December 2017

  I'm sitting here in the hall at the Lawrence church building as Mitch is doing interviews.  I  meet with each missionary before they go in to talk to him.  Right now he is doing a departing missionary interview which usually lasts about an hour.  Sister Lee came to Kansas the week after us and was in the group we met at the MTC when we were in the MTC.  It is so weird to think that she is going home.  It's also weird to think that we are at the halfway point of our mission.  Time has gone by so fast!   
 

  This was what our drive to Manhattan looked like on Monday.  It was so foggy but it finally looked and felt like Christmas.  The weather has been sunny and not too cold lately.  It is starting to change.  I love white Christmas's but I'm pretty sure we won't have one here. I'll take the fog though!
  Last week we had zone conferences across the mission from Monday to Saturday.  Normally we would have just been 5 days but the Stake Presidency in Garden City wanted to do a special dinner for the missionaries and could only do it on Saturday and Mitch and I needed to be home by 5pm on Saturday.  So.....we split zone conference in Garden City and it was amazing.  We did service projects with our "Light the World" t-shirts Friday night.  Some rang the salvation army bell at Walmart, some cleaned up a lot near a school, some helped organize toys for tots at the salvation army and some built a playhouse for a school.  It was a wonderful night and when we were all done we went to the Steels home for dessert and sharing what we did.

                                                This is the whole Garden City Zone at the Steels.

For Zone Conference each missionary had a wrapped gift under the tree plus a letter from home and 2 ornaments with one word written on it chosen by their family that described them.

Ugly sweater contest!

More ugly sweaters!

It was a wonderful and exhausting week of zone conference but the privilege of being with these awesome missionaries was worth it! What a wonderful time to celebrate the life of our Savior!
  The "Light the World" initiative  has been a blessing and fantastic focus at this time of year.  Our missionaries have been involved in many service opportunities and have been able to involve ward members and investigators.  Mosiah 2:17 When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.  That's what it's all about!
  In November we had a mission tour with Elder Vern P. Stanfill and his wife Alicia.  It went from a Tuesday to Sunday.  We combined zones and had 3 days of zone conferences and ended at the Topeka Stake Conference Saturday and Sunday.  The Stanfills are such great people and so down to earth.  We really felt a connection with them and were edified and taught so much by both of them.   
  The Gospel is true and brings so much light and joy into my life!