Week #56

My heart is full of love right now. Thank you everyone for your sweet emails. I love you all. Dad, thank you especially for all the pictures that you sent, I can't believe how BIG they all are!! It's going to be a shock to see that in person someday.

Mom, I'll answer your questions first. Skyping for Christmas,...not sure yet. We've been overwhelmed by the goodness of our members, they're practically fighting to have us at each of their homes. :D But I WILL write a letter to you telling you when I have it reserved. I may have to call you (which I will on Mom's cell) to work out the details before the actual skype. We're not allowed to use our personal profiles on skype, so we'll have to friend the member with you. It won't be before 10 my time, because the regualar study schedule will be following. And I promise I won't open the package. :) The best way to get a package to me is to the 701 W. Grove pkway address. I'll be a the mission home on Christmas Eve for district meeting though if one has already been sent. And I won't peek. :) Something for my companion....I'm going to get her a "Hymns made Easy" because she wants to develop her musical talents. I' have been helping her with voice. (Sister Howes asked for us to sing God Bless us Everyone for the Mission Christmas Party! And I am conducting the zones muscial number as well, "Christ is the Reason". Wish me luck!!) So any books BESIDES that one (don't steal my gift! :D) would be great. I extend that invitation as well to everyone. If you send a gift to me, I would ask you include something for her if that's okay. Her name is Sister Kira Monique Elliott. She comes from a family that struggles financially, and I know that it will make her Christmas to have some gifts. Oh! I just remembered. Our third wheel got transferred. Didn't realize you didn't know that yet. A sister went home sick, so Sister Doll went to be with Sister Parker. (One of my first comps in the area!!) We were really sad to see her go, she has been such a blessing, I have LOVED this trio, it felt perfect. And we miss her but all's well!  

Some sad news, please keep Brother Sorenson or "Beav" in your prayers. He is one of our ward missionaries in our ward, and has been a very good friend. His fellowship with some of our investigators made a night and day difference, he is such a great man. He also has brain cancer and is quickly declining, he is in his last days. He was at church yesterday in a wheelchair, and he recognized me, but his capacity to speak is gone. I confess, it's been a long time since I have wanted that badly to give a man a hug and a kiss. I love him. He will leave behind a young wife with a little 3 year old daughter and one about 6 months. If there are service projects going on for the season and you would like to love on them, send it to my address and I will get it to them.

MIRACLE time!! Caroline is a woman that we met two weeks ago at church. She just...came! with her friend from a different ward that escorted her to this one so that she could attend the one for her boundaries. We had to leave church early for a lesson, but we wrote our info on a card and gave it to everyone in the class. Two weeks later we get her info as a referral, and we were booked so we literally couldn't go yet. She called us and said, "Hi Sisters. My name is Caroline, and I was wondering if you had any time that you could come and teach me the first lesson? Give  me a call....." etc etc. AMAZING!! We went the next day for an appt, and she said she already knew Joseph was a prophet and that The Book of Mormon was the word or God. We extended a date for baptism this upcoming weekend but sh'es going out of town Wednesday to Brazil to see her husband who lives there. But she comes back Jan 2...so she's accepted the date to be baptized Jan 5!!! When we first invited her to that date, she said "Oh so soon?! No it's not a bad thing, I'm thrilled! I thought it would be a year long process.!!!" She has repeatedly thanked us for inviting her to be baptized. And yesterday we tried to give her the address of the church because she was already inviting all her friends(!!!) and she said, "Oh, I already have that, I needed it to tell everyone!!" She is so amazing. Please keep her in your prayers.

Also, please pray for Kaleigh. She is someone that got a sex-change, a former investigator and wants with all her heart to be baptized she knows it's true. We "accidentally" bumped into her at the bathrooms, she had been sitting outside the church deciding whether or not to come in! She came to the "Why I believe fireside" we had that night and said it spoke to her soul. The only barrier to her getting baptized is that she has to have First Presidency permission. She was too scared to ask before because if they said no, then the only place where she felt peace and accepted would say that she's not good enough. But she says that she just can't stay away!! So, we're helping her act on faith to ask...because we don't know what the answer is!! 

We saved Kyle! We invited him to be baptized on Jan 12, but this week he said he didn't want to be baptized in the mormon church via texts. We had one more lesson, and those that are familiar with the Preach my Gospel DVDs, it was identical to the lesson where they're teaching Jynx after the same things happened about the Book of Mormon. It was amazing, and he's agreed to give it his all to find an answer.

I know that The Chruch of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true!! I know that Christ is the reason for the season. Love you all! 

Merry Christmas,

Sister Lake

 

P.S. Pictures of Eden with her investigator Sheila - she commented on and liked a headband that Eden wore one day, so Eden made her one of her own!!