Christmas

It looks like Christmas Spirit is strong at the house!!! The lights at Temple Square are beautiful.  I am sad to have been miss the Santa party bekegen this year.  Next year I hope I am on the good list! You are the top chef! Every week I look forward to seeing all the nice
treats you been make! I'm glad you are practicing for when I get home!

Well last week Brother Ariel and Sister Nesta got baptize! They were the most prepared investigators I been look on my mission this far. Their testimonies were deeply rooted into each of their hearts.  This was especially life changing for Brother Ariel.  When I saw him go
down and come up out of the water the words of "Brightly beams our Father's mercy" came to my head.  The thought came to me that now Ariel was a new man.  The man that once described himself as a "bad man" was now completely clean.  And this is possible through the mercy blong Papa God.  How great God's mercy truly is.  To each of us.  No matter our past experiences or current shortcomings.  His mercy goat to each one of us.  He offers it to anyone that will repent and receive His mercy.  He wants too much to see every one of us will go bak and be with him again.  It's a blessing as a missionary to be able to see first hand the extent of the mercy of Papa God.

This past week we focused a lot on reactivation bekegen, and man is that discouraging.  There are a lot of "strong less actives."  Some were happy to see us, others not so happy. It seemed that we were not really making a difference this week.  But on Sunday two less active families that have not been to church in six years came.  Papa is now working on becoming worthy to use prishud power of him.  I was glad too much!! Some times the smallest notions of love that we show to people can make the bigwan difference.

Update on Heteley and Mata and their family: The two of them will be married on Christmas and now their entire family will be baptized together on January 10th.  This week was the first week that their entire family came to church together.  As I sat on that bench I been
overfilled with joy.  There is a unique spirit about families. This has been a goal that I have had my entire mission: to teach and bring a whole family into the gospel.  A lot of fasting and prayers have gone into this goal and I began to think it was not going to be possible.  But every transfer I told myself "this is it.  This is going to happen." And now, it is happening.  Papa  God will support us as we do everything in our power to achieve our goals.

Christmas won't be the same without you.  But this Christmas will be a Christmas centered on the Savior and His spirit.  We will be spending our Christmas at the hospital this year, caroling, visiting, and sharing lollies with the patients that are too sick to spend Christmas
with their families.  This Christmas no Christmas decorations, good food, or bright lights.  But I guess that is how the first Christmas was anyway: on a cold night in a stable.  Christmas is about that first gift that came- the one that wasn't wrapped or bought.  But the gift given to each of us that made it possible that we could return to live with our Father in Heaven for eternity.  The best gift.   I hope that this Christmas is a good one for all of you! I miss you! I love you! I know my Savior lives. I know He died for me, and you, and everyone in the world. I am grateful too much for all your love and support.  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

I love you!
Sister Brown