Its Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

"I'll be home for Christmas, you can count on me. I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams..."

Okay, maybe not.

I guess this is the first year in a long time that I'm not scheming a way to show up randomly for a couple of Christmas days. No work this time, no school, no crazy road trips through the night showing up on Christmas morning; only spreading the Christmas cheer here in New York. The season is growing strong and the weather is getting colder. People are feeling the spirit and the streets are busy with shopping and Holiday lights. Happy Hanukkah! There is a menorah on every corner, each night lighting up a new candle. I really have grown to love the Jewish holiday this year too. Its amazing, my study of the Bible has been right on time with the customs of the Judaic traditions. I have so much respect for the Jewish people throughout the city,especially when they are not yelling profanities at you for saying Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays, oops! But they just hold so tightly to the Law, its admirable. They have a great since of community and here in the city you cant help but love them and their spreading of Holiday cheer too. Love it!

So the work here is going very well. I love our investigators so much! I learn from them everyday and through teaching them I grow a greater appreciation for the mercy the Lord has granted me in the knowledge I have of His plan. The other day my companion and I were street contacting on Broadway. It was growing late and we were headed home but as you walk along, among all the people on the streets who are usually up to no good, you see faces of people you just cant pass by. There was this man standing on the corner so naturally I walk up to him. I began talking to him and immediately knew that there was a special message for this guy. I asked him what he was up to, and to my surprise he said something along the lines of looking for someplace to belong. Haha, I love good leads into the Gospel! He continued by telling us he was up from Florida where he was escaping his past and trying to start a new life. He had no family and very few friends and just didn't know what to do. So of course this is what I did and said, "boom, instant family!" as i pulled a pass along card out of my pocket with the information, time and location to the church in Harlem and handed it to him. I told him we were here to introduce him to our family at church and invite him to come and be a part. He responded with a laugh and thanked me as he explained how his mother had been calling him every week asking him if he had gone to church. He said it was about...time (cue Mormon message), and that he would be there on Sunday. We continued our conversation about the Atoning power of Christ, baptism and repentance and ended again with an exchange of information. Now mind you, everyone says this when we invite them to church, but as most RMs know you usually end up sitting alone, haha. Long story short, he showed up!!!!! It was a magical moment, at least as good as I'm gonna get being so far away from DLand, but it far exceeded the joy! As he sat with us in fast and testimony sacrament meeting we explained what was going on as members of the congregation got up to bare their testimonies. As the meeting concluded I was overjoyed to see the members of the ward get up one by one and introduce themselves to him. It was such a humbling experience knowing that the Lord was providing him with the familial love that he needed to feel welcome. He ended up staying all 3 hours which amazing because sometimes it is a struggled for long running members. Anyways, as he left he confirmed his commitments that we had invited him to read. Just another expression of the Father's love for us I suppose, haha.

All in all it has been a good week. The members in our ward are just shining stars. They have really stepped up to the plate and have been very active in introducing their friends and family to the Gospel. President Hinckley reminded us that the missionaries cant do this work on their own. It is definitely by members help that we even have people to teach, but on that rare occasion that someone from a contact shows up, it is nice to see them so friendly and loving to someone who may not be so familiar with church or even our way of living. Thank you to all of the members of my ward and stake back home! You really helped me along :) and thank you to the members in my ward now, we cant do this work without you! I love you all and wish you happy holidays. As was delivered in the Holiday Devotional on Sunday, if you feel you are getting caught up in the material side of things, take a step back. Its not worth losing your REAL holiday spirit, which should be focused on your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Easy for me to say right, haha!

Well I love you love you all! And so it is...