Okay... there isn't any snow, But that Michael Buble song has been stuck in my mind for about a week now! haha. :)
I LOVE Christmas time... the time to think of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I have truly loved to be a Messenger of the restored gospel during this time. It has been bringing so many miracles!
This week we had the chance to participate in many fun things to promote the "He is the Gift" video that the church has produced and we also have just truly been trying to help those around us understand the true meaning of Christmas and how much God loves us.. It has been a wonderful thing.
This week we threw together really quickly a booth about the "He is the Gift" video. Last weekend we heard that Manteo was having a tree lightening and that there would be lots of people having booths. So since we know the Mayor and all.... okay more like because Brother Kelly and the Maher's have an "in" with the mayor we got us a booth! It was super fun!
We set up a booth, wrapped it up like a present, and shared the "He is the Gift" video. We served some hot apple cider (yes, hot.... here on the E. Coast they serve it cold sometimes.... weird... haha.) Our booth was a lot more successful than we thought it would be! We had members bring their laptops and have the video playing and we truly just had a grand time. We talked... and talked... with EVERYONE! We had the chance to talk to lots of potentials... the sisters received over 20 potentials and we had about 5. :) Which was a HUGE success! It was fun too because afterwards we ate at Garden Deli and had the chance to just realize all the tender mercies that happened to throw together that night! It was super fun... hopefully this week we will see lots of success from it! :)
We also had the ward Christmas party this week! I got my picture with SANTA!!!! SANTA SANTA SANTA!!!!! I am really excited for Santa to come to town! Along with a Skype phone call! Whoot whoot. Who all is going to be there?? We will be skyping from the Maher's home! I am excited. I really love the Maher family... they are so NICE! I just love them. Caitlin and Hannah are hilarious... I heard that I need to prepare myself to be "whooped at some games..." but they don't understand that I am a Gray. haha. ;) I am excited though. We also were invited to the Spencers that morning to open our presents there and have breakfast. It will be fun and exciting. I LOVE CHRISTMAS! =)
The ward Christmas party was a HUGE success! We had lots of Less actives there which was excellent! And also Eduardo and Fernando came! It was super fun. during one part of the program while we waited for the children to get dressed to put on the nativity scene Sister Maher had all the adults who would volunteer to play the chime things... It was super fun! Our trio did it and then we convinced Eduardo to do it with us. So hilarious. He got number 5 which happened to luck out and have LOTS of parts... he was the main part of one of the songs. He was so concentrated in getting it right. He was so serious! I about died laughing.
We also thought of our cool handshakes... we are nuts! But it was funny to do a line of five people doing a handshake. :)
Zone meeting was really good this week. it was a little sad because my companions both ended up giving their "departing testimonies"... what the heck! I am so sad that they are leaving... I cried on Thrusday during weekly planning about it. I really am going to miss them. They have helped me so much. Especially in becoming the missionary I would like to be. They both have influenced my life for the better. I truly am going to miss them. I feel like January is coming so fast! And it scares me a little because I am first off losing two of my best friends, and then basically all my other friends leave too. haha. Everyone that I know leaves in January! Only 4 hermanas survive and I only really know one of them. haha. Which is freaky to think... oh well. Guess I have to make new friends. Buck it up and get on for the ride. :)
Dad I think you would be proud to know that a few of the members think of me as a cow girl here. =) Sister Bruce told me on Sunday that the first time she saw me, in my boots of course, she was thinking "wow... that girl really is from the west.". :) But I am a cow girl through and through. :) Okay... I just really love my boots!
A funny moment for the week:
So we had about thirty minutes before we had to be back in our house... so we decided to go to Nelson's home to try to see if he was there and we could set an appointment. We drive up... Pull into the drive way.. of course.. there is about 5 guys outside the door upstairs. Super awkward. So we are like, we are not getting out of the car in the dark if Nelson even isn't home. Hermana Valdez, being her spunky self, rolls down the back window and yells out the door to ask... So then all these people are now confused, so they are like "un momento por favor" ask for him... then send out this high school kid who lives there who also happens to be named Nelson. haha. We talk to him for a little bit and end up getting a referral out of him. But it was just hilarious because three missionaries roll up in a dark gray ford fusion... I felt like we were being super creeper. :) It was hilarious though.
We ate dinner with the Maher's this week. I love sister Mahers food! She reminds me a lot of mom's style so I LOVE it! I am always in heaven when we eat there. :) It was also funny because the girls started stalking us on face book for a little while. They made me laugh.
Afterwards we went to our investigators home to visit him for our appointment. CREEPY! We get there, he answers but just nods, and opens the door a little bit.... creepy. So we enter then we all three have the hibee jeebies and decide that we need to book it out of there as quickly as possible. It was really freaky. I am truly grateful for the holy ghost. it makes me feel comforted to know that Heavenly Father is always watching out for us. I have had many instances on my mission where I feel like Heavenly Father is looking out for me. I know that the holy ghost is something real. He gives us answers to our prayers and comfort when we need it.
We visited Telma this week and had a short lesson with her. We ended up reading with her from the Book of Mormon. Right now we are in the process of finding investigators. We have been very blessed with asking for referrals and receiving many people who might be interested in learning more. So hopefully we can get a few ivnestigators from referrals this week. OUr members have also been helping us out lots with that! We had two member referrals this week... now we just need to contact them! :)
yesterday we had the opportunity to watch the Christmas Devotional. I LOVED it! I hope you all took the time to watch it and remember the true meaning of Christmas.
I really enjoyed the talk that went through all of the people.. Mary, Joseph, and Christ. It was super powerful to me. I loved when he said "Mary submitted to her divine role". I thought that was such a neat statement. She truly was the chosen vessel to deliver the Christ child into the world. She is a wonderful example to look to. As I have truly tried to ponder on Mary more I have decided that she might be one of my favorite woman roles in the bible. She is just a great example of courage and strength. She is determined and diligent. I truly admire her.
I also enjoyed D. Todd Christofferson's talk, The feelings I received from that talk was the importance of trials. How we must go to the lowest of lows to reach the highest of highs. It gave me comfort in the fact that I feel like as a missionary my life is a constant roller coaster. . minute to minute... everything is changing. But it is the trials that make us the people we need to become. It helps us to reach the highest of highs. :)
I hope you all have a wonderful week! Someone very near and dear to me is having a birthday! I love you Allie Cat and hope this birthday is something special! =)
have a wonderful week! Remember who you are, where you came from, and where you are going. :)
"There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus Christ." -President Monson
I hope you all take the time to reflect more on Christ during this time of year, and reflect upon his character and try to develop some of those same characteristics. I love you all!
Love,
Hermana Gray
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