December 3, 2012

Dearest family!

So.... I am now in @@@! Haha! our area is teeny-tiny and we pretty much bike everywhere. Our area is probably 1 square mile-tops. It's nothing but super nice housing and we only cover one apartment complex! It's kind of weird.... but nice! We are surrounding by a lot of fields so we get this beautiful manure breeze. I went to open the windows last night because our apartment was getting hot and we can't use our A/C right now, and BAM! The door was shut within only a couple of seconds of being open. Fun, fun! Mmmm...

This area hasn't had any baptisms for a very long time. I am excited and look forward to "whipping it back into shape"! ;) The Spirit is very strong in this area and the members are so wonderful. I know there are o lot of awesome sons and daughters of Heavenly Father just waiting to hear the Gospel and accept the blessings that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father have for them.

It's interesting... we have a HUGE church right in our area that teaches anti-mormon material. We get anti-ed a lot but we know better. They keep pulling out stuff that only comes from ignorance... 

But all is well. My companion is Sister Men from C C, Utah. She said she's not related to any Mens up in Li or Ln, or anywhere else I was trying to remember where "our" Mens family is from! She's been out 3 months (she was my last companion, Sister Win's MTC companion!) She's sweet :)

I have a lot of work ahead of me here in @@@, but I know I am here for a reason. There are things I need to learn here and things that I've been doing that I want to implement here! I am very thrilled to be here for Christmas. @@@ members are very good to missionaries (not that other members aren't....there are just a lot of members here period!) they do so much for us and my heart is full of gratitude for all they have helped us out with so far. And I've only been here just a few days! :) I feel right at home!

Ok, so..... get this... WE HAVE AN APOSTLE COMING TO OUR MISSION THIS FRIDAY!! Elder Quinton L. Cook will be here to tour our mission, and I am so happy that he is coming! I was hoping I would get to see an Apostle in my mission before I went home: Christmas blessing! :) Don't worry, mom, I'll be on my best behavior. ;) Haha all jokes aside I really am thrilled that we will get to receive guidance and counsel from an Apostle of the Lord. Aren't we so blessed to live in a time and a place where we get to be among Prophets and Apostles? We are so blessed! I hope you all had the opportunity to watch the Christmas Devotional last night by the First Presidency. I was moved to tears by all the beautiful things they talked about. I love this season of Christmas. It's cool to be a missionary because you feel the Spirit of Christmas all year round! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!

Oh, mom: I got your package! Thank you! I loved everything inside! A mini stapler...hehe... how did you know? :) Thank you for the chapstick, the BEAUTIFUL journal, the stamps(!) and envelopes, Stephens hot cocoa!! YAY! And for the cute advents and things to hand out to our friends for Christmas! We're going to set one up for ourselves today! The owl full of candies was super cute (Sister Men loved hers too!) and I loved the pictures!! EVERYONE LOOKS SO DIFFERENT!!! I'm going to come home and everyone is going to be taller than me! :) Give Lincoln this message for me :"Hey buddy! Of  COURSE I still remember you! I think and pray about you often! I am happy you got baptized this year! I wish I could've been there. I'm excited to see you when I get home! I will definitely remember you when I see you! I love you! Have a Merry Christmas!"  ;)

We have a GIANT tree for Christmas in our apartment (our apt is very nice) so no worries there!

Well, I better go. Know that I love you all so much and I look forward to "seeing" with you in just a few short weeks! Tell Dad that I will set something up for Skype with some members. We've already had a few members offer. More details when it gets closer. Thank goodness we're in the same time zone so we don't have to be tricky and try and figure that all out! lol

I LOVE YOU! THE CHURCH IS TRUE!! See a great week! 
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Love, Sister Sunscreen the Sunbeam
aka Sister Moore