Sweet Is The Work: Merry CHRISTmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

I am so excited for Christmas. It's so fun on a mission. :) Pretty sure one of us has gotten a package every single day haha. We are so loved! So thanks everyone!

We have had a pretty good week! Sister Phipps has finally been feeling a little better the last couple days, so hopefully we'll get back to business soon! We've spent a lot of time indoors playing games and stuff so that's been kinda fun. At least its Christmas time when not a lot of people want to talk with us anyway, so we're not missing out on a lot of work.

We taught Jeff again the other day! He is doing pretty well, but definitely isn't going to make his baptismal date of December 23rd. So we talked to him again and he re-set it for January 31st because he's going out of town for a few weeks. We taught him about prayer and scripture study and how it really is the key to his progression and receiving personal revelation. His problem is he is seeking answers from the wrong places. He looks things up on the internet when all he needs to do is pray! Kind of frustrating, but he'll get it eventually. My mission has definitely taught me that if we're not truly humble and willing to submit our will to Heavenly Father's, not only is He probably not going to give us an answer yet, but we probably won't even recognize it if He did! So Jeff just needs to be a little more humble and submit to Heavenly Father's will if you ask me. :) Then he'd be good to go! Pray for him haha.

We have a fun week ahead of us though! Tomorrow we have a big Christmas Conference with the whole entire mission, so that will be fun. :) I'm excited to go back down to Richmond for it! Then on Christmas Eve and Christmas we are just spending all of our time with members and their families. So fun, they take such good care of us. :) Plus I get to skype you guys on Christmas! Yay! So excited to see you.

Mostly I'm just excited that it's Christmas and we get to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ! What an awesome gift. It's so much more than presents and material things. The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of CHRIST! I think that's why it rings so true with all of us. So I hope we can all discover, embrace, and share that spirit with everyone this year. That's what its all about!

"This Christmas, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again." (The Gifts of Christmas by Howard W. Hunter)

I love that quote. If we all took that to heart I know that we would have the best Christmas ever! I know that my Savior was born and that He lives today. I'm so grateful to be His missionary! I hope you all have a wonderful week! Lots of love from Virginia!

XOXO, Sister Fowers :)