What a great week!!
Seriously a week full of miracles and a week full of joy!
Well to start off! We had 3 INVESTIGATORS AT CHURCH! Yay! So sister Oldroyd was giving a talk and so I was sitting by myself. But we found this kid Trevon on the bus (he has this scorpion tattoo and LA star tattoo on his face) he's black. But we've been trying to have him come. He finally said he would! So it was half way through sacrament and I get a text saying he is here! So I run out, and don't see him! I circled the whole outside of the church and thought he went to the wrong church! #southernprobs but I walk in and they are sitting on the couches! It was Trevon, and he brought his two girl friends! Channel and Mayla. (Which we never have met) but I take them in the back and Bishop and his councillors were smiling as well as Sister Oldroyd! Then I texted brother Russell and said can you bear your testimony on Christ because out investigator is trying to figure out who Christ is to him. He texted back and said sure! IT WAS AWESOME! Trevon said he was speaking to him. Yay! Then we go in gospel principals and it was on the final judgement, celestial, telestial, and terrestrial kingdoms... We were dying! We hadn't even taught the first lesson to two of them! But our Ward mission leader was teaching and did a great job! Yay. They said after they really enjoyed and want to come back and meet up again!! Miracle.
Well this Christmas was for sure my favorite. EVER. I sure missed family and friends, but it meant so much to me this year! I LOVED being able to skype as well. You all look so good and are doing great! So proud. It was a lot more humbling this year... I am so grateful I had this Christmas as well. Sister Oldroyd and I just laugh the whole time, so it makes it fun.
Well on Wednesday we had district meeting and we asked Elder Sheffield our DL if we could do a "training" he said sure. For the opening song we sand a long to Brad Paisley "Away in a Manger" haha. So we got all the costumes for the nativity ready. No one in the district knew! We invited the Zone Leaders, as well as the Ap's to join. We got up and said here are your parts we are going to do the Nativity! IT WAS THE BEST!! haha we videoed the whole thing too.... such a classic missionary nativity. Then we had everyone bring a gift elephant gift and we did a white elephant exchange. I seriously feel like the missionaries are my family. Loved being able to spend it with them! This was on Christmas eve day.Then that night we went over to the Waters and had Christmas eve dinner with them. They are our recent converts. LOVED being able to spend it with them. Then we came home and made cinnamon rolls, read Luke 2, read the Polar Express, and read Grandma Gates Christmas Eve story!! It was so spiritual. Then we watched the bible video of Luke 2. The song Silent Night was on and what a silent night it was. "Think of the simple yet dignified way our Heavenly Father chose to honor the birth of His Son. On that holy night, angels appeared not to the rich but to shepherds. The Christ child was born not in a mansion but in a manger. He was wrapped not in silk but in swaddling clothes. The simplicity of that first Christmas foreshadowed the life of the Savior." I read that in my studies the next day. My life will be forever changed because of the night we spent doing the devotional together, focusing in on our savior. The spirit was so strong. I just knew there were others there with us as we continued on with our spirit filled night.
Christmas morning we got to sleep in until 8am... which meant i layed there until 8am because i don't sleep in that long! We opened presents, THANK YOU, to those of you who sent Christmas cards, gifts, and love. I sure appreciate all you love and support! After we skyped we went home and i actually called Macey and was able to talk to her for about 20 minutes. It was the best! Love my twin!! Then we went and had dinner with a member... the Christensens. It was great! They have little kids, and Santa came, so it was so fun! Then we helped prepare dinner and we had dinner. They both served missions. But then dessert came and I was so full, it was Banana Cream Pie, and i don't like bananas, and i wasn't in a sweets mood at all... more salty. So i said no thank you! Then she randomly goes off on her mission she gained so much weight and she just resorted to eating over anything... she is as skinny and tall as Megan Leavitt... so we were like come on! Sister Oldroyd was dying when eating her pie... she's like do i keep eating? haha she pretty much told us it's okay to get fat because you lose it in the end. hahah it was so funny. We were like okay..... But great Christmas! then we went and tracted and found two people who seemed pretty interested. CHRISTMAS MIRACLE.
Then on Friday Sister Oldroyd had a baptism up in Clarksville, so we had a Recent Convert from Clarksville come take us out to eat and take us up. She use to be Jewish, so it's cool to hear her story. Thats probably my favorite thing. Every one has a story and their own journey. So different and so personal! I love to hear and learn about them. But we drive all the way up there.. 10 minutes from the Kentucky line... that might be the closest i get to Kentucky Dad. But it was so great! It was in the YSA branch... but so good. The Franklin STL's came up with us, because Sister Frampton served there too. So it was a mission road trip!! SO fun. So spiritual too.
ALSO one of our less actives got married to her husband! The one that got baptized at 12 but fell away a few months later, then we didn't know if we were going to have to baptize him again, if they didn't find his records. But they did! And they got married! They were living together, so that was big!! So that was weird to hear the words "Till death do you part of your mortal lives" AHHHHH THAT IS THE WORST THING EVER!! Why won't you want to be sealed to your family?! Seriously i will NEVER forget the feeling and pit in my stomach when i heard that.
Also Mya our little 12 year old investigator wants to get baptized......... like way bad....... we just don't know if she really knows what that all entails. So we are going over today, also hopefully her parents will be there too! It's a weird situation! But she needs to come to church 2 times and then we can baptize her. So she may be the one this transfer!
OH! Also we got transfer calls and Sister Oldroyd and I are staying the same!! YAY! There is so much work to be done here. We can hardly wait.
I LOVE MY MISSION!!! Seriously every day my heart just grows more and more for the people here... i cannot even explain it. I am so grateful and privileged to be a representative of him. As Christmas morning happened. My heart was so full putting on my name tag!! Such a great day. Such a great week. Such a great year!!
I'm ready to see what 2015 has in store. It kind of freaks me out how time is passing by so fast!! See you in 4 months:)
LOVE YOU!!
Sister Gates
BEST DISTRICT MEETING EVER!!!
Made cinnamon rolls, read Luke 2, grandma gates Christmas Eve story, and omelets! Some of us family Christmas traditions.
When running we watched this go down to 0.. So sad! Then our cute tree we plucked branches off! Christmas Eve dinner with the waters
More from Christmas
Tang the cross dresser. We almost died when she/he answered the door!! Haha oh my. Dying still!
One of our zone leaders, Elder Shiner is going home! Sad day.
The Franklin STLs came up with us to Clarksville for a baptism!! Road trip with the sisters
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