December 30, 2013

Hey family!

It was wonderful getting to talk to you on Christmas! It was just the boost that I needed. I hope the rest of the day was full of joy and relaxation! We ended up having a wonderful day. We stayed at the Fitz's home for most of it, and we had a blast there. We played lots of Catch Phrase! As sad as I was to leave my last area right before the holidays, I am so grateful for the opportunities I have had to spend time getting to know the members here. Lititz is starting to feel like home.

As far as teaching goes, this week was pretty slow. However, we did have another awesome lesson with Ruth on Christmas Eve. She is so unbelievably accepting of everything we teach. We taught the Word of Wisdom, and she said it would be a little difficult to give up her tea, but she is willing to try it. She is also adjusting her work schedule so she can start coming to church every week. It's kind of a miracle that church will start at 11 at the new year because that will make it much easier for her to come. She is so ready! She is still seeking her answer from God, and I already see how He's answering her prayers in little ways. With most of our investigators we like to send a "Scripture of the day" out of the Book of Mormon, and the verses we have sent her the past couple days have been exactly what she has needed. So, Heavenly Father is answering her, and now we just need to help her recognize those answers. Today I read the talk "Obedience brings Blessings" by President Monson, and he talks a lot about how when we are obedient, we can gain more knowledge. It made me excited knowing that Ruth is willing to keep the commandments we are teaching her about...as she continues to do so, those answers will continue to come.

I know you said funny stories aren't as important, but this provides me with a way to remember them :) I went on exchanges a couple days ago, and we had a funny experience teaching two different elderly women. We met with the first one, Fanny, who ended up telling us about an "altercation" she had with another woman named Leslie. They were at a senior center and they started arguing about something...well one thing led to another, and Leslie pushed her from behind. Fanny then turned around and grabbed this lady by the throat! She told us it was just her "first reaction." Haha anyway, Leslie ended up calling the cops on Fanny and now they are kinda enemies. We left Fanny's house and realized the next lady we had planned to visit was none other than Leslie herself! Haha, we went to Leslie's and she told us the whole story from her point of view, not disclosing who the other woman was. Who would have thought two elderly women could cause such drama...and naturally us missionaries were right in the middle of it!

I think that's all for this week! I love you guys and appreciate all that you do for me :) Happy New year!

Love,

Sister Denney