Christmas!

So, this week was pretty incredible! Christmas was the best. Why? Well, besides talking to everyone, except Allison (yep, I even got to talk to Andrew! haha, I felt so sneaky) WE HAD A PARTY!!! Let me explain this wonderful phenomenon. Yes, it was a missionary party. Yes, we opened presents. And yes, it was AWESOME!!! But first, let me tell you about Christmas Eve (haha).

That day we had a really good District Meeting and one of the activities was a scripture chase for scriptures about the Savior. It really testified to me about how important it is to read ALL of the scriptures. Not just the Bible, not just the Book of Mormon, but ALL of the scriptures. Otherwise, you feel like a dunce when you do a scripture chase and, more importantly, you miss out on reading some of the most touching passages of hope and faith that our Heavenly Father has blessed us with.

So, yeah, read your scriptures! Anyway, later that day, we baked cookies and went caroling with all of the missionaries in our zone! That was super fun because we were able to visit people in each of the missionaries' areas and bring the joy of the season to their front door, along with a lovely bag of cookies! Sister Carroll and I put a cute, hand-made, construction paper Christmas tree on each of our bags to cover up the picture of Dora the Explorer on the bags. Yeah, we felt pretty crafty with that. Caroling was fantastic, though, because it felt like Christmas. I'm not going to lie, this Christmas has probably been the most amazing Christmas I've ever had because, for once, it wasn't about the presents or the snow (the snow was a bit hard to get over, but I got to see it via skype). But it was about bringing the joy of Christ to the people that we caroled to. It was an amazing experience to see their faces light up and the tears in their eyes as we sang about the Savior and the gift that we all were given. THEN we went home, and had a party :)

The sisters in our zone were given permission to spend the night at our apartment so that we could be more unified and so that we wouldn't be alone on Christmas. It was the best! So we slept, (we actually stuck to the missionary schedule, believe it or not) and then we woke up the next morning and made breakfast burritos for us and the other zone that came over to open presents! Yes, we had about 16 sister missionaries in our apartment on Christmas day! It was great and it was really fun to see all of the sisters and to be able to spend time with each other because we're our "family away from family", so that was pretty nice. Unfortunately, the rabbit skinning has been postponed until New Years day, but it's going to happen! I may or may not include pictures.... still deciding.

This week I was reminded of the many gifts that Heavenly Father gives us. I've been a bit sick the past week or so and, because of that sickness, I lost my voice. You know the phrase "you don't value it until it's gone?" (or something like that) Well, I never valued my voice until I lost it. I never realized what an incredible blessing it is to sing, until I couldn't. It made me think of the gifts that Heavenly Father gives us. He gives us so many gifts! I think of the family and I think of how we've all been blessed with the gift of music (even Jon, he plays a pretty awesome Joy to the World on the piano). I think of some of my companions and the many spiritual and physical gifts that they've been blessed with. God gives us gifts to use for the benefit and enjoyment of others. I was reading about spiritual gifts and it explained that, when we don't use them, they are taken from us. It's the same with any gift that we may have.

When we don't use it, we lose it! When we don't play the piano for a long time, we lose the capability to play. When we don't draw for an extended period of time, our drawings aren't quite the same quality as they used to be. Every gift that we're given requires work to keep it. We have to prove to Heavenly Father that we're grateful for the gift. So, my invitation to you all this New Year, is to recognize the gifts that you've been given. It could be ANYTHING. And make it one of your goals/resolutions to share that gift. I promise you, that your lives will be enriched and you will be blessed with MORE gifts! And really, who doesn't want more presents from Heavenly Father?!

I love you all so much and I'm so grateful to be serving the Lord at this time! The work truly is hastening, I've seen it in all of my areas! And it will continue to hasten as we all invite. The true success is in the invitation (and follow-up, of course). I hope you all have a wonderful New Year and that you have a crazy-awesome dance party on New Years eve! That's what I miss. "Just Dance" with the fam during the holidays. And the puzzles. Enjoy them for me :)

Love,
Steph

pics courtesy of Sister Carroll's working camera 1) the two-zone breakfast 2) the white chocolate covered pretzels with crushed candy cane that we made as a present for our zone 3) a couple Christmas Eve caroling pics (not everyone is in the pic)