Dear Everyone,
I felt like all week I should be freaking out that my sister is getting married, but I have such a great sense of peace and happiness for her. It has been really cool because I have been teaching the Plan of Salvation to people and when I hold up a picture of the temple to talk about eternal families I say, "My sister is getting married in a temple and she is making a covenant with God that she will be true and faithful to her husband and keep the commandments and in return God promises her that she can be with her husband for time and all eternity." The investigators think that is super awesome. It is really fun to be able to teach that way. Isn't Heavenly Father wonderful. He loves us so much to provide a way to be SO HAPPY. Happier than words can even describe.
I have been thinking a lot about the Savior and how much he loves us. It is overwhelming. It feels so wonderful to be on a mission and being able to completely dedicate my time and service to the Savior. It feels like I am able to show my love and gratitude for Him, by bringing others unto him. I am really excited that this Christmas our mission president has invited us to have a Christmas like Christ would. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day all we will be doing is teaching the gospel and doing service. I am.so.excited!
Sooooooo many people have been giving us cookies, caramel popcorn, homemade bread, banana nut bread, turkey (yeah we got a bag of turkey yesterday haha), gift cards, and cash. If we piled everything in one stack it would reach the ceiling. Don't tell anyone but we have given away every single thing we have received from the ward and investigators. (except for one plate of caramel popcorn....it was just so good!) We REALLY don't need any more sweets. It just feels so good to give to people who need it more than we do.
We really really appreciate all the gifts that we have received, but every time someone hands us something I can think of someone who needs it more.
For example, one of our investigators lost her job a couple weeks ago and her roommate moved out, leaving her hanging on the rent payment. So, she got evicted from her apartment this week. She sold or gave away everything. She gave me a pretty necklace.
All she had left was a bag that she put her Book of Mormon, Gospel Principles Book, and Bible that we gave her and her wallet. We went to go visit her and gave her a loaf of homemade bread that one of the members made for us. She was SO excited. Dipping that bread into spaghetti sauce was her dinner.....She was sooooo happy though. She was really really excited to tell us a story about how she went to Walmart to put a bike on lay away for her 3 year old son. When she got to the front of the line the lady told her that they didn't have lay away any more that season. She said she only had 50 dollars and couldn't pay for the rest. She was about to start crying when a lady behind her tapped on her shoulder and said that she felt prompted to come to Walmart and be someone's secret Santa. she was in the lay away line to see if she could buy a gift card so the cashier lady could give it to someone. So she paid for Nakya's bike......That story touched my heart so much. I am SO grateful for that woman's kindness. I love Nakya more than words can describe. She is going to Denver to try and find work. She told us it didn't matter what happened to her because she has found faith. She said we were the first people to ever get her to go to church in 13 years. (she is 27) She said we were the first people to ever get her to pray out loud. She said she knows that God loves her and there is now a way for her to be clean. She is so excited to start on her path to follow the savor. She want's to get baptized the next full moon. haha aw man, I love that girl. I hope everyone will have a christmas like christ would. Give a little more love, share a little more kindness, and just bare your testimony of God's love to someone. Cause that's what really matters this holiday season.
I love you all and have a very Merry Christmas!
Love Sister Jones
An Email from an Elder sitting by Sister Jones
Hey Sister Lisa Jones!!
This is Elder Horman in the Colorado Denver South Mission. I am currently sitting next to your daughter who happens to be serving in not only the same mission as me but the same ward. Can you believe that!? She is such a great missionary and example to me and to many other missionaries in this mission. Thanks for raising a great daughter. She is a hard worker and constantly striving to improve and to lift others around her. Have a wonderful Christmas and I know that Christ lives. What a blessing to have such a loving brother to sacrifice His life for us so that we may have the opportunity to return to our home in Heaven. Merry Christmas!
Elder Horman
THis is my lovely new companion Sister Sheppard! She is from indepence, Missouri but originally from SHELLY,IDAHO!!! Yes she knows Mckenzie haha isn't that crazy!! I love her to death already. She is amazing!! I'm super excited for this transfer with her!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment