Merry Christmas Week

One of Megan's ward members sent us this picture today with this note: "Monday night is Texans night at Firehouse Subs. :) We love your daughter!"  Good to know she is being well loved and taken care of. :)

Hey y'all!

Merry Christmas week!  I am SO excited to celebrate!  Between the two of us, I think Sister Ostvig and I have a total of 4 countdowns... yep, we're excited.  :)  We're spending most of the day with the couple that we live with and all their kids and grandkids - it'll be a full house and tons of fun. :)  I love Christmas!

It has been a busy week here.  The elders have officially taken over Fairfield, so now we're just over the Cypress Lakes ward.  Kind of bitter sweet - It's sad to say bye to the members and investigators that we know and love, but at the same time it is going to be good to be able to focus all our time and energies on one area so we can make sure that no one falls through the cracks.  We're doing everything we can to make sure the Elders have everything they need to make this a smooth transition.  It helped that the Fieldings came to church (yay!) so we could introduce them to the elders and they could get to know each other a bit before their teaching appointment this Tuesday.  

Because Christmas is the busiest time of year for most people, a lot of our investigators have found they don't have time to talk about Christ... how ironic... :/  But we're staying busy.  We're talking to everyone we see and inviting them to Discover the Gift.  That's a good thing about the Christmas season here in Texas - everyone is willing to listen to a good Christmas message.  Even if they're not Christian.  We've run into quite a few Buddhists who are busy setting up their Christmas decorations who will listen to us and wish us a Merry Christmas as we leave.  Gotta love the spirit of Christmas. :)  

We have been able to spend a lot of time with our recent converts this week - at least they don't think they're too busy for us. :)  We had a lesson with Alice, and she took us out to dinner one night.  I absolutely love that woman. :)  And during Gospel Principles class yesterday both Alice and John had a lot of good comments to make.  It is SO amazing to watch them progress in their conversions!  

The highlight of the week was being able to go to the Temple with John and his family to do baptisms!  It was such a spiritual experience for all of us.  I LOVE the temple, and it made me SO happy to be able to bring one of my converts there.  This is what it's all about - baptism is an important step but even more important is the temple.  Their family is looking forward to a year from now when they will be able to be sealed as a family for eternity!! :D

We also had a Christmas conference where everyone from the mission gathered together to celebrate our Saviors birth.  It was a great day full of thoughts of Christ.  I was asked to bear my testimony (all of the missionaries who are leaving this transfer were) and it was an amazing experience for me to see just how much my testimony has grown.  I know and love my Savior and I am SO grateful for His atoning sacrifice.  It is because of Him that we can change and become better - become the person that our Heavenly Father knows we can be.  I know that He lives.  And I know that He loves us.  I am SO grateful for this opportunity that I have had to learn of Him and come to know Him in a way that I don't think I would have been able to anywhere else.  I know that this is His church and His work.  And with Him we cannot fail.

I love y'all!  Merry Christmas!

Sister Ririe

Luke 2:11

sorry, my camera is being funny again... :/  Look forward to pictures next week!