Jan 22, 2013

Happy New Year - December 31, 2012 Letter

Hey there all!!

Christmas was a blast!!  It was so great to talk to my dear parents and little sis - and even some of my crazy cousins.  I love you all!!

We spent a lot of time eating on christmas.  Something that I'm getting used to again is just how much the members here like to feed us.  The food is amazing and I will miss it like crazy when I go home. 

I don't have a ton of time to write, as per usual around here.  This is the only library open around these parts and so it is BUSY which means shorter internet time.  But it's fine!  I'll try to give you a quick update on the week.

So, we had some interesting lessons this week.  Some good, some not so good.  But there's one couple that I've loved meeting with.  She's from Honduras and he's from Guatemala.  Every time we go meet with them someone else is there so it's been a good opportunity to meet lots of very receptive people.  I'm getting used to teaching people with Christian backgrounds again and it's kind of nice because most of them really do have some sort of faith and have a good starting place for the things we have to teach. 

We had our first "red dot" day on Saturday.  We had a pretty full night with appointments but we got to our 4:00 one and it had started flurrying.  By the time we got out at 5:00 there were already several inches of snow and the roads were not lookin' so good.  So, all the cars were grounded.  We went back to our apartment and may or may not have engaged in some snowball warfare with some other missionaries :)  We had a good time.  For the rest of the evening we went crazy and started cleaning and re-organizing our apartment.  It's a super cool space but had been set up super tackily so we rearranged it to open up the space a bit more and make it look cooler. I'll send pics next week of the finished product :)  It's really actually helped me to focus a lot as a missionary to have had the chance to really do a deep clean.  It makes my life in general feel a lot cleaner and free of distraction.

I've been making some new years resolutions and I'm still not sure what will make the final cut but I want this to be the year that I just start being the kind of person that I want to be.  I'm not suggesting that I'm dissatisfied with myself the way I am, but I have really wanted to master the technique of living in a way that I can truly become the person I have striven all my life to be.  That is the goal :)  Now I just need to make some plans and work hard to be better!

I was listening to a great talk this morning by Elder Bednar about the difference between having a testimony and being converted.  I loved learning about them both and how they relate to each other.  I realized that I've actually seen that disconnect a lot.  It's honestly why a lot of people fall away from the church.  They receive a testimony of the gospel, but they don't actually become converted to it.  Kind of a problem.  It's the conversion that we must receive and must work towards in order to firm and immovable amid temptation and adversity. 

I'm excited for the new year.  It will be a year full of change and excitement.  May yours be full of love and peace and joy in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I LOVE YOU!!!
Sister Palmer

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