12/22/14 CHRISTMAS!

Dear Family and Friends,

So this past week has been crazy. The Christmas party was amazing!

We are whitewashing Arcata, a small town right above Eureka. So when we got here after a 5 hour drive from Santa Rosa, we were both really nervous. The sisters before us really struggled because they had to stay inside because one of them was sick for 3 or 4 weeks, and then they both went home. They were both really good sisters (I knew both of them personally) but the area when we got here had 0 investigators, and not a whole lot of records of potentials or anything.  I love my new companion, Sister Whimpey. She's awesome. She's came out one transfer before I did, and she is awesome. The elders have been a big help to us here, because we both had no clue where anything was. It was very strange, but we are both committed to building up a good foundation for this area.

Last night we had a miracle. We were going to try a LA and we saw these ladies pull up in a taxi and start unloading groceries. We helped them carry all of their groceries to the 3rd floor of the apartment complex. Come to find out, it was two brothers having a Christmas weekend with their families. We showed them He is the Gift, left a Harvest (House) Blessing, and gave them a Book of Mormon, and talked about the importance of praying to know if it is true. Come to find out, the fathers are both on a search for truth, and they want to know more. One of them has met with missionaries before. The mothers were both very interested as well. When we invited them to be baptized as they come to know that the Book of Mormon is true, They said that they would. We now have a return appointment with them.

So that's the beginning of our story. :) So exciting. It's amazing what a difference a little getting lost will make.

Also, there is a lot of weed, drugs, and homeless people up here, but it is so beautiful. I've already fallen in love with the area. I'm really excited to work hard, and to plant a lot of seeds. Sister Whimpey is awesome too. She is 21 and from AZ. She is so kind, and really a hard worker, and rather patient with me. I'm excited.

Something that I have learned this past week about the Savior:

He had hard times too. It wasn't easy for him to do the things that He did. He has a personality. He had to gain His testimony and weakness the same way we did... line upon line, precept upon precept.

I also had another cool experience. I listened to this ward member in the hospital here share her testimony of the Savior and some sacred and precious experiences that are not mine to share, but as she was speaking with us, she had some immense pain come over her. I've been praying a lot to become more like the Savior. In that moment, when the spirit had been so strong, and then when I saw her struggling so much, I had this intense feeling come over me. I wanted to take away the pain from her, even if I had to bear it, but all I could do was reach out, and hold her hand. Then I realized that that little window of a moment had allowed me to see into the Savior's life.

I know that He lives, and that He loves all of you so much! During this Christmas, I will serve with everything that I have. I would love to be with all of you. If I were there, I would tell you that I love you, but since I can't, I will tell others that I love them. If I were home, I would serve you all, but since I am not, I will serve others here. Since I can't smile for you, I will smile for others. I will love others as much as humanly possible. That is my gift for the Savior this year. I will be His smaller gift to the people here--- a carrier of the message of His Eternal and Infinite Gift: His Atonement.

I love you all. I am doing well. I will write more next week. It's been a whirlwind, but I am doing well. I love being a missionary. No matter what I lose, or what I gain, I would never change this. I am serving not only the people here. I am serving Jesus Christ. I am His servant.

And I know that He loves all of you.