Savvy's Missionary Blog: Christmas!

Hello Everyone! and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

WARNING YOU NOW THIS IS A LONG ONE!

Wasn't Christmas just a beautiful day? I loved it so much. It was by far the most eventful day of the week so that was great! Sister Chen and I we're so anxious for it all week!

Anyways, last Monday not long after we finished emailing we got a call from sister Chen's first English companion and so sister Thomas and sister Bingham, came to stay with us for the night in preparation for zone conference the next day. We were so stoked! First of all because we haven't had a Zone Conference in like... 7 months, and secondly because we both love those sisters so much and having roommates is always fun! Growing up in a house full of girls still makes me feel like something is missing in our apartment sometimes, but that night was great! And there was much laughter and bread and Chocolate and they brought a laser that can point at the stars and it was really cool!

And then Tuesday was ZONE CONFERENCE! It was fabulous, we got to be with and see so many people and enjoy the season and we talked a lot about how there is now magic pill that's going to make you baptize more but what will is when you work as hard as you can for as long as you can. Diligence, persistence, consistence and just all around love is what it's going to take to be a successful missionary and your progress is not going to be a straight line. It's going to look like a rocky mountain at times but it's the striving that will make the difference. We also talked about going forward to BAPTIZE! Not just to teach but to teach AND baptize. That's the end goal and we need to have that at the center of everything all the time.

Wednesday, we did service in the form of cleaning out the old apartment... again! so many cockroaches still it' makes me appreciate the fact that only see about three a day in our current apartment instead of like 30! We had dinner at an all you can eat Italian Buffet and it was crazy good and crazy expensive but Paul was so excited to have an excuse to go. (His excuse was sister Skinner is probably sick of Chinese food (not possible) so what if maybe we go get ITALIAN! He was totally stoked to go) and we taught our only investigator lesson for the week to Jade the adorable 8 year old who had a testimony even when her less active parents don't she's super sweet.

Thursday we made Christmas cards for like half the ward, and did more service in the form of helping a member make a Christmas present for his girlfriend.. that was kind of funny. But then we had another dinner appointment (which was Chinese this time!) and then we got to go caroling with the Chinese YSA, it was so much fun! Singing and just spreading love to everyone and seeing the surprise on peoples faces when they opened the doors... So sweet. We did get home late that night though... so that was sad but it turned out okay!

Friday we weekly planned all our appointments cancelled so we went to a dinner activity instead and then were late home again due to traveling all over Toronto. We also got a call from our ever dedicated but on vacation ward mission leader who was so sick and he called us to follow up anyways. He's so dedicated I'm always so blessed with great mission leaders.

Saturday was Christmas eve! We sang a song for the elders baptism that day and did our best to help them out in the surprise baptism, we dropped by less actives and sang songs to them too, and then we went to bishop's house for dinner and it was so good! I think my favorite part about dinner was the fact that everyone had chopsticks and no one knew how to cut the turkey and then after the pictures of all the food were taken the rice was placed on the table so we had a very nice mix of eastern and western food.

Sunday was Christmas! YAY! So much fun! We woke up and I called out MERRY CHRISTMAS! To the I'm-not-a-morning-person-sister-Chen, and it was okay because it was CHRISTMAS! and we opened presents and it was so sweet! Everyone is so kind and I loved it so much. You are all such a big part of my life I love you! I wore brand new clothes that day and got many a complement on it, my response was always, 'my family has great taste' So yes, thank you. We then went to the Lee house to Skype sister Chen's family and that was so sweet! They took us to church after wards. And then CALEB came to BAYVIEW! That was so much fun! He came by bus and slept at a hotel because their was no room at his friend's house (ironic no?) and then he just happened to bring a random person to church with him who he met on the subway and they don't live in our area but Harry (The random person) is going to go to church by his home now! SERIOUSLY! I'm like Caleb's biggest fan girl he is the sweetest new convert ever. He then spent the rest of the day going with us to our different appointments and doing service with us helping make others Christmas dinners and thinking that we were such good examples for giving little Christmas gifts to all the bus drivers who were working on CHRISTMAS! Really I love the bus drivers here they are so cool! So we went all over Toronto as usual before ending back up at the Lee's house to Skype my family on one of their many computers because they had five missionaries Skype at their home that day so that was cool. Chinese and Farsi! Still that meant that I was the lucky missionary who got to to do it in the front room where everyone could stare at my family and compliment them and me throughout the whole process. It was great! And then in those final moments the missionary mom came and gave me a big hug afterwards and they are just so amazing! We then proceeded to eat a delicious dinner with all the food from all over! So good. Everyone was talking and having a great time and it ended with a family home evening to bear testimony and it was fabulous. We then walked to the bus stop said goodbye to Caleb and told him to text us when he got home safe. (Which he did at 12:30 that night.) and then basically went home and collapsed and wrote a little poem to say thank you to all the members, investigators and just about everyone we interact with.

Yesterday was not P-day and thus was boring... HA! Not really we had district meeting and so we had to travel early in the morning walked outside and the moment we got to the side walk sister Chen went down like a sack of potatoes and I freaked out because I was slipping too! Freezing rain is the one thing that I'm not sure I like about Canada. But it gave us a lot of service opportunities as we slowly made our way to the Chapel. District meeting was good. We learned about personal improvement. That was fun. And then we went to go have lunch with a member and that was delicious. Got to love that authentic ramen. We then walked out side to find that the ice was melting but that the rain was now coming down hard... our plan for the rest of the day was to drop by less actives so sister Chen and I looked at each other and then started out. We got so wet! I got home and had to change clothes because my winter coat is not quite that water proof. But MIRACLES we were able to visit with a part member family who invited us to come over and start teaching them the lessons! YAY! They have this adorable daughter Ana who is a year and a half and just smiles all the time. However, even though we still had time it was raining and our coats were no longer wearable so we started calling formers instead and that also went well. Finally we went to bed and I had a warm shower.

So yes... this week was good. So many little moments of testimony builders that I can't even explain them all but there is so much to be grateful for! I know that with all my heart and soul! God is helping us every step of the way. Rain, Snow, Ice, they don't mean anything in the face of what we can do with God on our side.

There are so many people who want to help and to grow and to become the best they can and we can help them with that whether we're a full time missionary or just someone at home who wants to help serve. God can point those people out to you. So I guess I'll just end with the poem I sent out to the members on Christmas day and hope you all can feel the great love that God has for each and every one of you.

Twas the blessed day of Christmas and all through the land,

The Missionaries were singing and preparing to stand,

Singing and standing for what you might ask?

Standing for truth, for light, and for God for this is their task,

To work and to lift and share with much vigor,

Through both the heat and the cold, the sweat and the shiver,

What makes it all worth it at the end of the day?

Why, it's all the friends, family, and members we meet on the way,

Thank you all for your love and your prayers!

You should all know that you're the center of our cares,

For the end of this wonderful Christmas Season,

We will continue to testify of our Christ for he IS the reason,