First of all...if ya'll think that just because I skype home...you don't have to e-mail me.....well that is LAME.
(fun fact: once an investigator asked me if the world lame came about because the lamanites in the Book of Mormon are super lame.....haha no Chris.)
This was the GREATEST WEEK OF ALL TIME.
EVENTFUL THINGS THAT HAPPENED.
-I was on an exchange in the Gettysburg ward...and wow...the work is super different there. In the area(s) I've served in the most common professions are...doctors..and lawyers...and....policeman....anywho you get the point. In Gettysburg ward....a little less income takes place and by a little I mean quite a lot less.
We met this man named 'killa will' anyway Sister Larsen and I are just trying to fulfill our purpose and inviting killa will to come unto Jesus Christ meanwhile 1 year old 'lil killa will' is trying to pull down his dad's pants and normal sized killa will is telling us that he doesn't believe that we don't smoke weed after we go to church. Which is actually a pretty common practice around here now because apparently they just made that legal. This was a new experience for me.
Then around here they have these security doors....so when we knock on doors people can see us, but we can't see them. Anyway, we knock on this security door and the regular door behind it is wide open...and so we can hear this dog come running up and starts barking...then it starts coughing...then it starts throwing up.....and we just witnessed all the sounds...and the owner is clearly home but also clearly ignoring us...so we left him a picture of Jesus at the door so when he found the not-so-nice surprise his dog left him...his spirits would still be lifted.
We also found these things on the ground that had fallen off of a tree that we thought were nuts...and so we ate them...they were not the kind of nuts you find in a trail mix. haha....
but we also found two new investigators...one of them was named Susan we taught her a lesson (this was Tuesday) and invited her to be baptized...she got super excited to be baptized and hang a picture up on the wall....and the Gettysburg Sisters are now trying to teach her...they set a baptismal date with her (on Friday)..but I guess now her mom isn't a big fan of her going to church....anyway just hoping that Susan will make her own decisions...she was born in 1954 by the way....
Exchanges are great...they truly do help you to be a better missionary.
This Friday we had a 'Christmas devotional and holiday fun' which was super wonderful. We talked about not only the fact that Christ was born but the fact that he fulfilled his potential he truly 'increased in wisdom, and stature, and favour with God and man.' More than the fact that Christ was born, is the fact that he lived and he lived for you. If he had not taken that time to progress he would not have been able to fulfill the atonement and that would leave you and I with no hope. Which is why you and I were not placed on this Earth simply to learn about Jesus Christ...not just to worship him....or even adore him...but you and I were placed on this Earth to emulate him....which means the time is now for us to 'increase in wisdom and stature, and favour with God and man.' So when the time comes for us to fulfill our purpose...there will be hope and there will be success.
It was a very spiritual Christmas devotional.....and then we had some holiday fun after that.
Which is code word for playing bingo and minute-to-win-it games with half of the mission....bad news I left the Fresno North Zone down in the candy cane fishing....zone leaders were real upset...but then I was able to redeem myself in the ornament tail game....which means all is well.....there are probably a lot of pictures on the mission's blog!
Then we had Christmas.......we spent a lot of time...with a lot of families that I love.....the Walkers...the Mederos family and the CLEVELANDS.
I LOVE THE CLEVELAND/PARKER FAMILY.
I've talked about them before but basically Grandma Betty is a literal legend around here and has the richest posterity of all time.
Seriously, one of her sons just returned from being a mission president, one of her sons just left to be a mission president, one of her grandsons is a ward mission leader in the other stake and he's the greatest...we talked about what he could name his baby, another grandson is one of our ward mission leaders...we talked about what he could potentially name his next baby..I suggested Sister Rendon Parker.....haha....anyway I can seriously not say enough about how incredible this family is...I adore every single one of them...and after we had Christmas dinner we came together and sang Christmas hymns and talked about the birth of Christ and to close the meeting her son that just returned from serving as Mission President in Indianapolis invited Sister Murray and I to share our testimonies with the family and then asked me to close the evening with the prayer....which I quite literally felt was an honor. I truly just could not thank the Lord enough for the example this family is to me....I PROMISE THAT THE GOSPEL BLESSES FAMILIES.
ANYWAY....
As you consider new year's resolutions...you might consider what will help you to more fully enable you to emulate Jesus Christ...because that truly is the purpose of life. [
Love ya'll!
A LITTLE NOTE FROM SISTER MURRAY
-Dear Sister Rendon's family,
we've been together for quite some time now, so I'm basically part of your family now... I know your daughter, and I know that she loves being a missionary for the Lord. She has righteous desires and she works hard to accomplish her goals. She's taught me so much about hard work and dedication. She's easy to love and fun to be around. The ward members here adore her! and so do I! Thanks for sharing her with me! Love you!!!! oh yeah, Vicki, thanks so much for all the Christmas gifts!
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