Week 44: Christmas... Do you have room for the Savior?

December 26, 2022

Christmas time is herrrrrre!

Odds and Ends

---Creepy/Sad/Funny Caroling stories:

1-Someones wooden steps up to their porch was halfway collapsed and we almost didn't see it in the dark

2-We saw some door blinds move after we knocked so we got REAL close... a black cat jumped up and freaked me so much I peed a little.

3-Supa sweet lady, she took the treats and said thank you. Until we brought up church. We gave her a Christmas program invite, and she crumpled it right in front of our face... she said "we used to be apart of that church."

4-We got to carol with our whole district, and Elder Kennington has served here in Newberry before! We were going to carol in this old folks home, but then the door was locked. Then Elder Kennington takes is through a maze to the back door, which apparently is always open. Caroling mission impossible!

5- We caroled to Anne Cole, and she said it was the first Christmas song she had heard all season!

6-Sister Tuttle started balling when we caroled for her... so tender!

--- The APs almost dented the mission truck by standing on it

---I had to wear thick thermal leggings almost all week! One morning it dropped down to ELEVEN degrees! We had to leave our faucets dripping for 3 days straight so the pipes wouldn't freeze and burst.

---the Black's had us eat chocolate covered cricket balls! I told them I wasn't picky and I'd even eat chocolate covered crickets. So Brother Black ordered them the next day. Thankfully the dark chocolate masked most of the taste, and they weren't full crickets, so no legs stuck in the teeth.

---The Black's had pillows made with our FACES on it! Ahahaha! Peep the pictures. Best Christmas present EVER!

---The Broderick fam gave Sister Carter a jacket cuz she wasn't expecting freezing weather in SC!

---We did white elephant at a member meal with the sweet Gonzalez family! One of their traditions is to get an ice cream cake and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus! So precious!

---The elders pranked us that someone left a dead cat and hamster on their porch and tried to blame us.

---We talked to homeless guy and gave him some of our extra Christmas treats. We asked him his name and Boss Hog. Hm.

---We definitely caroled during the day...

---I got to have some eggnog at a members house, just enough to make my soul happy!

---During a member meal my little friend Lyman was holding mashed potatoes. Well it started like that. Then he started rolling the potatoes like play dough, squishing them down his brother's shirts, and chucking them across the room. He's my little bestie haha!

---We got to have Christmas with the Templins! They host us for every holiday, and we love it!

---Both Sister Carter and Sister Wardrop were both attacked by golden doodles while I was practicing a song.

Miracles

★Joel! Caroling miracle! He is a less active member of the church that we hadn't met before. We almost didn't go to his house because it was so far away. But we knocked and it was SO CUTE! Joel started singing with us. ♡ He said we made his whole Christmas! He was so sweet.

★We said goodbye to José. That was sad. But he needs the missionaries in Tennessee! Can't wait to see where he goes as he learns the gospel!

★TRIPLE miracle. A guy waved us down while we were headed to an appointment. We pulled over into the church parking lot he was in and he needed help jumping his car. We pulled over to help! There were only 4 other people in the parking lot. And GUESS WHO IT WAS?! Dixie and her daughter, who we've lost contact with! We shared a Christmas message with them before they left. Then while we were attempting to jump the car, Sister Carter and Sister Wardrop started teaching Victor(the car man) and I started teaching the other person in the parking lot, Darius! We invited both to our church Christmas service, and got return appointments! And we successfully jumped the car. A PARKING LOT FULL OF MIRACLES! God knew!

★I got to sing in BOTH Christmas programs over the congregations I serve in. I sang Mary's Lullaby written by my great grandma, and Do You Have Room. I was so grateful to sing praises to my Savior.

Spiritual Thought

Christmas has always been important to me, and I've always heard "He is the reason for the season." But being a missionary, it's become habit to think of Christ in every thought. I'm still not perfect at it, but I've been so much more aware of the impact He has in every day of my life. And the real question is do I make room for Him in my every day life? Is He the one I give my focus to and center my life around? When He was born, there wasn't room for Him. And yet our purpose in this life IS to make room for Him and grow and change through His Atonement. I wanted to quote the song "Do You Have Room?" that I sang:

🎵"Do you have room for the Savior?

And do you seek him anew?

Have you a place for the one who lived

And died for you?

Are you as humble as a shepherd boy,

Or as wise as men of old?

Would you have come that night?

Would you have sought the light?

Do you have room?"🎵

I challenge each of you to make room for Christ DAILY. You will be forever changed and strengthen if you do.

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