Almost Christmas

It is finally starting to feel like Christmas. It is weird with it being warm and seeing Christmas decorations everywhere. Saturday and Sunday was a Christmas concert and then a fireside which were both really good and really made it feel like Christmas. My feelings on Christmas would be how it is an amazing part of the year. It is a time for family and friends to be together. While the social side is important we have to remember the true meaning of Christmas. So many people we meet just say how busy they are, which is natural, but we have to not be so busy that we forget the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is a time to remember the Savior and his great life. Most importantly it is a time to remember the two most important gifts that have been given. Heavenly Father gave us his Son. Then Christ gave himself to help us gain eternal life, something we could not do ourselves. While gifts are part of Christmas, they should remind us of these gifts, not distract from them. The great thing about being a missionary is not being busy preparing for Christmas. This has allowed me to think about the real meaning behind it. Everyone should make the time to really reflect on Christ and what he has given to us.

 

This was another up and down week. Lots of people have not been at home, so it has been hard trying to teach people. One day it was raining and only one person was home all day. But on Saturday we had a really good lesson with a former investigator. She had a baptismal date but she could not give up smoking. I had taught her when I first came out, but we did not think she was going to progress so we dropped her. On Saturday she said she had cut back on smoking since that visit. Then later that day she called us and told us she had already completed the Book of Mormon reading we had left. Then she said she would be willing to cut back or even stop smoking altogether. Then she called this morning and told us she was excited for our next visit on Saturday. Hopefully she will pray about the Book of Mormon and will give up smoking.

 

That was pretty much it for this week, as it has gotten closer to Christmas people tell us to come back after Christmas, so it has been slowing down. And the week between Christmas and New Years will be slow. our Pday was moved to that Wednesday, and then Thursday we are going to the temple and having training at the Mission Home.

 

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Elder Cook