Apologies, I don't feel like writing much. Sorry :)
Christmas was fun. Members took good care of us. We got a couple of gifts. Christmas Eve the Smiberts had us over, and Sister Smibert's brother is a general authority in the area presidency. It was interesting to see how he acts and interacts. He told us something we should have done better in a little lesson we gave the Sunday School class, but I didn't even realize it until after because he did it so lovingly. What a talent.
So. Every member we've visited has given us chocolate, which has amassed to a heap the size of three quarters of our kitchen table. We're trying to trick people into taking some of it. The big special occasion desserts are pavlova, a meringue type of cake, and plum pudding with custard.
We've gone Christmas caroling several times in the past week. The most memorable was going to a nursing home. Some young single adult girl from another ward asked us to show up there and we didn't know what it was, but it was their music hour. We sang carols to an audience of 100ish people who were very close to going home to "that God who created them." It was a sacred chance to help communicate his love for them. They'll see him soon. I think that many people are so lonely these days, but wouldn't know it nor would they know how to express that. Just seeing how people have reacted so gratefully to our coming to their house to sing tells me how much people need.
Rachel--do you get these? Send me your address; I have some things I just need to tell you--plus, don't you owe me a birthday present? ;) Elder Smibert that I just mentioned was the Auckland mission president when you went to the Cook Islands for the VIP screening...I don't need to say anything more.
And Kristi--do you read these? Good luck. And remember, men are that they might have joy!
This morning I reread Elder Ballard's talk "The Greatest Generation of Missionaries." It says that they need spiritually energized missionaries, vibrant, thinking, and passionate missionaries. That sounds good to me. I think I can handle that. Elder Ballard also says that we are in a great battle for the souls of men, and the enemy is unforgiving and relentless. I have be the kind of missionary that is a challenge to that kind of devotion. Except righteousness is more powerful. "We need missionaries to match our marvelous message." Have I been battling for the souls of the children of God?
We taught Lisa again on Thursday and she is beginning to recognize the blessings that being introduced to the gospel is bringing to her life. And they are mighty. This past week she reconciled with her husband from whom she has been separated for I don't know how long. She looks so happy. Seriously, these huge things keep happening to her. It's like every week God is like, okay--what do I need to do this week to convince you? We taught her some of the commandments and she said for the first time that she knows what it means to keep the Sabbath day holy and why it is important. That is such a beautiful thing for a missionary to hear. At the end of the lesson SHE reminded US that we can pray to know whether the Book of Mormon is true and whether Joseph Smith is a prophet, and asked us to do that together. She gets a new testimony every week. I always look forward so much to seeing her and to being in a place where we are welcome.
Favorite story of the week: yesterday evening as Sister Wang and I were walking home, I saw one of those rubbery sleeves you can put around a soda can to keep it cold, lying all alone in the gutter, and joked that we should knock on the door of the nearest house and ask if it's theirs as an excuse to talk to them. It was a joke but I still wanted to half a minute later so we went back and I picked it up and knocked. The lady who answered was real sweet, saying no I don't think it's mine, but her dog was the snarlingest angriest little spaniel I've ever seen. We talked to her for a few minutes and she was like oh--you're the Mormons. She'd read part of the Book of Mormon but I guess it was too "deep" for her. She's an atheist who intends to stay that way. She told us she was from Czechoslovakia which you know got me overly excited and I asked her if she'd tried to read the Book of Mormon in Czech but she said it wouldn't make a difference, the ideas are just too complicated. The conversation continues, she says she likes us as people la di da. We tell her testimonies of the Book of Mormon and we start to say goodbye, and I ask again if I can get her the book in "Cesky", the way to say "Czech" in her language and she laughed and said "If you insist. You know where I live." Oh Denise, I do insist. Smile. I'm going to get her a book in Cesky and introduce her to something simple in the book.
Later today we're getting together with the other missionaries in the zone to play capture the flag. I love being around them and get a lot of strength from them. We honestly do have authority "above that of the kings of the earth" because we can promise people blessings from God and teach them truth that makes them accountable for what they know. It's so interesting learning how to use that, so overwhelming.
Just a note to you, anyone who's reading this who isn't necessarily a devotee to this religion: my role right now is different from what it has been in the past and what it will be in the future...it is to be a bold witness for the truth and invite people to know what I do so they may receive the associated blessings...it's not really about me. So some things I write may seem...how you say...foreign? extreme? but that's my job right now :) And it's so nice to not have to apologize for that during this amazing time. There could be nothing more true nor more beautiful.
Hope everyone had a good Christmas. Give the mailman some work to do, would ya?
I send hugs from afar.
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men.
Christmas was fun. Members took good care of us. We got a couple of gifts. Christmas Eve the Smiberts had us over, and Sister Smibert's brother is a general authority in the area presidency. It was interesting to see how he acts and interacts. He told us something we should have done better in a little lesson we gave the Sunday School class, but I didn't even realize it until after because he did it so lovingly. What a talent.
So. Every member we've visited has given us chocolate, which has amassed to a heap the size of three quarters of our kitchen table. We're trying to trick people into taking some of it. The big special occasion desserts are pavlova, a meringue type of cake, and plum pudding with custard.
We've gone Christmas caroling several times in the past week. The most memorable was going to a nursing home. Some young single adult girl from another ward asked us to show up there and we didn't know what it was, but it was their music hour. We sang carols to an audience of 100ish people who were very close to going home to "that God who created them." It was a sacred chance to help communicate his love for them. They'll see him soon. I think that many people are so lonely these days, but wouldn't know it nor would they know how to express that. Just seeing how people have reacted so gratefully to our coming to their house to sing tells me how much people need.
Rachel--do you get these? Send me your address; I have some things I just need to tell you--plus, don't you owe me a birthday present? ;) Elder Smibert that I just mentioned was the Auckland mission president when you went to the Cook Islands for the VIP screening...I don't need to say anything more.
And Kristi--do you read these? Good luck. And remember, men are that they might have joy!
This morning I reread Elder Ballard's talk "The Greatest Generation of Missionaries." It says that they need spiritually energized missionaries, vibrant, thinking, and passionate missionaries. That sounds good to me. I think I can handle that. Elder Ballard also says that we are in a great battle for the souls of men, and the enemy is unforgiving and relentless. I have be the kind of missionary that is a challenge to that kind of devotion. Except righteousness is more powerful. "We need missionaries to match our marvelous message." Have I been battling for the souls of the children of God?
We taught Lisa again on Thursday and she is beginning to recognize the blessings that being introduced to the gospel is bringing to her life. And they are mighty. This past week she reconciled with her husband from whom she has been separated for I don't know how long. She looks so happy. Seriously, these huge things keep happening to her. It's like every week God is like, okay--what do I need to do this week to convince you? We taught her some of the commandments and she said for the first time that she knows what it means to keep the Sabbath day holy and why it is important. That is such a beautiful thing for a missionary to hear. At the end of the lesson SHE reminded US that we can pray to know whether the Book of Mormon is true and whether Joseph Smith is a prophet, and asked us to do that together. She gets a new testimony every week. I always look forward so much to seeing her and to being in a place where we are welcome.
Favorite story of the week: yesterday evening as Sister Wang and I were walking home, I saw one of those rubbery sleeves you can put around a soda can to keep it cold, lying all alone in the gutter, and joked that we should knock on the door of the nearest house and ask if it's theirs as an excuse to talk to them. It was a joke but I still wanted to half a minute later so we went back and I picked it up and knocked. The lady who answered was real sweet, saying no I don't think it's mine, but her dog was the snarlingest angriest little spaniel I've ever seen. We talked to her for a few minutes and she was like oh--you're the Mormons. She'd read part of the Book of Mormon but I guess it was too "deep" for her. She's an atheist who intends to stay that way. She told us she was from Czechoslovakia which you know got me overly excited and I asked her if she'd tried to read the Book of Mormon in Czech but she said it wouldn't make a difference, the ideas are just too complicated. The conversation continues, she says she likes us as people la di da. We tell her testimonies of the Book of Mormon and we start to say goodbye, and I ask again if I can get her the book in "Cesky", the way to say "Czech" in her language and she laughed and said "If you insist. You know where I live." Oh Denise, I do insist. Smile. I'm going to get her a book in Cesky and introduce her to something simple in the book.
Later today we're getting together with the other missionaries in the zone to play capture the flag. I love being around them and get a lot of strength from them. We honestly do have authority "above that of the kings of the earth" because we can promise people blessings from God and teach them truth that makes them accountable for what they know. It's so interesting learning how to use that, so overwhelming.
Just a note to you, anyone who's reading this who isn't necessarily a devotee to this religion: my role right now is different from what it has been in the past and what it will be in the future...it is to be a bold witness for the truth and invite people to know what I do so they may receive the associated blessings...it's not really about me. So some things I write may seem...how you say...foreign? extreme? but that's my job right now :) And it's so nice to not have to apologize for that during this amazing time. There could be nothing more true nor more beautiful.
Hope everyone had a good Christmas. Give the mailman some work to do, would ya?
I send hugs from afar.
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men.
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