The Week Where it was Christmas‏

On this week's episode of Sister Cale in Columbus-the sisters got to
go to the mission Christmas Devotional (party), the Sisters were two
of the four Wise Women for the nativity scene that their district
pulled together, the weather was unseasonably warm (like don't bother
putting on a jacket warm, you'll be hot in your sweater warm), the
Sisters tried warm egg nog for the first time (delicious), the Ward
basically adopted the Sisters and made sure that they had the ultimate
missionary Christmas, the sisters baked cookies, new investigators
were found, and there was much joy in the land.

Hello Loves,

Happy New Year! (In a few days obviously, but you've got to work with
me, because if I wait until next Monday it will be several days into
the New Year, and since I hate being late I decided it would be better
to be early). This week was easily the weirdest missionary week that I
have experienced. Between having the Mission Christmas Devotional all
day Tuesday and then trying to just do brief visits on Christmas Eve
and Christmas, I feel like we sort of had three p-days. It was super
fun, and totally weird.

One of the coolest things for me this past week happened at the
Christmas Devotional. I love the Spirit so much. We were sitting in
the portion of the meeting where there were about a million musical
numbers and we had watched the mission year slideshow. President
Daines was talking about something or other...I honestly don't
remember what...when the spirit finished piecing together an answer
that I have been looking for pretty much since deciding to go on a
mission. I had seen so many people come back from missions so
different from who they were before and I had wondered if I would like
who I was when all was said and done. Obviously I still came and I did
everything I could not to resist changing, knowing that God must have
better plans for me than what I would want for myself. While I sat
listening to President Daines the spirit very calmly taught me that
when we use the Atonement of Jesus Christ to change, we need not fear
the change because we are in fact becoming exactly who God always
intended for us to be. That peace was a pretty remarkable Christmas
present from my Father in Heaven.

Christmas Eve morning we got to bake cookies with Jill and watch the
social media Christmas videos that were associated with
#ASaviorisBorn. We made sugar cookies and miracle cookie bars. I'm
really excited. We're going to be starting a Book of Mormon and Bible
Study with Jill. It will probably include some kind of art journaling,
because she loves crafts. We delivered some cookies and then it was
time for dinner with the Browns. They spoiled us and fed us surf and
turf. It was super delicious. I had a fun time talking with Katie and
Audrey. Audrey is eleven and her siblings kept teasing her that she
wasn't going to get the gift that she had asked for. For whatever
reason that reminded me of the year that Alex had the nightmare that
she got all Sponge Bob presents for Christmas. The Brownings invited
us to end our evening with them. We read The Christmas Story from Luke
2 by Menorah light and then read other scriptures about the Savior. I
thought it was the perfect way to spend my Christmas Eve. Of course
when I got home, I then got to read the Christmas Heart Stories. I
love the Christmas Heart Stories so much. They might just be my
favorite Christmas Tradition.

Christmas morning we filled the floor with wrapping paper and giggled
over the joy of opening gifts. It was fun, but I definitely missed out
on watching the reactions of people as they opened the perfectly
planned gifts that I had chosen for them. I spent some time reading
The Living Christ and then colored because Mom and Dad sent me adult
coloring books and pencils. My parents, they really just know me. We
spent some time with the Lewis Family in the morning and then we went
to the Lynch's so we could Skype home. Talking to the family was the
best part of Christmas. It's weird to be a tri-state family and it was
incredibly odd to be away from my family on Christmas, but through the
miracle of modern technology I was able to have Ethan show me a magic
trick (I still have no idea how that worked) and was able to laugh
with them. I called Tiny after because we couldn't figure out how to
three-way Skype. After the Lynch's we went to the Coulter's for a
Christmas Lunch/Dinner and then we went and saw one of our
investigator's Sandra. After Sandra we stopped by the Kurtz's, because
we had promised Callie and DJ that we would come see them on
Christmas. Callie gave Sister Clark and I makeovers and DJ showed us
his awesome Lego police station. And then the day was over.

I am so profoundly grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and for his
birth, which went by largely unnoticed. His life is what makes my life
possible. Without him I could not become who I was always meant to be
and I couldn't return to my heavenly home. This Christmas season has
been miraculous and I hope that as we continue to seek out those who
are prepared to receive the gospel that we will find ways to remind
them that Christ is the reason for every season, not just the holiday
one.

The Church is true, life is good, God's in charge, and Satan hates you.

Love,

Jessica