happy holidays!

Hey Family!

 

First and foremost, transfer news...I'm staying in Covington for another transfer with Sister Brady!  I'm happy to be staying especiallly with Christmas coming up in just a couple weeks.  It would definitely be hard going to a new area and not knowing anyone this time of the year.  Our district is all staying the same too which is definitely a first.  Well, then again we've had two emergency transfers in our district this transfer.  So as of now the Mandeville Elders are Elder Caina and Elder Madsen and then the Covington Elders are Elder Stewart and Elder Alred.  We're all ready to work hard this transfer so it's gonna be good.  :) hey and as far as skyping for Christmas goes I think we're just gonna be calling y'all this time.  Pretty much all the members are going out of town for the holidays and the ones we're really close to that we could feel like asking to use their computer, well they don't have computers.  Sooo don't get y'alls hopes up of seeing my face, but hey y'all will still get to hear my voice!   

 

Holy cow I can't believe how fast time is just flying by.  I'm already on my 8th transfer and there's only 13 transfers total!  I wonder how much longer I'll be in Covington or where I could possibly be going.  I'm begging President Wall to let me go back and reopen North BR...but I don't know if that's gonna happen.  Man I miss everyone there!   

 

That's awesome to hear it's been snowing a lot back home.  It's been getting pretty cold here lately as well.  It's alot like Utah though...one day it will be up in the 70s or 80s and then the next it will be down in the 40s.  I'm just grateful we have a car!  Plus the humidity just makes it even worse...the cold just goes straight to your bones and freezes ya! 

 

Goodness gracious family...the missionaries came over and want to teach y'all but you said you were too busy!!  Have I not taught y'all anything?  ;)  when you say you're busy to the missionaries it makes them feel like you don't really want them coming by.  I think it'd be sweet for the missionaries to come over and teach y'all the lessons.  It will build your relationship with them, they'll have something meaningful to do, plus y'all will be learning.  So be sure to make time for them and then let me know how it goes!!

 

It's been a super sweet week this past week.  We got to help lots of people set of their Christmas trees and I felt right at home.  :)  there's no greater time of year than right now, especially to be on a mission because we get to talk about Christ every single day.  It's sweet we found this 12 reading days of Christmas online so with a couple of the people we see every week we've started doing it with them just to help them think more about the Savior every day.  And it's awesome because some of them have even told us that they don't like Christmas time...but they're forgetting the whole meaning of Christmas!  Y'all should do it too.  Go here and then download the whole ensign and scroll to where the 12 reading days of Christmas are. 

 

I'm gonna go buy a camera today because mine broke and then I'll send y'all some pictures for Christmas and I'll tell ya about some of my favorite people here.  They always give me more than I give to them...aw man I love some of the sisters here so much! 

 

The best part of the week was on saturday Alberto got baptized!!  The elders have been teaching him forever, and let me just say they are the cutest family ever.  His wife is a member and they have the cutest little boy.  Alberto's been coming to church forever and what not but never wanted to get baptized.  Tons and tons of missionaries have invited him and finally he decided to get baptized so it was real sweet.  I'm happy for their family.  :) 

 

Haha I think this might have to be the highlight from the week.  Saturday night we were driving and I made the wrong turn.  As missionaries we always have to back each other so our goal is to always find a place we can just turn around without having to back.  So I turned down a street and there was this grassy field on one side so ya know I decided to just drive in the grass a little.  Haha well....turns out it was super muddy and we got our car stuck in the mud.  I had Sister Brady get out and try to push the car out but it was stuck for good.  Let me just say...it was real muddy.  I got out and was just walking in the mud without any shoes on and it was a big mess.  We called the Elders to see if they were nearby but they were all busy and would be for a while.  Haha man I thought we were gonna have to walk home and come try to get it out the next day.  Then this guy stopped and asked if we were stuck so we said yep and he said he'd be right back.  He went and got a rope and then he pulled us out!  Haha man it was funny and now our car is completely covered in mud.  Good times I tell ya...good times.

 

Since it's the Christmas season, here's a one of my favorite scriptures about Christ.  Alma 7:10-13 "And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.  And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.  And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.  Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me."  My favorite part is where it says he will take upon himself their weaknesses and he does all this so that he can know how to help us.  I'm so grateful for the birth of the Savior and all that he did for us while he was here on the earth, and all that he still does for us.  Without Christ it would be hard to do much because he makes everything possible.  I know that Jesus Christ lives and loves each of us!  And what a wonderful present our Heavenly Father gave to us...his Son.  

 

Hope y'all have a wonderful week!  Good luck with finals, Sarah and Andrew!   

 

Love y'all! 

 

Sister Schmutz