught Gospel Principles on the Gathering of Israel and some guys who think that Gospel Doctrine is boring and wanted a change of scenery came in so it was really good. It puts a whole new perspective on why the general authorities are focusing so much on covenants right now. If the keys of the gathering were in your hands you would too! I don't know why I love it so much but it is so cool that Christ came and gathered once personally, one tribe at a time, and now he is keeping his promise and has come and is doing it again... through us! What a blessing. Oops, missionary nerd moment, oh well.

Love you!!!!

Sister Stevens