The Ward Relief society Christmas Party was out our house this week
"I'm glad your activity went well! I think we probably have 25 sisters across the whole of Athens at church on a Sunday! It's so good that you can all get together and spend time together, and nice that you were able to have it at our house. I say our house, but I feel like I don't recognise it at all when I see it in pictures! The Christmas trees look great!"
We held our Stake Christmas Carol over two nights this weekend.
"The carol concert is something I've missed actually, it really is great. I look forward to it next year! But then again, the activities that we're going to have here over Christmas are going to be absolutely fantastic. We have an activity with the branches on the 19th, and from the 24th to Jan 1st we have a whole week of different activities with the missionaries, including a meal on Christmas day with members and investigators which I'm looking forward to.
Yeah we'll eat at the Acropoli chapel, and I'm not sure who will be doing it, I know that Sister Heder will be doing a lot this Christmas!"
"We haven't watched the Christmas devotional yet no, but I'd like to!"
Skype.
"We will be allowed an hour maximum, which is quite a lot! And then we will have a full week of things with the missionaries and members, as the country basically shuts down over Christmas. I'm excited, I think it's going to be a very uplifting and inspiring week."
"I don't have photos from during the week unfortunately, but I'll take some here in the office with Elder Peel now."
"My highlight has been that we've had 4 lessons this week! You'll be able to read about them in my journal, but yeah we had 4 lessons, and now have baptismal dates for two of the investigators we're teaching. It feels like we're normal missionaries, which is so good. I missed being able to teach and testify, and I've loved being able to do it this week."
"And generally I'm very happy, as usual! I'm excited for Christmas and for the things we'll be doing here in the mission, I'm excited for the investigators that we're teaching, and I'm excited for my operation in January. I will have a pre-op appointment on the 5th, and the actual surgery on the 7th. It's a great period of my mission, as Elder Peel and I get on extremely well and are working well together, we have lots to do, and are enjoying doing it!"
"Elder Peel and I do really well shopping together, we're quick and even though we buy a variety of food and a lot of it we're always way under budget as we buy the things that are on offer."
"In the evening we had a lesson with A. We taught about Heavenly Fathers plan for us. He said the opening prayer where he just thanked Heavenly Father that he'd found us again and said that he'd been praying to meet me again but didn't know how. He said we are Gods angels and that he will do whatever we tell him to do as he knows that's what best for him."
"We had another fantastic lesson with A. where we talked about the first half of the Plan of Salvation and tied it to the Word of Wisdom."
(This is the man they met last week and had previous contact with in Cyprus)
"I've realised recently that the the whole point of any meeting in the church is for the Holy Ghost to teach and to receive revelation for specific matters at hand."
"We received a referral from a man called T. who had visited the church website and had requested a free copy of The Book of Mormon. We found his house and he invited us in right away. We had one of the best lessons of my whole mission. We talked about how the gospel blesses families, about the role of Jesus Christ and about the restoration. He is searching for something that he knows is missing from his life and he says that he hasn't found a church that really talks to him as a person and fulfills his needs. He is interested to learn more and also said he will drive up to church next Sunday. Elder Peel and I were both really excited after the lesson."
