Boy howdy has it been a weird week in the mission field, especially in a YSA area. All of our investigators went home. All of the members went home. All of the people to contact went home. We had no one to talk to, much less teach. On top of that, the library was closed for Boxing Day, so we didn't even have a normal p-day. I am a creature of habit, and every single one was completely thrown off. Grrr.
We had some fun experiences, though. I went tracting for the first time (that should tell you how desperate we were). We prayerfully selected a street in Kitchener, and just started knocking. You would think that people would want to hear about Jesus Christ at Christmas time, but no, they're too busy with Christmas for that. We were barked at (dogs hate missionaries for some reason), laughed at, rejected politely, rejected rudely. One young man was interested in hearing a little more, but he was alone, so we couldn't go in. Great. But just like every other missionary tracting story, we knocked on one more door before calling it quits, and a sweet elderly couple in their pjs answered. They were the ones we were went to talk to. Her sister married a Mormon, so she was happy to talk with us about faith, prayer, and family. As she told us about how much prayer means to her, I remembered the Book of Mormon in my backpack and was impressed to share it with her. I pulled it out and told how much it meant to me and how it had helped me to develop my own faith in Christ. Guess what? She stays in Marriott Hotels whenever she travels, and reads the Book of Mormon while she stays there. She had never been able to really study it though, so we left her with her own copy and asked her to read 3 Nephi 11. She's not exactly YSA, but the Lord wanted us to talk to her. I am humbled by the trust He puts in us to find and teach His children when my own faith is so weak.
Our Canadian Christmas was more salt and pepper than white, but it was lovely anyway. Our whole district was struggling to teach enough, so we spent a few hours caroling downtown. We sounded pretty good (4 parts a cappela baby!) if I do say so myself. We spent Christmas Eve with the branch president and his wife, than went with some of our elders to another member's house to relax. She has three guitars, and we have a lot of experience singing together, so we put them all to good use. She sent a link to a youtube video to Mom- have you gotten it yet?
Christmas morning I played the organ in Sacrament meeting, then we spent the afternoon with a lonely investigator. I was worried that 6 missionaries in a little apartment would be too much, but she loved it. As we went from place to place I knew that there was no where else that I wanted to be then with these people. I missed my family, but there is so much love to give and receive here.
Time is up (like I said, weird week), so I'll tell more on Monday. Thank you soooo much for the Christmas package! I love you all to bits, and I'll write a novel for you next week.
Sister Turvaville
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