Let's Break it Down.

Okay so here's a breakdown of Christmas in the Mission:

Monday: The Christmas Party. I already told you about how awesome that was! Man oh man I loved it!! Tuesday: Was P-day so we got to do our last minute preparations, which were buying pan dulce for our breakfast on Christmas morning. Wednesday: Christmas Eve. Oh and boy did we have one I will never forget! It was awesome, we worked SOOOO hard!! At lunch the zone leaders came over and said they had a challenge for us and they gave us about 300+ "He is the Gift" cards to pass out before 6:00pm. And so...we did! At first we though we were going to MF all 300 (a MF has to include sharing a unique doctrine, testifying, and committing them to do something) and so we went to the mall and went for it, and after 41 I thought we were going to die, it was so spiritually draining because we were just trying so hard to connect to each of them and ask inspired questions and it was just down-right difficult but awesome! So then we decided hmmmm that's not gonna work so we changed our approached and had a blast passing out the rest of them! We were running around the parking lots like crazies :) it was the best!! Then we had an awesome zone conference call that night in were a bunch of missionaries shared their testimonies of The Gift of Christmas--Jesus Christ. Thursday: Christmas Day. So we woke up and exercised because we had a bunch of food appointments that day. Then we went to iHop with the elders and then came home and opened our presents. I am tooo blessed!! Thank you for everything!!! Everything was perfect and I couldn't have asked for more. I loved everything, especially the flannel sheets and retro hairspray and all the scarves :) I'm starting to become known as the scarf missionary and I love it. Then we got to study and get ready and enjoy our morning. Then we went over to the Griffins for Christmas dinner and man oh man it was delicious! The sweet potatoes were my favorite. And this pink salad that they sent us home with that I added some pomegranates too and it almost ended up tasting like Grandma Dolly's..success!! Then we got to talk!!! Man skyping was sooo....weird, honestly. It was crazy to see everyone's faces and to talk! I loved it sooo much but it sure did make me miss home! Then the Sheddens fed us and we came home and just enjoyed the rest of the night! Friday + Saturday: The days after Christmas. They were honestly just plan out weird. We were feeling all weird and unfocused and out of the groove and I just did not like it. So we decided we were start searching for new investigators. We were searching and searching and searching and praying and praying and praying. We were went to these "new" parts of our area which were super south. We would find a neighborhood, pull over, and start searching and find nothing. So then we were get back in the car and drive a little further south and do the same thing. Over and over and over again and we couldn't find anyone! Well we did find a ton of Spanish, but we can't teach Spanish now-a-days :( So honestly we were getting a little discouraged but then it was Sunday.. Sunday: Well it was the normal Sunday morning, except we did talk in Church and that was nice! No stress of false doctrine being said over the pulpit hahahahah, kidding but only kind-of. Other missionaries understand this.. And then after church we began our search again, and still nothing! So we were driving and I said that's it, "We are knocking, and we are going to knock every house if we need too!" So we came to the first neighborhood and got out and went to the first house trying to have faith but I'm not gonna lie mine was lacking a little. And the first door opened and a man answered and he came outside on the front porch to talk and told us he's not really interested in religion himself, when his daughter popped out. And man oh man is she! She said she remembers meeting me a couple of weeks ago and so we set a return appointment and went back a couple hours later and get this, she has been going to church (our church) and mutual every week for a year and a half now!!!!!!! And she has never been taught by missionaries, say what!! She has been going to 2nd ward and that is why we haven't seen her except for that once. But oh my goodness we are so excited to teach her! I just can't believe how blessed we are! Miracle! It really is after all we can do that we are saved by grace, or in this case find a new investigator! Welp that was my week! Happy New Years!!! xoxoxoxox Hna. Slade