Christmas Miracles

Where to begin with this awesome week?! The beginning of the week was pretty chill, as chill as it can get with Christmas, going crazy trying to teach everyone we can, and being with our awesome branch members! So I know I always start my letters off by talking about Neil but he is just so precious! It was raining like crazy and super windy Wednesday night and I don't have an umbrella...anyway he came to our lesson and he had this super cool orange umbrella from his work. I told him I thought it was cool and he was just like, Sister, it's yours! I felt so stupid cause I didn't think he was gonna give it to me! But it was so sweet and so typical of his character. I really can see Christ through him and I hope I can be the kind of person that draws people to God by the way I live my life and treat others. 

So District Meetings are usually just another meeting but we had a really awesome one this week and I thought I'd tell you about it because it was a cool experience. Our district leader told us to find different attributes that we thought best described each member of the district. We took turns going around the room and sharing the attributes we saw in each person. That sounds really corny and stupid but it made me realize how important each of us is in our Heavenly Father's plan. If you think for one second you're not needed on this life, you are dead wrong. God has a purpose, a plan, and a need for each of His children, and it is up to us to figure what that purpose is and fulfill it as best we can. Our district is seriously full of a bunch of characters, it's so funny that we all got put together this transfer but I have grown to love each person and have felt their influence in my life as I see them work with each other and with the people. 

On Wednesday we did a "Free Hot Cocoa" stand in the middle of a busy triangle in Woodside. It was so fun! It was snowing so it was pretty much the coldest thing of my life but people stopped and we gave out over 100 cups of hot cocoa along with candy canes we had made talking about how Christ is the most important gift. We also shared the "He is the Gift" video. It was a huge success and one of the best finding activities I've done so far. Wednesday night President called and asked if I'd train again. I said no. Just kidding, I said yes, but only if I could train a Spanish elder. But for real, I feel so bad for this poor sister having to spend 2 transfers with me, hopefully I don't wreck her mission haha. There are two sisters, one from Mongolia and one from St. Anthony haha so we'll see which one I get :) 

Thursday I had to go to a training meeting with President and the APs. There are 25 missionaries coming in so 25 people preparing to train. We got in the room before it started and everyone was dead silent. I think they were nervous. I made the joke about training the Spanish elder but everyone looked at me like I am an apostate so I shut up for the rest of the time. I got most rigid AP to laugh so it wasn't for nothing I guess. Anyway it was soo good and I always love the chance to hear from President. The APs kept talking about how if you crush your trainees dreams you're probably gonna do the same thing to your children *gulp*. Good thing I'm not having kids anytime soon. Anyway I meet her tomorrow and I'm excited to tell you all about her next week, cause I know she's going to be incredible! 

Well here's a good story for you..one of the girls in the YSA had us come to dinner cause her friend (ex boyfriend. Awk.) wants to know more. Basically I wrecked the lesson from the get go...she ordered squid as an appetizer and I didn't want to be rude when she offered so I took some and I chewed it for a good 45 seconds. Chewing squid for 45 seconds felt as long as the last 21 years of my life guys. I tried so hard to swallow but I started gagging so I had to spit it out. It was almost as traumatizing as the ER last week. I felt SOOO bad! Everytime I think about it my eyes start to water. Anyway it actually didn't wreck the lesson, we had an amazing conversation with Richard and he read the Book of Mormon! He was super open and it was cool to see how he recognizes that something is missing in his life. On Sunday we had another lesson with him and he didn't understand the Book of Mormon so we went through and read 1 Nephi 1 together, each of us with our own question in mind. I love doing that, it brings the spirit immediately. We also has one of the guys in the YSA teach with us, he is leaving on his mission next week, and he did awesome! He is 22 and his girlfriend making him go..haha. 

Okay so as YSA sisters we are a bit disadvantaged when it comes to street contacting because we are always in a car stuck in traffic. Decided I was gonna turn that around so I adopted the "car fearless." Saturday was my first run and let me tell you, I was jacked on it! So here's how it works. I would pull up to a stop light and obvi the person in the car next to you looks over. It's inevitable. So I'd roll down my window, give them the "He's the Gift" card and explanation, and roll up the window again and gun it! I have 4 VERY successful sweeps! The best one was 2 ladies. I thought one of them was a guy, and I thought he smiled at me from his window. Problem: they were 2 lanes over. Well they needed the gospel so I cut off like 5 million cars and pulled up to them at the next stoplight. I gave them the card and explanation, and they were so stoked! They were like: "we were JUST talking about that! Christmas is about families and friends!" It seriously made my night. And then last night we were with a member on the way to a lesson and she was like "sisters that guy is looking at me creepily" I backed up so I was next to his window and gave him a "He's the Gift" card. Him and his wife loved it! The member in the backseat was in utter shock, it was absolutely hysterical. Omg and before that we were caroling at this rest home and this old guy got up and started dancing just like Pa does and it was the funniest thing of my life!!!! Okay it was just a perfectly glorious day and it couldn't have gotten any better. For serious. 

Sunday night we were going to see a less-active and she had moved but her landlady invited us in and we showed her the video and she cried and told us about how she had found God and was looking for a church and how she wanted to be clean from her sins and we had told her about how families can be forever and she seriously lost it cause she is married and has the two cutest Asian/Columbian kids of my life and she was thinking about what would happen to them just the other day! I know God puts all of us in each other's paths for a reason. She was a straight miracle for us and it was such a cool experience. 

I have learned sooo much this week and I am so grateful for Christ and not only the healing power of the atonement, but also the enabling power as well. I know I am going to need a lot of help from Him and I feel so confident that He will give it to me. I have been trying to think of something meaningful I could give to Him as a "gift" for Christmas. I think one thing we can do is read our scriptures more often. Everyone always says it but why is it so hard to do? I think Satan knows the power that lies within that daily habit so he tries to convince us that it isn't a big deal. I know it IS a big deal though, and I feel so blessed to be able to study every day. I can tell the difference in my life from now from when I used to skim through maybe once a week. Please think of what you can give as the most important gift, to the most important Being this Christmas, and continue to give to Him all year long as you follow Him. I love you all, thanks for your continual support and love! 

Merry Christmas(:

xoxoxo

Sis Wads

Ps I want everyone's Christmas cards plz don't forget about me!

Photos: 

1. P-Day, I am so glad all the other sisters in the zone are staying, we have gotten really close and I really enjoy being around them.

2. One of the elder's birthday so we went to a Paraguay restaurant because he was on his mission in Paraguay but was reassigned here for health reasons. He is a convert, 25, and SUCH a teddy bear(: 

3. It still hasn't snowed too bad, and these fall trees out in Fresh Meadows were sooo pretty! 

4. Our weekly community service gig. Once again, I love my sisters haha #presh