December is a wonderful month for missionaries!  I've been thinking how often we feel sorry for missionaries on holidays and on their birthdays because they are so far away from home.  But the truth is, it's wonderful being a missionary at Christmas, and on your birthday.  I think those are some of their fondest memories of their mission.  The missionaries are really busy planning and thinking of ways to light the world.  There were a bunch of them in the office this week brainstorming things to do and it was pretty fun listening to them, AND exhausting.

I was visiting with one Elder this week and he said what he misses most is having nothing to do and not being worried about it.  Hopefully, this is self-explanatory.

The Marshallese teaching sister missionaries were in the office this week. One is Marshallese and one is Samoan.   They invited us to a big Marshallese celebration on Christmas day.  The Marshallese speaking missionaries are all performing a dance for part of the entertainment.  I said, "We'd love to come.  Are you sure it's ok?"  The sister who IS Marshallese said, "Oh sure, there will be lots of white people there."  That sounded so funny!  I guess I am a white people.

I had a really fun birthday on Monday.  I ate lots of peppermint bark.  Mary gave away cupcakes in my honor.    I got a cute new Christmas dress made by Amy.  I got some beautiful flowers from my friend LuAnn.  I got phones calls, yummy candy,  and happy birthday songs from our kids and grandkids.  I got texts from kids and grandkids.  Some of the Elders called me up and sang happy birthday to me.  What a time to be alive!

On Tuesday Elder Johnson and I were in charge of lunch that the office furnishes for a new training meeting called 5 and 6 transfer training.  We have 3 lunches we are in charge of this month and we are pretty busy so we decided to just buy everything at Walmart or Sam's Club and do it as easy as possible.  It turned out great.  And we were very Christmasy!

I went to the eye doctor this week.  I have an infection in both of my eyes.  I have drops for them now and they are feeling lots better.  It was such a weird experience because I went to this doctor in July and he was so Unfriendly and downright rude.  I went to him again, only because I didn't want to fill out all those papers again for a different doctor.  Chris wouldn't even go in with me because he was so rude last time.  You'd never know he was the same person.  He was funny, friendly, chatty, smiley, you name it.  I was in awe!!!  I guess another good lesson on judging.

Chris is working on instructions to audit the missionary phones.  He's been writing it all down with instructions and pictures.  The hope is that senior missionaries can do it, separate from what the Tech sisters already do.   So Wednesday we went to a district meeting and gathered up their phones and went in the Bishop's office to do audits.  I was there as the test dummy, to see if I could understand his instructions and do the audit.  We learned a lot!  I had to ask him quite a few questions.  It took a long time.  We were there a couple of hours I think and I only did three phones.  He did 6.  He's going to eliminate a few things and add to the instructions on other things.  Since I was the dummy, I could point out some places that just weren't very clear to me.  What have I gotten myself into, I ask!  I didn't sign up for this!  Oh wait, I guess I did!

We always love the cute little notes we get in the office.  A couple of missionaries sent us a note and a Christmas card and we each got our own little hand-made monkey.  I didn't get a picture of Elder Johnson with his.  I better do that next week.

Saturday morning we spent some time unpacking boxes in our new nurse's apartment.  Some missionaries upstairs agreed to come help.  They said they wanted to do it at 8:00.  So I showed up at 10 minutes to 8.  Then Chris came with the truck a few minutes later.   But no missionaries.  One set texted me and said they have to leave at 9.  I said ok and thought, then why aren't you here?  This is at about 8:15.  Then finally at 8:30 they figured out we were there and they were so embarrassed.  I guess one missionary was looking for a truck full of boxes and there wasn't one so he told the others we weren't there yet.  When I got that text from him I was thinking, "then why aren't you here?" and he was thinking, "then why aren't THEY there?"  But we actually were there.  Oh well,  everything went fast with their help.  Now we are ready for our new nurse to arrive next week.  She's going to be awesome and she'll love it here.

LIGHT THE WORLD! Missionary Experiences

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted to share a quick little miracle we had with Light The World. Elder Flippen, Elder Clawson, and I were super excited for The Christ Child Film, so we set a goal to share it 50 times to members and hopefully their friends. We studied the FHE lesson and adapted it to our own style and decided to get a bunch of wooden ornaments so the viewers can write down what the Birth of Christ means to them in a few short words. When this was set up, we talked about it with the Ward Council started passing out sign up sheets during the second hour of church, calling members, and bringing it to our lessons with those we teach. So far we've done about 30 lessons and several of the lessons have been with members and other non-member families.

Last night, we got to share it at a member's home-movie theater. There were about 30+ people there and over 15 of them were non-members. After showing the film and showing them how to sign up, one of the non-members came up and told us she had been praying THAT DAY for a way to share the Nativity with her daughter, and the film was an answer to her prayer!! That was such a tender mercy for us and one we will not soon forget.

Remember, God does produce miracles if you make an environment for the Spirit to dwell! Merry Christmas! #LightTheWorld

Hey friends!!!!

So for the last 6 months the Salem Branch has been planning on doing a Light The World float for the Christmas Parade here in town. Let me tell ya!!!! It for sure was a major success and I was honestly really surprised with how well everything went.

We tied 45 Book of Mormons with cute Christmas bows and had around 350 Passalong cards with Candy Canse on them and we gave out all the cards and 44 Book of Mormons!

We got so much good feed back from everyone we talked too. My goal with this was to bring a little hope into the town of Salem and we for sure did that and I hope much more!

A huge thank you to all the missionaries that came to help us out!

Big things can happen in small places!!! 

❤️

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This cute Light The World "Starter Kit" is something Sister Young and I have been sharing with our members and it's been a HUGE hit! It makes for great member messages and even stop by visits! We discuss with them why we even need to light the world, read a few scriptures about how Christ is the Light and by doing as He did we are able to spread that light.

Contents:
▪1 wrapped copy of the Book of Mormon- invitation is to give it to someone and explain why it is such a precious gift and what that gift means to them.
▪Pass along cards- we Invited our members to give out 1 a week
▪Service Calendar
▪invitation to local events (church Christmas parties, special sacrament, etc.)- invited them to pray about who to invite.

We hope this Inspires your Light The World efforts!

Love you all!!!