Tis' the Season!

It seems like life as a missionary just gets busier and busier during the holiday season, but rather than stressing about finals and gift-giving, we just focus on teaching people what this season is really about... Our Savior! It is the best. I already know that this will be my best Christmas because I am a representative for the Reason for the Season. We have been so blessed this holiday season, and SO busy!

This week was great! We taught several solid lessons and are really starting to see people progress. The area is really picking up and we feel so blessed. We went to the Liberty Jail with one of our investigators, Tamara, on Friday. It was so great! Sister Ogletree (my Missionary Training Center companion) gave us the presentation and she did such a great job. It was so fun to see how much she has grown and what a great missionary she is. The whole experience was a total miracle. Everything said was so pertinent to Tamara and the Spirit of God was really strong. I just love all the lessons you can learn from what happened there. Some of my favorite scriptures are in Doctrine & Covenants sections 121-123.  Read these, especially if you are having a hard time with something, and even if you aren't.

Joyce is really progressing. We taught her 3 times this week! She is so cute and wonderful and just so fun to be around.

In honor of the Christmas season I have been thinking a lot about our Savior, Jesus Christ. I think on my mission I have gained an even greater appreciation of the breadth and depth of His Atonement. Let's be real here, I have lived a pretty sheltered life... Newport Beach, CA to BYU has given me only a small view as to the trials and the many struggles that many people face. As a missionary, we see it all day everyday. The atonement covers all of it! All of it! The pain, the sickness, addictions, family drama. Everything! And it all stems from love. One of my favorite scriptures is 1 John 14:18

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear.

Our Savior had that perfect love for each of us. He knows us personally and perfectly. I hope we all strive this Christmas season to cast away our fears, our insecurities, and doubts and come closer to Him by loving Him more and loving others more. I know that that is something I am really striving to do! I even gave away a pass-along card in a Chick-fil-A today even though I thought it was totally awkward. Sometimes I still get mildly freaked out about how awkward most of my life is right now. Knocking on people's doors, chatting it up at gas stations. Most of the time I am really good at embracing the awkward on my mission.  Considering I am a mildly awkward person, I guess it's something I've always gotten pretty used to. Anyway. All of this is beside the point... bottom line is this Christmas season I have thought a lot more about others and much less about myself. It's been the best Christmas season and the best time being a missionary!

Some sisters I work with at the Visitors Center