E-Mail #28

E-Mail #28

December 19th, 2011

Hello everyone.....well the theme for this week is.....

 

 

'The lord calls us in our weakness, then he qualifies us for the work' Joseph Smith.

 

 

That pretty much sums up what the weak has been like. Weakness, yet qualifying for the work, and doing the work. Its been a tough week, but I've learned a lot and am definitely growing and changing. Its crazy how much a mission can change you, but it does, and its for the good, just makes you a better person. Unfortunately super socially awkward when you go home, but still and better person. haha. This week we saw some really great families. Because it is the holidays its tough to see some people, but at the same time we get to see some great people that we usually don't get a chance to go see. We have spent a lot of time with the members and the less active members this week. It is great to build a relationship with those people, to have them be open and trusting, and to be willing to listen, and for us to be able to help them find ways to come back to church. This week was our Spanish branch Christmas party, and man was it a PAR-TAY!!!! it was a blast. But a lot of the week we were trying to find some people to invite, we don't know very many Spanish people, let alone speak Spanish to invite them, but we did out best. While out finding people we came across this really great family. We talked to the daughter because she knows English, and invited them to the party. She was really nice and said her mom has been looking for a church. Unfortunately they didn't make it to church or the party, but this week we will go see them and i hope for the best, because the Spanish branch numbers just keep getting smaller. I'm sure the lord will lead us to those that can bless the Spanish branch. We also saw a family who we are teaching, the husband is not a member, and they are such a great family, their last name is best, so they are the best's best's ever! we love to teach them, and every time we go over they have a hot chocolate bar set up, with hot chocolate, and all the toppings you would ever want on hot chocolate. so they spoil us, and we love it! The Spanish branch party was a blast though, man when they throw a party, they THROW and PARTY!!! It was so much fun, there was amazing food.....like tamales....OOOHHH YUMMMYYY!!!! and lots of good deserts which were great. and then we had some pinatas (dont know how to spell) they had one for girls and one for boys, and after the girls all went a few times, they called me and sister fie'eiki in to break it down. it was fun to beat up a pinata, and sister fie'eiki knocked all the candy out of it. it was fun. After all the candy it was time to DANCE.....and again, they throw PARTIES out here. There was a smoke machine, and a full blown dj booth, with a disco light going on and all that good stuff. It was so fun. We tried our best not to dance, but we might have just a little bit. It was a blast, so we were there basically all of Saturday. There were some non-members who came, so we showed them around the church and invited them to church on Sunday, one of them came. It was great! This week will be fun, we have Zone Conference this week, so the sisters from great bend and hays will come down and spend the night with us Tuesday, then we will all leave SUPER early on Wednesday for Topeka. We will be in Topeka most of Wednesday at zone conference. Because they keep switching out our car here in junction city, and giving us ones that are falling apart, we are going to make our car super clean to win the best car contest!!! show them what happens when they send us a falling apart car, we can still win! hahaha. Thankfully at zone conference they are supposed to be switching our vehicle out again, i think its time to retire the one that we are driving. I am super excited for Christmas, i love having presents under the Christmas tree, sister fie'eiki just opens her presents when she gets them, lol, but she also isn't getting very many because she goes home in January, so most of her presents will be waiting for her at home. We have most of our Christmas plans worked out for now. The family that is having us over for dinner and letting us skype at their house are super awesome and are going to borrow a second laptop so we can both skype at the same time and not have to wait for the other one. hahaha. They are great! They still plan on harassing us as we talk to our families, it will be a show! its great. I cant wait to talk to you all!!! its going to be a GREAT Christmas. I mean really.....a baptism....skyping home.....church.....food.....friends....oh it will be GOOD!!!! Oh and i forgot to mention, last Monday we got permission to go to our investigator shaniqua's concert at the high school. It was so fun to be at the concert, and we were surprised to see so many members there, lots of the youth were performing. It was fun to go and support her and cheer her on, she is such a great girl!

Anyways, i hope you all have a WONDERFUL Christmas!!! i cant wait to talk to you in 6 days!!!! AHHHHH!!!!!

 

 

Sister Barnum

The picture is of the famous Ramirez family of the Spanish branch.....except brother Ramirez is not in the picture. but we helped decorate the gym for the party with sister Ramirez.....and she feeds us good food all the time!!! Love this family!!!