HAPPY 2014!!!
Who knew that you could find so much joy during the holiday season even though you're thousands of miles away from your familia?
I've decided that since I have been putting so much creative energy elsewhere that the humor level and enthusiasm in my email has significantly dropped and that I am now resolving to do better. My sincerest apologies.
Let's just start by talking about the one and only Cynthia A.
Short history:
Met the missionaries through a friend that was also taking the lessons
Got baptized in South Carolina
Moved back to Alabama, went inactive (for reasons unknown)
Fast forward several years to now...
Had no way to get in contact with the church so went on mormon.org and requested the missionaries
We show up and whelp, this lady is pretty much solid. She's already been through the temple, remembers SO much, and is so ready to get active again :) She even made a list of the things she needs to do so she can get a temple recommend again. It's so cool to be a part of all aspects of missionary work.
Think of those missionaries who taught her all those years ago and how relieved they must be that she is taking to the steps to return to where she needs to be! What a blessing to know that no effort is ever wasted in the work of the Lord.
Ok, so transfers are already next week. Don't ask me how it came up so fast because I seriously have NO.IDEA.
Although the 6 of us missionaries have gotten along well from the beginning, it seems like we have been communicating a lot more recently and really trying to help each other out. It's this crazy thing called unity. And it always seems to happen when we're about to get split up. Such a bummer.
Remember how 12 Days of Christmas? So on Christmas Eve, the six of us, plus our driver :), went all over Decatur and sung our little hearts out full of Christmas cheer. Aaannnnddd...revealed ourselves as the Christmas Elves that have been leaving their doors full of Christmas goodies and thoughts :) We got all sorts of laughs and funny comments as the realization that suddenly dawned on them, "Of course the missionaries would do something like that!" And wondering who was behind the sound of running feet every night haha :)
Complete with a wonderful repetition of our favorite Christmas songs (really because they were the only ones the Elders knew...) and some tasteful beat-boxing from Elder G, we had a blast!
That night we went over to a member's house and had dinner and then they gave us presents! We each got an over-sized t-shirt. Mine says,
Have your peeps call my peeps
It even has a cute little peep like the ones you get on Easter
pretty classy, huh? :)
We finished the night by watching some fireworks. My favorite!!!
Sister Johnson and I were absolutely loving the 30 minute car ride home, jammin' to Christmas music with the heat cranked up :) 'Tis the Season
At approximately 8:21 on Thursday night the Sister Training Leaders called and asked if they could come over for a sleepover. Sure Sisters! (Thinking in our heads about how dead tired we were. Explanation: Christmas takes a lot outta ya) And lo and behold Sister Blackner was OUT when they finally came by around 10:15. Didn't hear the door knock or nothin'. #sleeplikeababy
But we had a blast in the morning :) Some nice stretching to start out the morning and some fabulous cinnamon rolls for breakfast! That's how it's done way down south in Bama. And those lovely sisters heart-attacked our front door. It was totes presh! LOVE THEM!
this is what Christmas is all about :)
We started teaching with the Elders this week. This sweet lady has two boys that got baptized recently and we have got down to business about helping her to accept the reason for the same joy and happiness and change that her boys have found. All I have to say is baptismal calendars are theeee.bomb.
Our dear Brenda is deathly ill with pneumonia so we'll put that one on hold for a while. Bless her heart. And be sure to keep her in your prayers!
All is well :) Shout out to my amazing family. I love y'all SO much and had an absolutely A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. time talking this week :) 365 and counting? Nah...let's not let the time pass too quickly!
Words of wisdom for the week:
Don't just say prayers, but actually pray.
"Please bless us with safety as we return to our homes"
"Please bless this food that it will nourish and strengthen our bodies"
We should be the safest people in all the world and never have poisoned food since we say those prayers so often :)
con muchisimo amor
and wishing y'all a very Happy New Year!!!!
~Hermana Blackner
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