Monday, Dec. 15

Today is Wendy's birthday. It was so good to speak with her this morning and hear her voice. She was working on Christmas projects. Sounds like their family is busy with Christmas projects.

We are gradually getting to know the people in Sherman. They are good down to earth people. The first ward is going crazy with missionary work and 2nd one is just starting. We are going to have to do a little work there.

This week we have a pretty fully schedule of teaching appointments. We just hope they don't all fall through. We have already had to change two appointments from tomorrow morning to later in the week. I know Heavenly Father will bless us as we continue to do the things we need to do.

Yesterday was Sunday. They are so busy here. We go to two sets of three hour blocks. We start in the 9 a.m. meeting and then start the next block at 12:30. Yesterday we taught Blake Perkins after the second ward meeting, so it was nearly 5 p.m. before we arrived home. Actually we had another appointment at 5 and it fell through. I was quite relieved because it was such a full day.

Part of the reason we were so tired was because we had to speak in the first set of meetings which was the second ward. It was real different to speak in a ward where you don't know the people as well as we would like to. But the spirit was there and it was very enjoyable to talk about Christmas. Our subject was Christmas and missionary work. Elder Whiting and I decided that I would talk about the gifts that Heavenly father and Jesus Christ have given to us and Elder Whiting talked about what we can give to them.

The spirit was very strong as I talked about the best gifts that are not under the tree. I told about some of the stories in our family that were memorable. The story of Kevin when he was two and we brought Wendy home from the hospital and how he thought it was Baby Jesus. I also told the story of Jim and Roberta, across the street when we did the 12 days of Christmas for them. We thought we had been so careful so they wouldn't catch us and know who it was. Each night we would turn off all our lights and watch while one of the children took our gift over and carefully placed it on their doorstep. On Christmas eve, Jim and Roberta and many friends came to our doorstep caroling and knocked. When we answered the door they sang the twelve days of Christmas to us. only . . . "On the first day of Christmas, our true friends gave to us . . ."
and then they sang back to us ever single item we had taken over to them. It was fun and a bond that we shared with them. They gave us a fruit basket.

That was fun to ponder on memories past with the children. Elder Whiting gave a great talk, but he had to cut it short because I took too long and we also had a musical number. It was a great sacrament meeting and the spirit was abundant.

Blake Perkins is being baptized this Saturday morning. We also have interviews with the President on Thursday and Zone meeting on Wednesday. I love zone meetings because we get to interact with the young missionaries and also because it is such a spiritual shot in the arm with being able to share testimonies and feel the strength of the spirit. It is fun to mingle with all of them. They are such great quality kids.

Today Elder Whiting and I cleaned the apartment. He went to the laundry room and did the wash while I cleaned some of the apartment and then he came back and vacuumed for us. We practiced the Restoration lesson this afternoon and just had some quiet time.

To night we are going to give a first discussion and then to take a media Book of Mormon out. There is something about missionary work that always has this beacon call to us to come forward and work and do more. There is always something to do. And we really enjoy it, the spirit, the scriptures, everything about it is uplifting. It is a time we will always remember and treasure.

This morning we played Christmas music as we worked. It was a good feeling of Christ and sharing that we felt. It is a different kind of Christmas this year, although we will miss having family around us, the feeling of Christ is very foremost. It is a Holy feeling.