Happy Christmas!

Its only December 10th, I know (Happy Bday Kyle! And Janene yesterday! And happy half birthday to Waldo and Jay Spenceronious) but I just can't help but start to send my merriest of greetings to you all.

 

It has been a happy week. A bit out of the ordinary! Last week Soeur Bayles and I went to this great antique store on Pday (wish you were there, grandma Judy!) and it was awesome. Among our favorite hidden treasures was the super old Book of Mormon, complete with testimony and picture of a Sister Missionary from way back when. We didn't buy it, but we did put our pass along card in it....hahaha. That is just a miracle waiting to happen!

 

On Tuesday we got to see Kevin's oldest sister and her new baby and two of her other three children. We brought her a picture of Jesus and a family proclamation and some Christmas chocolates. It was good to see her. That same day we taught Cheng about the temple and it was a really incredible teaching experience. It was incredible to witness how the Spirit had quickened his understanding of God and the Plan of Salvation. As we talked about baptisms for the dead and genealogy, he explained to us a bit about how the census works in China. He told us how in every family there is a large scroll filled with names, and every time someone has a baby, the official scroll-writer-person comes and writes the name on the scroll, and he is the only person allowed to write on it. Ancestry is so important to these people! Anyway, he was explaining how his family history can be traced back to some dynasty way far back that I am not adequately informed about to tell you...suffice it to say he could spend like a year straight at the temple and still be doing names from what I understand. And that is just one person! Imagine what it will be like when China opens up to missionary work again! They are so prepared to do the work of salvation. I know that the Lord inspired these people long ago to keep records of their family so that they could partake in the marvelous blessings of the Atonement by proxy work accomplished by their posterity. Just think of how the new reduced age of missionary service is preparing for this country to be opened! Its so exciting.

 

We had a girl in our ward from Germany go back home this week and we took her to the temple. She is sixteen and we got to help her share the gospel with her friend here and she gave her a Book of Mormon in German. She expressed some of her concerns about not being able to answer questions that her friends at school asked her about Latter-day Saint principles. For example, she wondered how to respond to someone who had asked her why we pay tithing. She tried to explain it but they didn't get it. We tried to help her by assisting her in understanding her own testimony of tithing and how it is directly connected with the restoration. We told her that because she knows the Book of Mormon is true and Joseph Smith was a prophet, she understands that God has restored many laws that were part of His church in ancient times, such as tithing. Often times our friends or others ask us questions about our doctrines, expecting an understanding of sacred things to come by simply explaining it. We live in a fast paced world and are accustomed to attaining information at speeds not known to other generations, and the thing we must remember when answering questions of others is that if they want to really understand what we do on a deeper level, they cannot stop their search superfically, on the surface. Janina's friend's question was not actually 'why would you want to give 10 percent of what you earn to your church?' (a response that can be given in just a few phrases) but actually 'Does God really speak to man today? Has He called a prophet in our day? etc. (a response that can only be attained through personal revelation, which comes with time, and naturally follows consistent patterns of study, prayer, and church attendance.) I was thankful that she asked us that question, it helped me understand this principle a bit more clearly. On the way home from the airport we testified to a woman whose mother passed away three days earlier that her mother is not lost, and that (thanks to the restoration) we know God's plan for us and for our families.

 

We had a surprise trip to Lyon for the following three days. It was the conference formerly known as 'Bleu's Conference' but now we call it 'bring back conference' where all of the new missionaries and their trainers come and we talk about what we've learned and its a really edifying experience. This is my third time going, I went for myself and with Sr. Bicchierri as well, and it was a wonderful time full of tender mercies, and really fun sleepovers with my old friends :) My group is the next group of Sisters that will be returning home, and so I have lots of friends in the mission now, being one of the oldest. It is truly a great sisterhood. I wish I had time to tell you all about the conference and the weekend, it was just such a blessing. We even got to spend a night in MONTPELLIER! I about died I was so happy. When we got to the apartment it was 7:00 at night, and I just wanted to sieze every moment. Sr. Taylor and I (another trainer) left our tired and hungry companions to go and work for the hour and forty-five minutes we could. We talked to everyone, and even worked in taking a picture with my favorite olive tree, and going to the San Francisco bagel store and buying a bunch of american food we didn't need (cherry pop tarts and crunchy jiff peanut butter to be exact....all for the small price of 12 euro. Totally worth it. Merry Christmas to me! :) ) We testified with power and authority, not because we are really cool aweseome missionaries, but because the Holy Ghost was with us. I love Soeur Taylor. I love Montpellier. I loved walking those streets and reminsicing on the wonderful things the Lord has blessed us with.

 

I HAVE SO MUCH I COULD SAY! A very wise member here named Didier Hoiraeu gave us his insights on the Spirit the other day, saying how so often we forget that it is a living being. I think that we often, unintentionally, de-personify the Holy Spirit and think of it as just this force or this thing that sometimes makes us feel good inside and that is really vague and hard to feel. The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead and is a spirit personage. We should try to develop our relationship with the spirit with this in mind. I know that this Christmas season, as we turn ourselves away from materialism and stress, and focus on moderation and love, we will develop a closer relationship with the Comforter. Let us give our lives as a gift to the Savior. Start this week by forgiving someone who doesn't deserve it. You will be free again.

 

I love you.

 

Soeur Waldron