HELLO!!! How are y'all?
I can't believe how quickly our call went yesterday.... I got off
and went into the other room with the Lambs and Sister Mekini and I
said..... Wow, did that just happen?! haha And then It hit me and I
started to cry! I miss y'all sooo much! But it was so great to hear from
you. :) Thanks for making my Christmas in the mission so fun and also
my companions Christmas in the mission so great too with all the gifts
you sent. You really did spoils us!!!
I was kinda upset at my companion yesterday morning cause she said
she wasn't going to call her family anymore because she didn't recieve
her package from them and I told her that it's probably delayed in the
mail. She still was stubborn and said she wasn't going to call. So I
told her, "Sister Mekini, your family is helping you to be here on a
mission by paying for you... don't you think they deserve to hear from
you?" She was quiet for an hour or two while we were out visiting
people. But when she finally decided to call we had to go set it up with
the Lambs cause the Mckays didn't have the calling card for Samoa. As
she talked with her grandma and her cousins she was sooo happy and when
she got off she told me thank you so much for getting mad at me to call
my family. I told her I only got upset cause I knew how much her family
needed it and her too! haha Oh man I love her. She and I laugh a lot
together, I just feel bad for her family circumstances.... her mom and
dad dropped her and her siblings to her grandma when they were young.
And her mom got remarried without telling her while she was on her
mission here. She spoke to her for about 2 minutes yesterday and even
though I couldn't understand the language I can tell they don't have a
good relationship. Her dad isn't a member and he is more supportive of
her being here on a mission than her mom is. It's really sad, but It
makes me so grateful for the home I have.
So as I was leaving the Lambs yesterday day I realized I didn't
remember to tell you ANYTHING that I wanted to.... it's because I was so
excited my brain was going too fast the whole time. So, I'm going to try
to update you on things that happened this past week!
1. On Saturday most of the mission went to a HUGE arena in Houston
and wore the yellow helping hands shirt and we prepared TONS of food for
the homeless. They got to have a Christmas eve dinner and we carved so
many turkeys, cut potatoes, made corn bread, and did veggies. It was so
fun to help. There were also lots of people there volunteering who
weren't members and they wanted to know who all these young people were
with the shirts on. Me and some other sisters were next to a really nice
couple about mom and dads age and they had so many questions about our
missionary work and how we decide to come, what we teach, what we will
do after our missions, etc. I loved it! That is probably my favorite way
to do missionary work is through service where the people ask us what's
up instead of us coming to them and telling them (I love that too....
but it's fun getting questions). We should make it a tradition to find
service opportunities around Christmas time. :) It makes everything slow
down a little.
2. On Monday at zone conference President gave us some new big news
on what he knows we can achieve as a mission next year. He has prayed
and prayed about it and he feels like we can baptize 1,000 people in our
mission in the year 2013! That is why it is so important to boost our
faith a little more. He talked a lot about faith and how we can rely
more on our Savior as we try to hit this goal. (The most baptisms we've
had in this mission since it opened in 1998 is 480) So we will be
doubling the number. He talked a lot about letting our faith rub off
onto everyone we come in contact with, just like smiles, but faith! haha
So, in order for this to happen each companionship will need to have
the faith to baptize at least one person each month. Pray for us!!!!
3. We are teaching Sandy, I told you a little about her yesterday.
She can't really read, she is at a 2nd grade reading level and so we
volunteered to come read with her out of the Book of Mormon each week. I
can't wait to help her! We are also teaching her daughter Rachel and
her 2 kids. Rachels kids are 6 and 4 and they are like sponges when we
talk about Jesus. They LOVE Him! On sunday morning we got a call from
Rachel telling us she had a dilema. Her pastor bought the kids all these
Christmas presents and she felt obligated to go thank him, but she told
us that she knew she promised us she'd come to our church too. She ended
up not coming which made us really sad, but when we went over there
that night she told us she told her pastor she needed to bare her
testimony to her congregation. (Her son almost OD'ed on medication last
week and the church didn't do anything for her) She got up and told each
of the people what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints did
for her and she told the young kids about staying away from drugs. She
told us she would come to church with us next week! Pray for her. :)
So last night after getting off Skpe with y'all we went straight
over to Noo's house! She was soo excited and so was I!!! She told me
Sister Moreno or Evens had only been over one time since I left...... I
was so upset! I hope that They take care of these people for me. But Noo
fed us and before we ate she prayed and said how much she wants to keep
coming closer to Christ. I love that! She has come so far and I hope
that she continues on.
We also went to Daniels after. He got me a really nice leather coat
for Christmas. Then him and his mom gave us sooo much food to take home.
We won't have to go shopping today. :) Daniel said he is going to load
people up in his car next sunday and come visit our new ward in Memorial
haha. We'll see if it happens!
Ah I loved Christmas in the mission. It was so much fun! I hope that you guys had a great Christmas! I miss you so much!
I love you!!!!!
Sister Avery
P.S. Tell Debbie and Norene I got their packages and LOVED THEM!!! I
am going to send out cards today for them, but make sure they know I
love them and am so grateful! :)
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