Hi,
So, my Christmas was GREAT. After talking with you, we went and delivered presents to Ana and Griselda. We gave Ana a photo album w/ pics from her baptism, and little notes everyone had written her. Then we felt like we should go visit Jose...he's the investigator who had the gambling issue who we've challenged to baptism like twice. Anyways, so we go there...and he's there just sleeping on his living room floor, totally alone on Christmas day. So sad. You could tell he was trying to not make a big deal of it. So Sister Holladay, being great, goes "well we're going to eat in 10 minutes...wanna come with us?" and so he came along with us! To eat with the Familia Hernandez, who's one of my fave families I've met. The grandma/grandpa joined the church in Mexico 30+ yrs ago, and they're just a solid family. They have a son whos 19 who has down syndrome, and the dad is always talking to us about missionary work...it's the only family that ever brings up the topic with us at dinner appointments. So we called them up real quick, and they were down to pick him up, so he came along. So we had some good old pozole and tamales and those sugar-covered deep fried things that I forget the name of. It was a good dinner appointment, and I think that it made Jose feel not so alone.
So then after that we headed to the VC. I was companions for the night w/ Sister Lopez, who's a fullfield sister who got called to the VC for christmas lights, and she's a total rockstar. So I learned a lot from her, and the whole VC was just on fire. Everyone has improved a lot. So...last night, Christmas miracle, we got EIGHTY top boxes! The most we've ever gotten on any other night is 40. Exactly doubled our record...I call it a Christmas miracle. Then at the end of the night Sister Holladay and I handed out presents to the VC sisters that we had gotten for them. We went to the dollar store and loaded up on bumpits, silly putty, fuzzy socks, and whatever other cheap gifts we could find. And then we headed home and went to sleep. So it was a great day! I am very satisfied with my one and only Christmas I'll have in the mission field. Sister Holladay made a big effort to make sure we didn't forget about Christmas, and I'm glad she did. At first I was worried that it would be too distracting, but she made us put Christmas cheer into everything, and I'm now really glad about it. So that was good. Sister Holladay has done a good job of "loosening me up"...I'm learning how to have fun on the mission with her. It's a fine balance, but one that I think is really important to find.
Saturday was also a good day. In the morning we had a prep meeting, where we all got together and had brunch, and then different people did different cultural dances. Then Sister Holladay and I rounded a bunch of missionaries up to go caroling to our investigators and members, so that was really fun. There was one lady who started crying, and there was another lady we caroled to randomly and she told us that she wanted to come to our church the next day. So that was fun.
Also, had probably my favorite top box this past week! It was such a spirit-driven conversation. You know how I said how I feel like I can follow the Spirit more when people are mourning/going through huge losses? well this was one of those. I walked up to this lady in the VC, and she said that her chiropracter had told her that the Mormon temple was the most peaceful place he knew of, so she should go there to get "spiritual healing". (Ps that's the third person I've heard of getting referred to the VC by chiropracters...some chiropracter out here is doing a lot of good missionary work.) Anyways, so she tells me her life is in shambles, etc, and so I decided to take her to the Christus. We walk in and she was like "My doctor told me to find this statue! But I didn't know where it was!" and so then I read Alma 7:11-12 with her, and I told her to look at the christus statue as I read it to her, and afterwards she goes "that's crazy, as you read that I felt like my back pains almost got lesser." Whaaa?! Anyways, then I read Ether 12:4 with her, and we talked about hope and she said how that's exactly the thing she's been feeling like she needs. So we listen to the christus, and she really likes it, and she tells me how she feels like she just needs to start listeing to God more. So then I thought of a mormon message "listen to the voice of the spirit" that we have, so I took her to go watch it. And so we watch it, and in the middle she laughs, and afterwards we're talking and she's like "I laughed because it quotes E.B. White (I think that' the name?) and he's my favorite poet." and she just said how everything that we had been talking about are the exact things she's been thinking about. And so then I'm just like straight up "well the next step is talking to the missionaries, because talking to them and getting baptized is what's going to help you feel this feeling all the time." and she's liek "I would really like that." baaahhh! So then I gave her a book of mormon, adn she filled out the referral card, and she's like "where do you recommend I start reading? Just from the beginning?" so I gave her the intro, Ether 12:27, and Moroni 10:3-5 to read. And then she told me that she would come back and bring her son with her. And she gave me this really big hug, and as she walked out she just goes "Thank you for listening to the Spirit." It was crazy! It sounds almost too good to be true, but, I know it was genuine because I really just felt the Spirit guiding it all. Anyways, it was so great. She was awesome, and I hope to see her again.
Anywhozle, ok I will send some photos your way. Thank you for everything! You are the best! I don't know how long youl'l all be together this week, but hopefully you do some fun things together. I love you lots! Love, Sister Fors
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