Holy what!? Christmas is in 6 days?... NAH. This came way too fast. Christmas on a mission is super weird... It totes does not feel like Christmas. It was a crazy 70 degrees here yesterday so that didn't help. But no worries Mother Nature got back on track and it is 30 degrees again. But the lights are beautiful! People here are real old fashion and they do wreaths on every window and candles in every window. I love the south!
This week... oh man it was packed with service! First, we helped out down town with a local toy drive. They had enough toys for at least 600 kids, 4 toys each. Do the math... yeah! It was awesome to see people come in and be so excited to get their kids presents! The next service thing we did was to help out one of our friends wrap Christmas presents for her family! With me wrapping and sister Merrill's pro bow tying skills, they looked super good! And then she provided the best dang fried chicken I've ever had. Then we helped L (member) out a ton! Her arm has been giving her a lot of trouble, so we painted her bathroom and some of her walls to prepare for her son's to come up for the holidays! We also helped her wrap presents. We also helped clean up the room her boys are going to sleep in. It was a big junk room, packed to the brim! So we organized it and made it look all good for her!
Then we had the Relief Society Christmas dinner! Yum! One sister made 2 HUGE pots of spaghetti and some delicious sauce to go on top! There was salad to start, and cupcakes to finish! With the spaghetti Sister B made her famous rolls... they were gone in a hurry! It was great to sit down with the ladies in the ward and just chat! Then they watched the forgotten carols, so we had to leave because mission rules... but we helped clean up! It was so fun!
Lately, instead of heart attacking people, we snowflake them! So we have been doing a lot of cutting lately! We got our ward mission leader pretty good! And several other members. We love to do it, especially when we knock and run! As Sister Smith would say, "it's our James Bond moment for the day!"
Man, I hit my 10 month mark Saturday... woah. Double digits baby! It's been quite the adventure! Just 2 more months and I will have been out a year! Crazy.
This week is pretty exciting! We are going caroling tonight with some members! Then tomorrow we have our Christmas conference with the mission, can't wait! Saturday we are having Christmas eve dinner with a members, and then celebrating Christmas with L (member) and her family! Wow! We will be delivering some cute things we made to members this week as well. I can really feel the Christmas spirit now!
President Weed has given us some good guidance on what to do Christmas eve and day. We can't knock door to door, and we can celebrate with members if they invite us. If we have no where to go, we must be in by 5 to have our own celebration. Members have already invited us so no worries there! We are so excited to be with people and be able to joy in the season with others!
Thought for the week: Well since it's Christmas... I will quote President Monson about his thoughts on Christmas. "As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always." It is so important to remember that even though we may take the tree down, the lights turn off, and the cookie trays are empty, that we still have the true meaning of Christmas always with us. We are all filled with the light of Christ. How do we keep it glowing all year do you ask? Well around Christmas time we serve others... so serve others just as much all year as you do during the Christmas season. That is how we keep the true spirit of Christmas with us year round.
I know that Christ was born. He was born in humble beginnings, but by small and simple means, great things are brought to pass. I know that He lives again, and that as we serve others, His loving spirit can be with us always.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! I sure hope y'all have a wonderful holiday season :) Better yet... a blessed holiday season :)
LOVE Y'ALL!!! Peace out
Sista Poulsen
[Lisa's Note about photo below: Sister Merril's mom sent the girls these full size Reindeer and Frosty onesies to enjoy. And boy did they! Complete with a video and interpretive dance as Rudolph and Frosty. Fabulous! ]
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