Week #11 It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Tuesday:

This week started out with a lot of lessons so that was really good. We met that amazing family of 6 I've been talking about and extended an invitation to be baptized and asked them to pray about it. I'll keep you updated.

Wednesday:

We wanted to get more lessons with members this week as a goal so we met up with our friend Johana for 6 lessons back to back today. She's preparing for her mission and has already received her call to Ghana so she's very excited. Turns out every lesson fell through so we ended up doing a lot of finding with her, so at least she knows how to find now haha. Bit of a long day today but still found some new friends so it was good nonetheless. We met with a couple of prospective/ preparing missionaries in our ward today, Sigfried and Queeny. We met all together and introduced ourselves and what we like to do etc etc. and then of course shared a short spiritual message. We've met with them a few more times since and they seem really awesome. We're still trying to build our ward relationship since we are still relatively new.

Thursday: 

Walvis Bay day! Elder Tolbert and I met again with a lady that we met last week in Walvis but this time she brought a friend, I can't remember his name. We had a good lesson about the introduction of the Book of Mormon and he seems very interested and keen to learn more. Then we went to a couple of lessons with the Sisters as they're leaving next week so they're introducing us to all the people they've been teaching. We go to Sister Tikis house every time we go to Walvis and she is so funny so we always have a good lesson with her. Once we got back to Swak Tolbert and I went to another member family's house and talked with them for a while and had some fun. They also seem like a great family. The people here are so awesome and very kind so it's been great.

Friday:

DECEMBER 1ST!!! We started our day meeting with Edna's family and we talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ. We followed up the great lesson with Fork N' Nice and then headed over to the beach to help the Sisters prepare for a youth activity. We hid some stuff for a scavenger hunt and then watched some African dancers while we waited for the youth to come. They were from the Himba tribe and they had very little clothes on and some even had none. The ones that did also had maracas on their ankles and when they danced and stomped their feet it made the beat, it was very cool. Once the youth arrived we started the hunt. It was very fun and the youth really enjoyed it so I'd say it was a success. And they each got a chocolate bar so who could complain? We ended the night by doing an emergency run over to the Sister's flat because they thought someone was in their garage. We looked around with a member and didn't see anyone but just to be safe the Sisters still went and slept in our chapel across the street from their flat.

Saturday:

Not much happened today but it felt forever long. We began setting up for a Kindergarten graduation at 12:30. It was in a random church building made of wood pallet walls and a sewn together maize meal bag roof, it was pretty cool looking. We cleaned the chairs, the floor, we hung streamers, balloons, banners, set up a snack table for the graduates, and helped them get into their cap n gowns. Finally of course we had the graduation, but that went all the way until 6:30. The kids were very cute and sang some songs, recited the birth of Jesus and much more. We and the Sisters were starving by the end of it so we hurried over to the Katjojos and they fed us Pap and beef stew. On our way home for the night we saw a house with Christmas lights so we had to stop to take photos and the owner came out and said Merry Christmas! So that made our night.

Sunday:

It was fast Sunday today so we were all starving today and one of the members of the ward cooked some cakes for a member's birthday. Everyone was eating it after church except us because we were going to fast until 8PM. It was a little bit of torture but we made it through. After church, all but one of our lessons fell through but it worked out because we went with the Sisters to all of their lessons as they're handing off the people they've been teaching. At the end of the night we met at the chapel for our weekly missionary dinner and the Sisters cooked stir fry and some curry a member gave us. We all devoured it so quickly and then I even had a huge bowl of honey nut Cheerios when I got home. I slept like a baby that night.

Monday:

We started the P-Day out by getting all of our groceries and some ingredients for cookies. After we dropped them off at our flat we went to an ice cream shop so the Sisters and Tolbert could say bye to Leticia as she is leaving for the holidays and won't be back until after they leave. It was a good little goodbye and I'll never say no to ice cream. Afterward, Elder Tolbert and I went to the outdoor basketball courts and met a member there. We played some pick up with a bunch of kids that were there around our age. We played full court 5's, half court 3's, PIG, and 21. It was so much fun, I feel like I haven't played in forever. After that, we went to the chapel for the Monday night devotional with the sisters and then we went home. Before bed, we made snickerdoodles which turned out great so we'll be snacking on those for a few days.

Spiritual thought:

In my last email, I talked about "love notes" from God as we learned in our devotional. Well, we had one this week when we were driving between our Monday night devotional and on our way home. All week we have been talking about how we just want to hear Christmas Music, specifically Mariah Carrey's- All I Want For Christmas, as we have very very limited access to what we can listen to. Well, on our way home we saw a huge light-up tree and people standing all around it. Of course, we had to pull over and just as we were walking up, the song switched from jingle bells to All I Want for Christmas by Mariah Carrey! Even though it was something as stupid as that, that's what Elder Tolbert and I needed

God truly does love us and knows what we need. He knows everything about us and has a plan for us as long as we follow him and the example of our Savior Jesus Christ. When we follow them we can have so much more joy in this life but an infinite amount more in the life to come.

Scripture of the Week:

John 3:16

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Conclusion:

I hope you're all enjoying this December and preparing for the best time of year, Christmas. As the Christmas season is going, remember to Light the World, however that is. I love you all and appreciate all the emails and messages that you have sent me. 

Merry Christmas!

Elder Miller

*no picutes this week because there is a mission wide issue with google photos at the moment