Always Be Kind (12/15/2014)

Holo Mumzy!
First things first, yes, I have found a place to do the Christmas call. Super nice people, the Day family. The Days are super wonderful. Sister Day is our Gospel Principles teacher and she's amazing at it. Lots of participation and fun learning. Also made our hamburger rice and peas dish for them last night. I did not take a picture of it though because, even though they found it scrumptious, I KNEW I had done it wrong and it wasn't what it was supposed to taste like. I accidentally overcooked the rice, so it came out a bit mushy :( But they said it tasted really good and when I said I'd take it home with me so they didn't have to eat the rest of it they "Definitely NOT. That's our dinner tomorrow!" So I guess they really did like it, though if I had more time I'd make it the right way for them and drop it off so they knew what they were truly missing. <my pride kinda hurts if ya can't tell >

I am on early because we have to go to practice singing "Mary Did You Know?" with a couple of members around 1:30. Good thing both Sister Hall and I know the song. We will be singing it for District meeting this week.

No service projects other than the food pantry still, but we've had one ward Christmas party so far and a wonderful Christmas Cantata. Amazing singing that could totally compete with the MoTab (Mormon Tabernacle Choir)... well maybe not quite, but they were super good.

Yes, we got the letters from Zone Conference. It was a nice surprise for all of us! I absolutely LOVED his <Jim's> letter tell him I was really grateful for it. He has a beautiful testimony :)

Zone Conference...it was good and spiritual. We learned a lot about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, just testimony strengthening stuff and more basic doctrine things. It's really nice the things we feel and the strength that we get from Zone Conference. Although, I would love more lessons on how to incorporate what we learn into our teaching efforts.
I got the box and the Christmas lights are already up, and the fingerless mittens were worn to keep my "fingies" warm in church yesterday. Went shopping and got the ingredients for the cookies. Will be making the brownies, Grinch cookies, my cookies, the apple thingy and the cream cheese brownie cookies for my last two weeks in Central Point, true I don't know that I'm leaving, but it's like a 100 to 1 ratio, sooooo.

Sister Duenas at the Medford, Oregon Temple

I've also prepared a couple boxes to send home with Christmas presents inside too ;)

Yes, I got the box of chocolate from Gma......yep :) muy delicioso :)

We have had some pretty ridiculous experiences this past week. First we ran into three crazy people (all at separate times) who were very much against the church.

We were leaving our investigator's house and on our way to our car and we saw an older lady (kinda homeless looking and sad) sitting on a half wall by our car. Of course, everyone must know that if you sit, stand or walk anywhere near a missionary's car you WILL be spoken to ;) This lady did NOT want to be spoken to at all. We said hi and she went off in saying she doesn't want to be bothered by brainwashed kids. We told her that we are missionaries anyway and asked if she's having a good day. She replied that she isn't anymore and how do we know she wasn't praying when we so rudely interrupted her and said Hi? She yelled at us some other things about how we believe in Christ way too much and we are so radical and obsessed with Him. She just kept telling us to go away and when weren't walking fast enough for her she started yelling that we better not ever talk to her ever again. I sweetly said that we won't talk to her if she wishes it, but we will say Hi and wish her a good day if we do because of course that's something a follower of Christ would do. She had nothing to say to that and so we wished her a beautiful day, got in our car and left :)       KINDNESS STRIKES AGAIN!!!  :)

"Love and respect will overcome every element of animosity. Our kindness may be the most persuasive argument for that which we believe." - President Gordon B. Hinckley

Signing off now since we have to go sing, but I will try to send the rest of the experiences, which were crazy good, another time.

Love you,

Pooks