December 21, 2010

'Twas a few days before Christmas and all through the Square,

Were millions of people excited to be there.

The Sisters were placed by the Christus with care,

In the hopes of referrals soon to be there.

Ah dang, I don't know the rest of the poem, BUT it is CRAZY! Ah, it is just like General Conference except 4 hours long and every night! It is super busy though now that it is closer to Christmas and I am training in the middle of it! So hard but, oh well, must press on. We don't get to check out the lights very much since we have assignments on where to go but that is ok. But all of the Sisters are getting really excited because apparently we are having a party Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! Well, I think it will be doing service somewhere but still yay! And last year they got to sleep in! I need that really badly. Somedays we go home at 10 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. and it is rough.

But really cool story (for me). We took this guy around who was a disfellowshipped member of the Church. He says he is famous (Sal Silva?, never heard of him personally), but he was really cool. As we took him to the different buildings he started opening up about why he was disfellowshipped. I won't go into details but when we took him to the Assembly Hall, which was one of the first chapels, he started crying. He said he knew that he needed to start going back to church but he didn't know what to do. We took him to the Tabernacle and he was talking about being afraid to take the steps necessary to get his life back in order. So I gave him my Book of Mormon and had him read a verse. He read the wrong one but actually it fit - go Holy Ghost! But as soon as he held the Book of Mormon he started shaking and crying uncontrollably. I had no idea how much power that book had until that moment. As we were walking to the North Visitor Center I noticed security following us; I had to laugh. But we showed him a picture of Jesus Christ and he started crying again. I pointed to it and was about to say something marvelous and wonderfully eloquent but then it hit me how real the atonement was. Here I was with this 38-year-old man, sobbing uncontrollably and trying to shake off the sense of urgency to repent, and I was giving him the message that our Savior offers to everyone. This scripture popped in my head, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls" (Matt 11:29). So I ended up not being able to speak and said, "This man can fix you" Ugh brilliant moment of Ensign Worthiness gone. Oh well, we showed him Elder Holland's clip on Gethsemane, probably kinda harsh but I figure if the Lord put him in my path he was going to get the straight up message that he needed to make changes in his life right now.

Anyway but training is hard! I am still teaching her how to use every appliance known to man but she is getting it. I had to teach her to use a credit card today - see Dad that skill IS needed. But anyway, can't wait to call home Christmas Day! Lots of pictures coming too! Anyway love you all. Merry Christmas!