In Everything Give Thanks

Hello everybody! Happy Thanksgiving!!!!! Hope everyone's Holiday was yummy and filled with lots of thanks!

This week was a great week! It started out on Tuesday when it was super snowy and we had to go get our flu shots at the church... good fun. But I'm protected now so no worries! That night we had a lesson with a man named Pete. He is THE most studious investigator I've ever had! He is very very interested in learning and has super deep questions, so it always makes for interesting lessons. But he is progressing really well!

Wednesday we were tracting in these Town homes. Sister Sherwood said she had a feeling for a few weeks that we should tract there. Well low and behold the 3rd door we knocked a lady answered and said "Oh Sisters, come in!". We walked in and thought 'is she a member? is she a former investigator?...' Once we sat down and started talking we found out she is actually the mother in law of one of our current investigators! Her name is Kate and her and her son were just excommunicated from the Jehovah Witness church. Basically she told us how her faith is pretty much all but shattered and she doesn't know what to believe anymore. However, she did say that the two religions she wants to look into is Mormonism and Catholicism. She accepted a Book of Mormon and we'll be back to see her this week!!

Thursday was THANKSGIVING!!!!! I woke up and was pretty excited, but was also sad I couldn't watch the Macys Day Parade... Soooo I decided to cook! I put some chicken in a pot with gravy and green beans and let it cook while I got ready.

Afterward, sister Sherwood and I came up to eat it- we joined it with a glass of Martinellis (the fancy classes of course)! It was the best Thanksgiving morning ever! Then we left and went to Sister Miranda's house. She is an older single lady and is pretty well off. We got to her house and started helping set up, and other people started to come! Sister Catron came with her family who are all super funny! And her daughter just got home from her mission about a year ago. So we had our Thanksgiving meal (which was delicious of course) and went around the table and said what we were thankful for. My list- the gospel in its fullness, my mission, and Disney. Shout out to good ole Mickey :) Of course I would've said my family and friends but that was already taken and we couldn't do repeats.. but of course I'm thankful for all of you!!! Anyways, after that we went to an old folks home and brought a 92 year old member a piece of pumpkin pie.

We then went to Kate's house and brought her some Thanksgiving dinner. She never used to celebrate holidays so she wasn't prepared to do so (also her family was sick) so she told us we could bring leftovers if we had any-so we did! Then afterward we went to our investigators Allen and Sabrina's house. They waited for us to do Thanksgiving dinner with them!! They are so stinkin' sweet and funny and the kids just LOVE us! Every time we get there, the older one, Xander, asks if we can sing Jesus songs with him. So we sing I Am a Child of God, Child's prayer, and we even taught him Sunbeam and Once There Was a Snowman! He loved it. Dinner was super delicious!! Then we watched a Mormon message with them. Jonah, the younger baby, sat next to us TOTALLY enthralled. And whenever Jesus would come on the screen he would just point.. Cutest thing ever!!! We all took pictures and then started to leave. Sabrina noticed that Jonah had zoomed in on my face and was staring at it. She laughed and said 'He did this with your picture at Halloween too!' We all laughed and continued to walk out the door, but as soon as we started closing the door Jonah reached for us and started crying... It broke my heart!! Sabrina doesn't know it but he's actually my child... Just kidding. But it just goes to show that the connections we make with people are real and full of love. Sure I missed everyone back home for the holiday but honestly it wasn't too bad- I had my second family that I've come to love so deeply by my side! I love it here and the people here!

So Friday rolls around and we get the brilliant idea to do some street contacting on Main street! How? By making a poster that said "In everything Give Thanks" and have everyone write down something they are thankful for this season and give them a free water bottle. We didn't know how successful it would be or if there would even be people out, but we had high hopes seeing a it was Black Friday. Little did we know that Parker puts on a big production after Thanksgiving to start off the Christmas season right where we were on Main street! They had Carolers dressed up and singing, carriage rides, ice sculptures, Frosty the Snowman, free food galore, etc etc! The whole thing was to countdown them "lighting up the town" aka the Main Christmas tree in town. The poster we set up went super well!!! Tons of people came and wrote down things and took our cards! After that was done we put our stuff in the truck and looked around at everything. We did this at the perfect time because just moments later they started to countdown to light the city! We did the countdown with them and all of a sudden the trees and the roads and the huge Christmas tree and EVERYTHING lit up so bright!!! It was soooo beautiful! Everybody started singing a long with the Christmas carols and i seriously thought i was in Whoville for a moment.. Haha but what a great way to start off the Christmas season!!!

Saturday was a beautiful day! Sister Sherwood taught somebody for 6 months back in Aurora before she came to Parker and he was finally getting baptized! So we went to his baptism and it was sooooooo beautiful. His name is Roch and hes from West Africa Burkina Faso! He speaks English but his family doesn't! They are so funny and sweet though :)

Yesterday we met with Kyle and he has decided he wants to be baptized on December 24! Were hoping and praying he'll be able to do it!

Well so starts the Christmas Season, and what better way to do it than to think of Christ- the reason for the Season. The church has come out with a new video called #LighttheWorld and it truly is touching and shows how many ways we can light the world just as Christ has lit the world. Everyday of December they have a theme and a list of ways you can fulfill that theme for the day and serve in a Christlike way! I LOVE this!!! Instead of just keeping Christ in our thoughts this season lets ACT upon the things He taught us!! Lets show others what Christ has done for us and how because of that we will help others too! Just as Christ said "I am the Light of the world" even so "Ye are the light of the world". Let your light so shine before men!!! Tis the Season <3

I hope everyone had a great week!! I'm very thankful for each and every one of you and your support and love! I love you all and may God Bless you