QUESTIONS:
Tell us about how/when/TIME we will google chat on Christmas, please!!
the plan is around 2 o'clock my time. I believe that is 11 in CA. we just found someone this week who has 2 comps with video chat capabilities. He has a really small apartment though, so it might be kind of weird with 2 skyper's and him not spread super far apart. I'm sure all will be good though. Elder Wright has never done skype, so we'll have to help him figure it out.
Did you get my FUNNY Christmas card??
yes! I thought it was funny you said Griffin didn't get it at first, but later laughed. I chuckled at it right away. good job rudolphing that fly
Have you heard anymore about your car crash from your mission car guy? Is all ok there? Any more crashes this week?
I called him again to tell him, and it's not a big deal. We have to go somewhere to get it fixed sometime though. I have neither seen nor been the part of any crashes this week. Someone in the branch did get into a bad accident though. full, but long recovery expected
Did you have church this week, or was there too much snow again?? If you did go to church tell us about your Christmas Sunday Program.
snow hasn't been bad the past few days, it actually started warming up. it rained today and yesterday! it was super foggy yesterday though, like having a hard time to see the lines in certain places.
our program had I believe 2 musical numbers (one by the Elder's quorum) 2 extra hymns for everyone to sing and lots of little 2 minute talks including by much of the primary, the entire branch presidency and Elder Wright and others. the branch presidensy member that was in charge this week likes to talk about how he enjoys getting to make up the programs each week in his month. He usually gives a bit of an introduction behind how it was planned, for example one week he had 3 speakers all speak on how science and religion work together/support each other (or a similar topic) and he chose a scientist/professor in the branch, a college student studying something like chemical engineering and a sciency minded youth. It kind of makes thingy interesting. I think he also likes it when it's not his responsibility too. We also combined the youth with our Gospel Principles class because the usually teacher was not there.
How was your Mission Christmas Meeting?
good.
How was the temple; see the new movie??
yes, good.
How was your skit?
good
Did you get your Christmas box from home?
yes.
The whole thing was fun. It was still kind of snowy that day though so we left early. I had to do all the driving. I really liked the temple, gave a lot to think about. We had a quick meeting beforehand with the temple president and president Packerd too. they mostly talked about seeing things differently than our usual literal point of view and thinking more symbolically, the colors, facial expressions, emotions, music, etc, a lot of things expressed not by words. The temple president passed us all around a little picture of peter and john running toward the savior and talked about the feeling of the picture and the different people, and it's similar to the temple (the way you read it anyway). President Packard talked about how he feels he stunted his spiritual growth when he was younger because he got himself frustrated trying to figure out what was literal and what was not and what every detail might mean, when that's not the way to do it.
all 3 people from our mission presidency were there, which was great. They all gave great talks. In president Hiaght's talk he told of his family's conversion story, which I had heard once before. His dad was baptized as a youngster but actually went to church very few times, but still somehow there records followed them to there new house and they were assigned a visiting teacher. She was a persistent 23 year old, and basically because of her the whole family changed, even though she was 26 by the time she actually got into the door.
President Christensen said a lot of good stuff, maybe the most interesting was about how Christ's view and the Advesary's view of sin almost switch before and after it is committed. Beforehand Christ cannot look on sin with any degree of allowance, but the adversary says it's ok. It's an exception, and it won't matter. When someone does sin, the devil tells you that you're filthy. you're not worthy anymore. he says not to pray Christ says, it's ok, just repent! that's all you have to do. He says things can turn out just fine. He says I love you!
President Packard talked about the Wise men. Christ didn't really need gold and frankincense or anything like that, after-all he created this planet. Really what the wise men did was show that they knew he was king. They knew who he really was. President's question to us was what will we do to show we know Christ is the Lord?
He also say "Oh Holy Night" and his daughter sang too. there was a bit of a musical fireside actually, lots of missionaries played instruments and sang and things.
It's always great to hear them talk. I think sometimes you can tell as they're looking down at their notes and think "nope, actually I feel like I need to say something else today!"
Did you have a webex skype meeting this week?? How was it?
No, the ones I participate in are the 1st and 2nd tuesday of each week. He usually doesn't do stuff like that (meetings, etc) on a week where there's something like the Christmas conference anyway (where we're going to see him so he'll give his schpiel there).
Talk more about the possibility of Ipads!!
no new updates, but i'm pretty certain they are coming though. I personally haven't heard it out of president's mouth, but the ZL's say he talked about it at some of their meetings. supposedly they've already tested it in other missions and everything. They say each companionship would get an Iphone and each elder get their own I-pad they'd keep their entire mission (encentive to take care of it) and maybe get the option to buy it from the mission at the end. I wonder if we'll get the phones first and then the ipads, or how it's actually happen. All the ideas about what the rules/regulations etc about using them and the internet are just speculation.
We do have copies of The Lamb of God to give out. I think I've given them out a couple times, probably never watched it with an investigator though. I liked Finding Faith in Christ better.
I remember last christmas, I was in my first area and another Elder got a small package from his non-member girlfriend at home. It had a little letter that said something like "I don't know what the rules are about watching movies, but this one has to do with mormons, so I hope you like it!" inside was a copy of Mr Kruegers Christmas. The elder just put it on the bookshelf where we had probably another 8 or 9 of those we can watch or give away. We thought it was funny. A for effort I guess. Anyway she ended up getting a tattoo and stuff, and that elder is home now but not with that girl anymore.
We had 2 fun dinner appointments yesterday. At one we got invited back for Christmas Eve and we'll open a present with them. The mom said she would make sure to have chocolate milk because I've mentioned how my dad used to make it for us every night. There a great family, they do a good job of treating missionaries like people, not just the label, still respecting us like missionaries, rules and everything, but still people. That's something I've thought a bit about, treating people like labels, even if it's a good label, it's different than really knowing a person.
I hope Dad get a chance to write that article for the Digital Mission! they sent mine back with some notes on how I could improve it. I'll show you.
That's all! I love you
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