Oh my goodness gracious, I GET TO SKYPE WITH YOU NEXT ON SUNDAY!!!!!! I'll give you a short call on Saturday evening, probably around 9 pm, to plan the exact time. Thank goodness for kind members who are willing to share their computers. I am eager to see and talk with every one of you, especially Linaynay-Binaynay.
Well done on the Christmas decorations! I have my little Nativity up on my desk, right in front of the Madonna from the Vatican. The party mix looks delish. I'm sending a little Christmas present today, which means it'll probably get there in January. Sorry about that.
Thank you so very much to Aunty Lynnette again for the ARI, and to the Stewards for their letters! I write back to everyone, but it takes a while since we have limited time and never seem to make it to a mailbox. Your letters are coming though, promise. Grammy and Grandy, if you send me your mailing address I'll write you! We have very little snow, only an inch or snow, but it's plenty cold. I would rather bundle up and do missionary work than sweat through it any day. I love Canada.
My first zone conference was this week, and it was wonderful. Our mission vehicle coordinator had a special Christmas present for us: a 2012 Subaru Impreza. That's right. 2012. Our elders are a little jealous. Now we have no fear of icy roads and snowy ditches! You know how I haven't had a music calling in about 5 years? Well, the Lord has decided to make up for that all at once. President and Sister Scott love musical numbers, and with Christmas coming they decided to have a musical fireside for the last half of the conference. I ended up accompanying for 2 singing groups (O Holy Night and Angels We Have Heard On High). I also attempted a first for me: my own arrangement of Silent Night as an organ solo. I wish I could say I was happy with the results, but it brought the Spirit, and that was the whole point. Now I'm taking a few minutes on Sundays to practice the organ and write arrangements so that I'll be ready next time. Any simple organ arrangements would be much appreciated.
Doing things on the fly seems to be the way of life here. We got a call at 10:15 Saturday night from the Branch Presidency saying that one of the planned talks fell through and asking me to speak the next Sunday. Sister Loar and I are grateful that the Branch leadership trusts us, and after talking to people on the street for hours every week, giving a talk to a captive audience of believers is a luxury. I based my talk on President Eyring's message in the December Ensign on Gratitude at Christmastime. If you haven't read it yet, repent and read it!
The members in Kitchener and Waterloo are wonderful. We're in the YSA branch, but the members in the family wards feed us every other week. I love visiting their homes and being reminded that yes, people accept the gospel, and yes, it changes lives. Our last dinner appointment was simply smashing. We were with a large, boisterous family with a loud English mum, lots of musical instruments, and plenty of holiday cheer. When we sat down to dinner my chair crumbled underneath me, and I found myself on the floor surrounded by broken wood. Everyone laughed, and much to my surprise Sister Nabrotsky started cheering and accusingly pointed at her husband! Apparently that chair has needed repair for a long time, and Bishop Nabrotsky never got to it. I offered to sit on anything else that needed fixing. (Simply smashing, get it?)
Street contacting was a little rough this week. Rejection doesn't offend me personally, and usually we just walk right on to the next person. But one evening this week I just couldn't let things go. One kid had been told by his pastor that the Book of Mormon was heresy, and only his desire to be polite kept him in speaking distance. We bore testimony of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon, but at the end he would only take a pass-along card because I refused to put it back in my pocket- he gingerly accepted it between his thumb and index-finger, lest he become a heretic by osmosis I suppose. Sister Loar and I both wanted to have words with that pastor. Later we stopped a young woman who pulled out her earbuds just long enough to say "Are you Mormons? I'm an immoveable atheist" before she walked on. That was it for me. Jesus Christ suffered and died for her, and she is too smart to accept it? Really? As we walked home and were rejected over and over again, I thought about the love that God has for His children and how hard it must have been to send us here, knowing that some would never make it back. How great, how important, must celestial glory be in order for Him to accept that risk? In order for us to accept that risk?
But this week was a miracle week. One of our longtime investigators FINALLY came to church and loved it. She is already living most of the commandments, even before we taught them to her. Sister Loar and I think she'll look great in white. Another investigator prayed to know if God is there- not only did he receive an answer, but he recognized it. He said he thinks he should start believing what we believe. That's right he should!
One last thing: missionaries are jedi. Really. When we go street contacting, we stop at every intersection and Sister Loar asks, "What do you feel?". I immediately think of Obi-Wan Kenobi- "Reach out with your feelings". Appearances can be deceiving. We have no idea who is ready for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but He does. He guides us with the Holy Ghost. Without that gift we are lost.
May the force be with you.
Sister Turvaville
ps I love every one of you so much, and there never seems to be enough time to respond personally to your emails each week. Know that they are read, appreciated, and much needed. I'll get better at managing my email time.
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