18 Months Down!

Former companion comes to visit!

Georgia Crew

Christmas pageant

Hello everyone! Merry Christmas for Maricopa! This was a pretty solid week! Sorry about last weeks crazy unorganized email haha. We didn't have much time to write last week and so it was super jumbled. His week was super good we actually had a few cool miracles that really helped us with our investigators! 

Not sure exactly what the Christmas plans are. I should be able to skype anytime after noon on Friday and we will probably have a dinner in there to so other than that, not sure what time so would maybe like 1:30pm my time? Just email when you all are free!  

Glad Ethan made it home safe and Emily is done with school for the break! Congrats on the honor society! And glad the house is slowly slowly progressing! Tell tipsy I said hello and that I miss her! 

Let's see!

Monday: we had the Christmas party where we ran the 5k! Then had a breakfast as a mission! I ran a 23 minute 5k which isn't bad! Then it was freezing cold, wet and Rainey, I ran with Max (he joined in on lap like 3 haha).  We had a huge basketball tournament which was hilarious and awesome to watch and play, we played volleyball and things like that, then out to the Mormon battalion for a testimony meeting. Luckily we are the closest to the Christmas Camp and so it took us like no time to get home even though it was late.

Tuesday: we went to the temple and then took a picture next to the Gilbert temple. That was the first time even on the grounds of it! It was pretty amazing! Can't wait to go through that eventually! After we had a dinner/ lunch as a mission. Crazy sassy Santa told the hilarious things missionaries have done this year and I even same in a musical number. We sang called to serve as a zone, and I had a solo..... Jk no i didn't haha.  Then we had to drop off some elders at the mission office and then got caught in traffic and that took like the rest of our day! 

Wednesday: was back to normal where we emailed you all in the morning and then had correlation for the last time since our Ward mission leader is moving. We had a lesson with a recent convert who took like all of our time and we then had to plan for a few lessons in the evening and all of them fell through which stunk. One did happen with a less active but it was originally supposed to be with a potential investigator but So we decided to help a family in the Ward move and that took most of the night because they had a lot of stuff with not a ton of people there but a few people from the Ward.

Thursday: we sent a bunch of former investigators in our areabook. So some previous missionaries decided to go Tracting for like forever they took members with them and then made all the people they talk to new investigators and dropped them so we have random people at are not interested and don't live there.  We had a lesson with a part member family. He kids are fairly new to the gospel but they are kindof getting burnt out and so we are trying to keep them excited and learning more but since they are young it's hard. Their dad is on fire with the gospel though.  

Friday: I'm not really sure what happened on Friday haha. We had weekly planning and got sent out to eat with two other elders because I hit my 18th month mark so we celebrated! I'm no longer a sister missionary! Haha the new training we recieves talked a lot about planing for lessons so if we have a lesson we will sit and plan for a lot longer than usual. So it takes a lot longer but we are much more prepared for lessons and usually aren't just winging it because we have set aside time on what we are going to say etc. it's kindof what Christ came to the Americas... Do you think he just winged what he was going to say or do you think he chose his words very carefully! 

Saturday: we had a lesson in the morning with one of our investigators and we keep like pounding it in his head that if he knows the Book of Mormon is true then it's like a domino effect but he just is like no I think I'm set in my ways. He's just such a nice guy he just needs a little motivation and he could see so many blessings! After it was a day of service! We helped out at the community carnival where we handed out food to people who are in need. It was kindof annoying to see people who somehow qualify and role up in super nice cars... But we saw our investigator who we have a hard time meeting with and we were able to see her and set up a time to have a lesson on Tuesday!  Then we had the Ward Party where we dressed up as Roman soldiers and were the guards to let everyone in haha! I have picture! Then we went back to the carnival and took things down! 

Sunday: we had church and I actually spoke in sacrament meeting! I spoke on missionary work Duhh haha it was probably one of my best talks ever! I didn't need to look at notes or anything! We then had a lesson with another investigator who we tracted into. He said if he found out it was true he would be baptized! Then the other miracle was we contacted another potential who was actually crying because she was having a hard time so it was perfect! Not that she was upset but that the lord prepared her and we were in the right place at the right time! After we got one of our members sons a tie because it was his birthday and he loves missionaries! We signed it and made him an honorary missionary!  After we planned for zone meeting and then planned out a white elephant gift exchange tomorrow! 

Well gotta go! That was my week! If only I could just skype every week and then I could tell so much more! Haha i hope you have a merry Christmas! Can't wait to skype you guys on Friday! You will see the amazing beard I can grow now... Jk I can't grow facial hair! Love you guys! 

Love, 

Elder Hemsley