Christmas Conference Time!

Momma!

We had another great week here. Elder Holman and I will be here together until the beginning of January at the earliest!     Christmas conference was really amazing. Our mission president talked a lot about member missionary work and ways to be more effective with it. Then his assistants talked about getting back to the basics and finding people. It was so much fun to be surrounded by all the other missionaries and talk to good friends. Elder Rodriguez wasn't there which was kind a bummer though. I also got to talk to Sister Neilson (Alisha) for a while. It's always fun to talk to her because she has updates on all of our high school friends. She goes home this week though.     Other than that life is going really well. We started teaching a part member family this week. Every time we walk through the door his face lights up like Christmas morning. Her face isn't usually quite as bright, but we'll work with that. He always tries to convince her to move to Utah, but she's not really going for it.

Here's a sweet Christmas story that someone sent me...

A college friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as an early Christmas present. On Christmas eve when Paul came out of his house, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. "Is this your car?" he asked. Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was astounded.
"You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you nothing? Boy, I wish..." He hesitated. Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels. "I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that." Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?" "Oh yes, I'd love that."
After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said, "Uncle, would you mind driving in front of my house?" Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked. He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.
"There it is, little brother, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a penny. And some day I'm gonna give you one just like it...then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Shop windows that I've been trying to tell you about."
Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable ride.

Hey so I decided that I was going to restart the Doctrine and covenants and finish it before my mission. I was planning on starting next Sunday (December 28), and I'll write you my thoughts each week and send them to you. Would you like to read along with me?     Ha in other news, we had a pretty cool Christmas party this week. Some of our investigators came and they were fellowshipping the members. One of our favorites, Stanley, was having the greatest time in the world meeting everyone, and he's going to help one of our investigators get baptized right after he does. We also got a picture with Santa, so that was pretty exciting :) Life is good.     Quick thought... and when he falls he shall rise again, for his sacrifice shall be more sacred unto me than his increase, saith the Lord (D&C 117:13). Often times we look for results, but the Lord look on the heart (1 Sam 16:7). Every sacrifice we make is sacred and no effort is wasted. We serve a perfect God.I love you Momma! Have a great week :)