What shall we give?

The two Sister Calls in the Missouri Independence Mission

 This week was an emotional roller coaster.

Tamara dropped us... over a text message. It was really sad. Almost as bad as a break up. Seriously. It is still kind of a mystery as to why she dropped us. She said she wants to go to the Catholic church and that LDS is not for her. We went by to see if we could talk to her and she wasn't very friendly and shut the door on us. It was really strange because just the Friday before she had been talking about all these things she wanted to do with us. It is so sad to really pour your heart and soul into helping someone, to feel that love that our Father in Heaven has for them and then to just be dropped. It did make me contemplate how our Savior must have felt and how much he must love us. He has faced all that rejection and sorrow.

I got asked out on a date! Kind of. Funny story, actually. So I am ordering some food at Wendys and the worker starts talking to me about my badge and asks where I am from, etc. etc. I tell him that we are missionaries and whatnot, and we kind of start talking about church. Then for whatever reason I was like "yeah, straight up" and the guy was like "woah, this girl just said 'straight up' and she's like a church girl! Yeah, I'll come to your church!" So I got him and his coworkers numbers and we invited them to church. The coworker was the one that asked us/me to go bowling... we hadn't really gotten a chance to tell him our purpose as missionaries.

Joyce is doing SO well! Ah! She is so great! This Sunday she called us because she was having a really hard time the anniversary of her husband's death. We invited her to read 2 Nephi 2. When we saw her again she told us that that passage changed her whole perspective on the situation. She had been struggling at this time of year for 13 years, and wasn't sad anymore. She thanked us for helping her grow much closer to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and told us that SHE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IF SHE HAD BEEN SAVED BEFORE! That is huge! This is coming from the lady who was convinced she was going straight to heaven and had been saved. She is starting to realize how much more Heavenly Father has to offer her, more happiness, more love, more opportunities to serve. I just can't get over what a miracle all this is, that we found her, that we talked to her about just the right things. I can't wait to see how she progresses.

I love Christmas as a missionary. I miss my family a lot, but I secretly (and not so secretly now) am glad that I will have two Christmas's out on my mission. Sure, I miss having a real Christmas tree and getting together as a family on Christmas Eve. I will miss watching my dad fidget with the gadgets that he gets and eating cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. I will miss opening presents one at a time, youngest to oldest. But on my mission I have come to realize more fully WHY we celebrate Christmas and HOW to celebrate. It is not about what we get... it's not even about giving presents to others. It is about giving GIFTS. Gifts of our talents, time, love, thought, effort. It is about what we will give to our fellowmen and it is about what we will give to our Savior Jesus Christ. He has given me every happiness in my life. Literally. He has given me the greatest gift, His Atonement!-- the
ability to change, grow, repent, forgive, and do everything I can't do on my own. I have very little to offer - a willing heart and mind. But it is everything and all He wants from me and asks of me. I have been thinking a lot about what I can give my Savior this holiday season, and I invite you to do the same. What can you give Christ?

Please enjoy this message from the Prophet Thomas S. Monson about Christmas.