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| Christmas Zone Conference |
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| Kresge, Lazara, Walker |
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| Our Gingerbread Noble House😃 |
The week before Christmas we had our Christmas zone conference and we had about 2 hours of just music. Sister Kresge, Sister Williams, Sister Lewis, and I sang, O Holy Night, How Great Thou Art, and then Sis Lewis and I sang Silent Night and the First Noel. We got to listen to many other incredible numbers and the Spirit was so strong. I love this tradition our Mission President began. He did it last year, this year and plans to do it next year. We’re real excited to participate next year. We had a gingerbread house making competition and made the Noble Land with our investigator Lazara in front of it. (you can see a pix of it on OCM facebook page) One thing that was super fun was that Lazara came to the gingerbread part because she wanted to see one of the sisters that was in the area before I got there. She hung out with us for a good 2 hours, it was a party. She was negotiating and taking candy from other missionaries. It was a good time to reflect on the Savior especially as we were all together as missionaries.
I think the best part of this Christmas was talking with my family. That was incredible. I anticipated it all week to get to talk to my family on Christmas day. It was my first time talking to them while on my mission and it was pretty incredible. I love them so much and for all that they do, and their prayers and their support, and I just love them soooo much and miss them but I know that a year and a half is not as long as eternity and eternity is far more important.
This Christmas I got to focus on the Light the World iniative. I loved that iniative because it focused on our Savior. When we did door knocks we would introduce this and some people got pretty excited about it because it was all about the Savior. It’s pretty awesome. A few people in our ward this year for Christmas focused their attention on the true meaning of Christmas, the Savior and His service. It was cool to hear what they were doing for their kids. I love Christmas traditions that bring closeness to the family and their tradition this year was really cool.
It was truly amazing this past week, to contemplate all the Savior has done for us. Not just His birth but also His death and Christ’s atonement. Its always good to reflect on that.
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| It's snowing!!!!! |
We got a call from a Relief Society President the other day saying that a semi less active lady in the ward suddenly passed away. We were trying to work with this family to help them get to the temple. The husband hasn’t been taking it very well and it was real sudden and not expected so getting that call took us back a little bit and we had to pray for him and those who were affected by her death. We are going to see him today to see how he’s doing and try and get some brethren from the ward to go with us, so keep him in your prayers because he doesn’t have any more family, they didn’t have kids. He was at church Sunday and it really surprised us because I think I’d want to not go anywhere especially two days before Sunday. We are keeping him in our thoughts and prayers at this time where he’s grieving but also recognizes that he is going to be with his wife for eternity. He told the RS Pres that he wanted to get to the temple so that he could be sealed to her. That was so sweet to hear.
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Snow came after Christmas but it's still a
White Christmas to me:) It never snows here.
A Miracle for me! |
Challenge:
Reflect on the blessings and miracles you see in your life. They can be the tiniest things like, “today someone smiled at me in the grocery store.” Honestly that is a miracle because some people don’t smile and aren’t friendly. But reflect on those simple things, and since it’s the beginning of the year, I challenge you to follow Elder Holland’s counsel about Lot’s wife and not “look back” on past mistakes. Look back as a reminder but don’t longingly look back like Lot’s wife did . . . or you’ll turn into a pillar of salt and that wouldn’t be good. Find a 2018 calendar and starting today or tomorrow, or as soon as you can, start writing down the miracles each day. That’s what we are both doing. We each have a calendar and also some of the sisters in the OU area are doing that. You’ll look back on the year and will be able to see all the miracles you have seen. Don’t look back on the trials that you had but recognize that the Savior has allowed us to change from them and be clean and renewed and refreshed every single day, because of his atonement for us. I hope you have a wonderful week and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR. Have so much fun back in school.
Love you all,
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Watch ya mouth
Stephanie Vlot and girls
Happy New Years! |
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| Sister Walker & Chelsea |
I think the best part of this Christmas was talking with my family. That was incredible. I anticipated it all week to get to talk to my family on Christmas day. It was my first time talking to them while on my mission and it was pretty incredible. I love them so much and for all that they do, and their prayers and their support, and I just love them soooo much and miss them but I know that a year and a half is not as long as eternity and eternity is far more important. 
This Christmas I got to focus on the Light the World iniative. I loved that iniative because it focused on our Savior. When we did door knocks we would introduce this and some people got pretty excited about it because it was all about the Savior. It’s pretty awesome. A few people in our ward this year for Christmas focused their attention on the true meaning of Christmas, the Savior and His service. It was cool to hear what they were doing for their kids. I love Christmas traditions that bring closeness to the family and their tradition this year was really cool. 
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