Thank you for the card!

Christine was able to Skype this morning, and she says thank you to the ward for the cards they sent!
She looked wonderful and sounded great! Her dad was able to connect the laptop to the big screen TV and we were able to see her larger than life (quite literally!). 

Almost Christmas!

Two people got baptized this weekend. It was awesome because it feels like it's been a long time coming for both of them. Marcellus was originally dated for Nov 29th, but he wasn't sure he was ready. Gabriel was dated for Dec 6th, but we held off in hopes that he'd be able to be baptized with his family when his parents quit smoking. It didn't pan out, so we're still working with his parents. I didn't know it was THAT hard to quit! Smoking addictions are incredibly strong. Not that it was ever a concern, but wow, avoid that like the plague.

The weather has been up and down as of late- its almost 40 today, and been hanging out in the 30s mostly. I hope it stays that way. I’m looking forward to new adventures in a new place… I want very much to transfer.

Send the ward my love too- their Christmas cards came. 

Thanks for the bars and shake things (I sent breakfast foods since they are often fed dinners) - I'm set for food in general for a while! There are a few things I'm likely to have to leave behind when I transfer. Hopefully the next missionary here after me likes whatever I leave.

 Hopefully the Griffith Observatory won't be too cold that day! How has the weather been, anyway? (We’ll be leading a Cub Scout trip to the Observatory in the near future)

Good for Katie! That was something I never really managed to do (get and keep high grades). Hopefully she keeps it up! I want to see the Hobbit! Augh. A set of members here went to a showing that showed all 3 movies back to back. I was terribly jealous.

When are you going down to the Mormon Battalion? (historic site in San Diego – important in Mormon History...click here for LDS site.....click here for Wikipedia....click here for MormonBattalion.com)

I pet most of the cats we come across and think of the babies back home. I miss them, though I'm glad to be mostly animal hair free!

I've learned so much out here, and I've grown so much out here... It's been hard as of late but still (the holidays are traditionally difficult for missionaries, being away from home), I'll be sad to go (home) because I know this is the most learning and growing that I've ever done. But at the same time I'm anxious to apply all this stuff into my regular life!

I love you. I miss you. Only through Christ are we made perfect. The church is true, despite all the flawed human beings in it.

Talk to you soon! (Christine will Skype on Christmas morning – we are vibrating with anticipation!)

Christine

(an excerpt from her dads response) Love you sweetie and we are doing just fine! Don't be worrying about stuff at home, we are blessed in so many ways that I know we don't see everything and won't know about until we see the replay on the other side of the veil.

See you Christmas morning! Have fun this week and remember whose Birthday it is we're celebrating!

Dad

visting many families and having warmer weather

Attached are some of the photos of the decorations around and the snow and some stuff from the gunsmith shop while I was in Nauvoo and me. I'll have the video of everything home soon.

It's always hectic just before Ward (congregation) events, and it’s even more interesting to see the behind the scenes stuff to know how much more hectic it is. I never want to be an auxiliary leader. More responsibility than I want. (she needs to be careful what she wishes for!)

We don't have a real, real tree- we have a fake one, lent to us by one of the members. So now we have two trees up- the one they gave us and the one you sent us (paper). But I was under the impression we weren't allowed to have a tree at all, so I'm happy with our decorations. We did help a member decorate the real tree she and her husband bought, though. They also loaded us down with more sweets. I don't need any more sweets or cocoa- I'm way set. (we'll send See's candy in a few months!)

We've been well fed, and it's been fun to be in different houses and see how different families celebrate and generally operate. The different dynamics I like or don't like and there's a lot of things I want to take home, and take to my future family...

I'm glad to hear there's been rain, even multiple days of it! I've been telling all the water here to head west.  The more the better with how parched California's been. (Thank you!)

The more I learn about relationships out here, the more I want to come home and tell Nick and Jake and Katie to watch out. It's been different, being more involved with adults and their life stories and such. There's a lot of people here who have been divorced two or three times and their grief as they watch their children make all the same mistakes and it makes me look at my life and go 'I wish someone had said something at this point' or that I had figured out a lot of things before I got to experience all the heartache. I wish I had read the scriptures more, the church magazines more, listened closer to talks and really, really tried to put those life principles into play. I wish I could show my siblings these things I've learned and warn them how much more miserable life is if you don't stay as far away from trouble as possible.

I love the letters!

We have two people getting baptized this week - Marcellus and Gabriel. Gabriel's parents will hopefully follow him the coming week, as they're still struggling with quitting smoking, but they want it so bad. The Temple (why Mormons build Temples, and what happens inside the Temples - we want to be eternal families!) is one of the most important things to them right now and we're trying to help them get that to carry them through the challenge of quitting. We just set a date with a lady named Robyn for Feb 21st. She called us out of the blue and asked if we would come around. We're excited to help her turn her life around.

It’s actually been relatively warm. Today it’s been about 50, and the last couple of days it’s been between the 30s and 40s. It will dip down into the 30s again in the coming week, but right now we're great. I'm frequently over dressed for the temperature because I keep expecting it to be colder.

The church is true.

I wish I had learned a lot of these things years ago. It’s the little things that matter most.

 

Keep fighting the good fight, even when all seems lost.

  Forgive and love, regardless of what happens.

     Happiness is the method of traveling, not the end of the road.

        The Atonement makes all of that possible. 

All my love, Christine

Gunshop in Nauvoo - sorry, couldn't get the photo to stand upright...rrr.

Field sign....an equally lazy photo that won't stand up appropriately.

Gunshop in Nauvoo

nativity from home

The all important owl socks

Paper tree with paper decorations!

 

Christmas decor, back on track, and technology

I have pictures and things- I will have to send them later though, as the library was out of laptops and tablets lack the USB ports I need to be effective. Oppa technology. I just might send home a thumb nail drive because I recorded some videos too and we're not allowed on YouTube to upload them nor are they small enough to attach on emails...

Snowflakes all cut out (Mom sent templates & scissors), trees taped up (also, a green glittery paper tree, with a stack of paper ornaments, & tape, thinking she wouldn’t have a real tree), our real tree all decorated (what?), one of my two nativities hung up, and I'm almost all caught up on the advent calendar (I sent envelopes with fun facts, histories, and graphics for the 25 days of December). I'm excited for whatever you have for me, but honestly the thing I'm most excited for is pictures and the ability to Skype home the 25th. I miss home.

Glad the kids are making life work... Sorry to Katie for the lack of martial arts (as a PE class option) - they were all gone long before I graduated. Ballroom dancing is a lot of fun. I also enjoyed just the regular gym classes- you get to use whatever in the weight room, so it’s entirely up to her.

Life's crazy here, but not in an all bad way. I'm still not 100% with my companion, but I'm getting pretty talented at just keeping my mouth shut. Fighting is just not worth it to me (good for her!). It’s only 6 more weeks.

The James family is on date, and will be baptized just before Christmas if they maintain their decision to quit smoking. We do this workshop with them and it appears pretty effective. I wouldn't know personally, but sounds good! Marcellus is also back on date for that same time, so hopefully it all pans out. We have a ton of meetings and ward things and such going on, so I'm not totally sure how much missionary work is actually going to get done... They keep us busy.

It’s been cold, but not cold enough to keep the snow we had the other week. It’s been between the 30s and 40s, and we're trying to make the most of that. It’s been pretty nice, really. (Sounds like her blood is getting thicker and the cold isn’t bothering her as much!  YAY!  Makes Mama happy! We watch the weather in her area; we have little to complain about here!)

I love you. The plan of salvation is perfect, despite our imperfections. (An explanation of “The Plan of Salvation”, or “The Gospel”, as we know it can be found by clicking HERE.  The other names we call it are “The Plan of Happiness” and “The Glad Message of the Gospel”…. We see it as the pre-mortal life/earth life/eternal life that Father in Heaven has set out for us – He wants us to be happy, to learn, and to return to Him.  He is our Father, and like any other Father wants the best for us, and wants us to give us the best that He has.  The Plan of Salvation is the best He has to give us… it does require some work on our end….but anything really worth having, is worth the work.)

Christine

click on: HE IS THE GIFT – a video Christmas message

Skype is up and running on the computer and we can’t wait to hear from her.  Calling/Skyping is allowed on Mother’s Day and Christmas Day only, otherwise letters on Mondays are it!  I promised to send a flash drive to her so she can send photos and videos home. 

Thanksgiving report & the glad message of the Gospel

It’s transfer week, but I won't find out until later tonight (Monday night – 12/1) if I'm staying or going. Guess you won't know until next week! Bummer. I have mixed feelings. I want to stay because I want to see where Marcellus and the James family step into the waters of baptism, and we just met a couple whose husband isn't interested because he's some bad experiences with churches in general, but he's super into gaming and I think we could bond and melt his heart over that. Sister Randall and I are getting along better too, so I know staying won't hurt as much as it would have if I was still where I was a couple of weeks ago. But I know the next great adventure is in another area and I'm excited to go someplace new. I don't even know if I need to pack or not!

Sadly, Marcellus was not baptized this last weekend, but we'll be re-inviting him shortly, and hopefully he'll be baptized before the end of the year! Long story short, he wasn't totally sure that this was what he wanted (he loved his old congregation and hadn't felt that same love here), so we postponed. This Sunday I think was awesome for him though because he sat more towards the front, so more people saw him and fellowshipped him. Third hour was also combined, so even the Gospel Doctrine class (adult general Sunday School class) got to see him too (since we normally go to the Gospel Principles class – class for newer members and investigators to learn the basics).

We're of course excited for the James family- they had a really positive experience at both the Nauvoo Thanksgiving Dinner two weekends ago, and at church this last weekend. Sally, the mom, is super excited because we believe a lot of things she already believed and we answered a lot of questions she had, but no one could answer. Yay for the fullness of the gospel! Her husband is a little more standoffish, but he started reading the Book of Mormon the minute we handed it to him and asked questions all along the way. So I figure he's just being stubborn and it’s a matter of time, because his wife is all over it. He appreciates that we keep deferring to him on prayer because he's the head of the household.

We're still trying to work with a couple of the people I talked about in previous letters, but if it’s not a priority in your life, you're not going to make time for it in your day. It sucks to see so many excuses when you know the message you share will change their lives forever.

I'm learning how to be people's friend so I can share said life altering message. My door approach and my ability to just talk about stuff is improving, but I'm not very good at small talk. The holidays make it a little easier.

We went to the dollar store the other day, and I ended up coming home with several sheets of stickers. You know, for important things. I have many owl stickers now, among other things.

I need to get some pictures of the few things I picked up at good will a few weeks back. One of my finds was a skirt that had a pattern on it that looks very much like a yukata (cotton summer kimono); it doesn’t go with much, but I loved it all the same. I would love to find a yukata like it when I go home. I miss wearing odd things like kimono and costumes and such.

The Thanksgiving box did come! Thank you! It came the day after, but that’s okay. I love the shirt (from our trip to Knotts Scary Farm), and wear it to bed now. It’s super soft.

I'm excited to be allowed to Skype home on Christmas, so I hope Skype is up and running on one of the computers at home. :) (that is all set up!!)

It’s hard to explain some of the spiritual growth because I couldn't really tell you a lot of new things I've learned. It’s just deeper understanding. Things like faith that have no explanation but have strong roots into your soul. I hate not being able to quantify it, but I am somewhat pacified by knowing it is getting better, somehow.

Attached is my district photo, some pictures of cold and snow and critters at a potential's house, and me and the Bishop's family (the Bishop is the leader of the congregation, much like a Pastor or Rabbi – in the LDS faith, they are laymen, he is unpaid… he has a fulltime job somewhere else.  He leads the congregation because he was called by the regional leadership – this is not his career). They're soooo awesome. I want a family like that. Their two little boys are overwhelmingly cute.

Well, a family photo will no doubt happen eventually. It’s unavoidable. Hopefully in costume! (we’ve had trouble getting our annual Olde Tyme Christmas family photo this year)

Sewing sewing sewing. I miss having access to a sewing machine- hand sewing is such a pain in the butt! (I’m glad she is self-sufficient enough to do that, even if it is inconvenient)

The strawberries and avocados are lacking here. Avocados are available here, but they’re nothing like the ones back home. I think that’s something else I need to have when I go back. Just a whole avocado to myself.

Thanksgiving was awesome! We ended up having a lunch with one family, pie with another, dinner with another, and then pie again with yet another! We were soooo stuffed. Of course we thanked everyone profusely. We did come home with large containers with food- which is good, because we have few dinner appointments this coming week. Weird.

The weather was great this weekend- up in the 50s... And today it’s in the teens again, but it doesn't feel quite that bad to me this time around. I guess I'm getting used to it. I'm wearing a lighter jacket and thinner layers today and I'm fine outside. No doubt I'm being helped by all the prayers for me, because I doubt I would be so warm on my own. (Excellent!)

I don't know if I want to stay or not. I'd like to go on to the next adventure, but so much is going on right now here and I hate to leave the work here. We have 4 people on their way to baptism, and a couple of new people besides.

Anyhow, the church is true. The Atonement is for every day.

Christine

All bundled up!

District

SNOW!  And lots of it!

The family - overwhelmingly cute little boys - of the Bishop

New Jammies!

warmer weather and things are getting better

Things are getting better with my companion. The prayers, the striving to let stuff go, ignore stuff, and just generally being less mean to each other (plus I definitely started using frankincense and lemon oil, which is supposed to be very helpful in managing anxiety and such.) Has been pretty effective. We generally end the day positively.

We went to the temple Friday with the ward, and had a positive experience. I love going to the temple and it kills me to not be able to see you or any of the faces I loved so much before my mission... It’s also really sad too know that if I get move farther away from the temple(there are only 3 or so areas that are closer than we are, and maybe 1 other that is farther out that can go), I won't be able to go... And if the missionaries only get on average 3 visits, I won't be going again until my departing temple trip... Over a year from now. Sad day. We'll see how it goes.

Anyhow, we have an investigator on date to be baptized this weekend. Marcellus is awesome. He knows pretty much all of the answers to the questions we asked him and was pretty much ready to be baptized the day we met him. (Rare, but a wonderful thing for a missionary!) This is what we're out here to do. We also have a family on date to be baptized the 20th of December, which will be a challenge because they both smoke a LOT. But the family went to Nauvoo, Illinois, this last Saturday for a member-missionary Thanksgiving event and they learned a lot and loved it. The mom is definitely the driving force, but her little boy was the start of it all. He invited us right in and wanted us to come back. Once mom was on board, things really got moving. We're excited. I'll be so disappointed if they don't get baptized.

The weather was beautiful yesterday and the day before- it was in the 50s, and though it rained yesterday, we did some good knocking. Nothing really came of it, but diligence... The Lord will reward us for our hard work. It’s back in the 30s, but that's still not as bad as the other week. It was in the teens... People still like to tell me it will be getting in the negatives and I guess I'll just appreciate California weather more when I get home.

SNOW*SNOW*SNOW*SNOW*SNOW*

I DO LIVE IN SNOW NOW. IT’S 19 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND THERE'S SNOW ON EVERYTHING UGHHHHH. Winter is gross. Snow is gross. ICE IS GROSS. UGH. It's 19 degrees today, and it's only November. The members gleefully tell me it will get down to -40, and that there will be many feet of snow. My companion also tells me of ice storms, and how everything gets a solid inch of ice all over it. This is apparently a real thing. I've seen pictures, but it never occurred to me that it would be a real thing here. Daunting.  I hate it. My apartment is plenty warm, my companion (from Idaho/Utah) is the one driving at the moment(no one believes I can handle it. >:( ) I've been well for the most part, but my companion has been suffering through some serious congestion and sore throats and the like. I had the worst headache of my life yesterday, but a blessing and pressure points and a hot bath and sleep later, I'm fine again. It sounds like my back issues are rearing their ugly head, because a member while showing me the best pressure points to help relieve it was telling me how some of my vertebrae are pretty out of alignment. Oppa.

 

I'm glad Jake's moving forward with the priesthood. Give him as many opportunities as possible to exercise it. I got a blessing from one of the members who hadn't gotten to do one in a long time. I think the experience was more for him than it was for me. Blessings for everyone. I'm definitely seeing that the more it gets used, the more that people see it, the more important it becomes, the more effective it is, the stronger the faith is, the stronger the testimony is. (The LDS church believes that the Priesthood was restored to the earth through Joseph Smith - the true Priesthood was lost in the dark ages....the great apostasy...when there were many splinter groups breaking off from Christs original teachings.  We believe it was restored in it's fullness.  We believe that Father in Heaven can work miracles through that Priesthood... that it is a gift, a priviledge, and a heavy responsibility to carry.  Worthy twelve year old young men are given a small responsibility in the Aaronic Priesthood (Aaron from the Bible) and they progress through levels until they are 18 and are given the Melchizedek Priesthood - the same Priesthood that Christ held.  Men can harness the powers of heaven if they remain worthy, humble, and are directed by the Holy Ghost in using that Priesthood for good - healings, inspiration, in leadership roles, and pronouncing blessings upon others.  ( Click - Restored Priesthood,  Aaronic Priesthood )

 

I expect I'll transfer on December 4th. (we'll see!)

Happy birthday to Jake! I sent him a letter; I hope he got it. He should totally write me back.

Oh Katie! Embrace the weird and the awkward and the dumb. It's surprising how fun some of these things can be. Put aside the pride! I promise it doesn't hurt.

My companion and I are still struggling...someone told me you learn a lot about what you do and don't want in a relationship from your companions. She's good at what she does, and always has a scripture that provokes thought and rolls pretty well with the punches with members and investigators.

But it's been good. We have three new investigators this week, 3 investigators on date, and we've been blessed with a referral from a member and the members are supportive. We've been very well fed and our car is warm and so is our apartment and the number of homes we go into with smokers doesn't bother me so much. Either I'm getting used to the noise or I'm just that tired, but I'm waking up less in the night, and I don't get teased quite so much about being cold because everyone else is now too.

I love you. I miss the warm and home and everyone. They tell me the hardest time for all missionaries is the holidays; I'm not totally alone in the melancholy of the celebrations.

The church is true. The Atonement works. The sacrament is important. The power of prayer is incredible. The power of prayer is real.

Christine

Area Conference



Sisters Kurt and Randall