Merry Christmas 2007

What a great week it has been...chuck full of incredible miracles... get ready...

Last Wednesday after we finished emailing you we went out to a historical site about 20 minutes away from here called San Giovanni. It's right on the coast. We went because we got invited by our English class friend who I told you about last week, Maiken. We were gone for about 2 hours and during that time we had the chance to talk a little bit about the church. Maiken had been to the church website and knew a lot about the church. She said she had read a story about an Italian who had come to know the church through English class and was eventually baptized. We talked about the word of wisdom, the law of chastity... she just seemed to have read it all. She also read that the missionaries go around teaching lessons to people who want to know more. We told her yep, that's what we are here for! So that was Wednesday. On Thursday we had English class. She came as always. After class she was asking us about the "those lessons" that the missionaries teach and wanted to know if she could hear them! We were like... um OF COURSE! It's not everyday that we have someone ASK US for an appointment. So that's how it's been going with her. Up until now we have taught her the first 2 lessons. She keeps all of her commitments, always reads the chapter we leave etc. She came to church for the second time on Sunday and even brought a friend. Church was amazing because the only talk that was given was by our branch President, President Angius. He said he had felt inspired to share the message out of the liahona....the one elder hales gave on faith in Jesus Christ. He gave an amazing talk and said many things that touched Maiken a lot, even to the point where tears were coming down her cheek. I don't know where it will end up...of course my hope is that she will decide to get baptized... but she is just incredible and definitely one that you could call "a golden investigator." I feel blessed because we have such a good friendship. She loves running and so we talk about that a lot! We'll continue teaching her and let you know how it goes. We joke that by the way things have worked out up until now... she will be the one asking us when she can get baptized!

Another miracle this week was getting down to Cagliari for our weekly district meeting. Due to bad weather the trains were all 2 hrs in ritardo (late) and all the sudden out of no where a miracle train showed up and we were able to go! Yay for tender mercies of the Lord. I've come to know more and more on my mission that these tender mercies happen every day... we just have to recognize them!

Going back in time now....Zone conference was on Friday and was really fun. President and Sorella Acerson gave some trainings and then the Cagliari members made us a good lunch. After that we had a little Christmas program where all of the missionaries did dumb skits or sang or something. Sister Harvey and I made our "Top 10 reasons why we are excited to be serving in Oristano for Christmas" and shared it with everyone.

So here it is....

10. Our Christmas eating appointment comes fully equipped not only with food that Sis. Harvey can eat, but also with slippers, sweaters, and an invite to take a nap on the branch president and his wife's king size bed....WITH his wife! (haha, yes that really happened!)

9. We are probably the only ones in the mission who can spend Christmas day weight lifting and then using the baptismal font in our back patio as a jacuzzi!

8. We don't have to be concerned about public transportation no running on Christmas...(What? Oristano has public transportation?)

7. Forget midnight mass at the Vatican in Rome, we can out-do any practicing catholic by attending part of the Christmas mass in all of the 17 catholic churches in Oristano in 1 night!

6. We don't have to fight over the the phones for Christmas because there's only 2 of us. We might have to beat each other up to see who gets to talk first!

5. Struggling to figure out how you're going to make Christmas Cards for your whole branch? No problem for us seeing as how our branch list fits on less than 1 page!

4. (not funny and I don't have time to write it)

3. Between the lack of dinner appointments and sister Harvery's food allergies, we are in no danger of gaining the holiday 5!

2. At least one time during the holiday our dream of filling the chapel with people will come true... at the English class Chrismtas party! Maybe we can even get a special performance by our branch choir which consists of Sister Boynton and Sister Angius singing and Sister Harvey playing the organ!

1. Perche Dio Ci AMA! (Because God loves us!)

I realize that this might not be funny to you guys but it's hilarious to us!

Okay, love you all and hope you have the best Christmas ever!

Love ya,

care