Week 52: #LIGHTtheWORLD

Monday, Nov 28th 2016
 
Hello, hello, hello!!! Wow what a week! Let me tell ya about it!!

Tuesday we saw the M Family, a very sweet family! Pat, showed us his American Indian fossil collection (remnants of the tools they used and such) and Terry said we can help her decorate for Christmas! Apparently she goes ALL out, so I am STOKED!

Wednesday we met (well I met, Sister C... already met her once or twice) a woman named Sylvia. She recently had for surgery so she physically can't do much. We initially offered to do service but ended up talking to her for a good 45 minutes. We got to know her and she shared with us some of the she feels for past mistakes she had made. We introduced her to the Book of Mormon and gave her Enos to read! I love the Book of Enos I love his description of his wrestle with God and the peace and guilt that was swept away as her prayed to Heavenly Father for forgiveness. I know that the Atonement is real and  that it works. As we change and strive to continue to better ourselves, as we pray and ask God to forgive us, as we follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, I know that peace and joy will be found!

Thursday was thanksgiving! It was much different than lasts years, which is something I am grateful for. 

We got up bright and early and headed to the church to play soccer with our district and the zone leaders! It was so fun!! Then we got ready and headed to McD Family for breakfast! It's a tradition they have each year to invite friends, family & missionaries to breakfast! It was delicious and a good start to a food filled day!

We then headed over to the River Valley care facility to do some service. They got confused and thought we were going to do like a church service like a sermon. Haha so after we cleared that up, we divided and conquered. Half the group stayed with the Alzheimer's patients while we went around and visited rooms and caroled! It was sooo fun! The spirit was strong and they were so happy and clapped and sang along! Old people are great!

We then started making visits! A lot of families wanted to feed so instead we offered to come over and share a thanksgiving message after they were done eating. We did this for 3 or 4 families. Some of them even had less actives or non members there, so we ended up having lessons, which we did not expect! 

Our Thanksgiving dinner was with the M Family! Oh my gosh they are a hoot and I love them! Okay, so I was really looking forward to green bean casserole this year, that's all I really cared about. At first I didn't see any out and I was a little (very) sad about it, after we prayed and got in line guess what I saw!? Green bean casserole with  French cut green beans (because lets be honest those are the best kind)! I was sooo happy! And it was so good! 

After dinner we shared our thanksgiving message with them! Luke 17:12-19 about the 10 lepers, I think I mentioned it last week. It's pretty much been our theme for the past week and a half! Then we went around and shared what we were grateful for! Many happy tears were shed! 

Mariah just returned from her mission about a year ago and she was so happy we could be with them on Thanksgiving. Will tears streaming down her cheeks she expressed her love for us and how we have special spirit with us and to cherish it. It really made me see that my mission won't last forever and that the spirit I have with me won't last forever either, so now is the time to cherish it and use it!

Friday was our car fast day due to Zone conference last week! It was also the day the initiative came out! If you haven't seen it, watch it now! https://www.mormon.org

It's the best thing in the world!! It shows some of the miracles Christ performed on the earth, how He was the light. It also shows us how we can still do those things Christ did and how we can be the light to those around us! Miracles happen everyday! Look for them and thank Heavenly Father for them!

Saturday was just a fun day! It rained our lady we scheduled to do service for wasn't home so we went finding! Like the real finding! We went through formers and potentials and tried to contact them! Most of my mission has been finding and it get exhausting. So Gridley has been a breath of fresh air with so much teaching. But it made me feel right at home to do finding. It's hard for me to explain, but it just made me happy!

We met a young girl named Courtney who was busy at the time but said we could come back on Sunday at 2! So we go and she goes and gets her dad who proceeds to tell us that he is an American Indian and follows the ways of past so they aren't interested. It was an interesting rejection, never heard that one before! 

We spent some of our Saturday baking cookies for some of the people we teach! While they were baking we cleaned our house and it feels so good in there now! A clean house is a happy and spirit filled house!! 

I am so excited to be getting into the Christmas season! It's the greatest time to be a missionary and share the gospel! 

I invite you to look for opportunities each day to be a light to those around you! Look outside of yourself and look to Christ! Sister B... has a quote in her room that says "Where you look, you will go." Look to Christ and follow Him! 

Love y'all!

Sister Emily Gore