Hi.

Before I forget....i get to skype next weeeeeekkkkkkk!!!!! ahhhhhh yayayayyaayay. so here's about all the specifics i know. (oh and ps. get ready, because i'm 95% positive i'm about to move, so i may be a bit bummed next week...just because i know i'm gonna miss this place like crazy.) anyway, it will be Wednesday morning for me, so Tuesday night for you? Which is your Christmas Eve right? sorry to pull you away from all the festivities. i'm not actually sure what time exactly, because it might depend on my new companion too. i would plan on anywhere from 6-9pm...sorry i know that's not specific. if i remember right, by skype name is emily.steele6. What skype name should i look for?? hopefully i'll be able to send a quick email right before. can't wait!!

Every day of this week was good, and I'm so thankful to be a missionary. On Tuesday we talked to one of our investigators from English class. She's a mom with 2 little boys, who works ALL time, while trying to take care of her sick mom too. Her husband died 10 years ago, so she's a single mom. She works a lot, and hasn't been able to come to church yet. She's basically one of those investigators that's already Mormon, and if she could just come to church, she'd be baptized right away. She actually reminds me a lot of you, mom. On Tuesday she told us that she asked for a day off on the 29th, and she knew exactly what she was going to do with her day off...come to church! She wants her 2 boys to be missionaries when they are older, and she is so excited to be a member of the church one day. So that was our miracle for Tuesday. On Wednesday we rode our bikes to Joho. Yeah I should have listened to Elder Ghettavong when he told me it was 'really far.' I think it was about 30+ km round-trip. We met one of our RC's out there, because she wanted to go visit members with us. She's going to be a great missionary. Then we biked another 5 km out to another RC's house. She was baptized about 2 months ago, along with her two little kids, and just found out she only has a few months left to live. She was diagnosed with cancer a while ago, and it's spread to the point where the doctors don't really know what to do anymore. On Wednesday I felt like a representative of Jesus Christ. Rather than just going through routine, checking off my 'to-do's', or racking up numbers, I really felt like I was where God wanted me to be. I know that as missionaries, we are truly 'His hands.' Although I felt so sad to see this woman in the state that she was, I could tell she wasn't in despair. She had hope. And not necessarily hope that she would experience a miraculous recovery, or that her pain would disappear, but hope that this isn't the end. I was surprised at how happy and upbeat she was, even though all she can do is lay in bed. She knows that she's found God now. She knows that she made that covenant with Him that if she is faithful, all will be well with her in His kingdom. 

I know I am here to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that's what I do every day. But in the process, I am learning so much from seeing the faith of these people. They're teaching me!

Until next time,

Sis. sTeele