I love you all sooo much! And I'm so excited for Christmas! There is so much excitement! So let me play it out for you because I know you are all curious. Sooo my wonderful trio who I miss very much, we drove to transfer meeting Wednesday morning. They had asked me to play piano so I played prelude, the hymns, and how transfer meeting goes is, you sing, you pray, and then they announce who will give a S.T.E.P.P. Talk. (Which is a talk that has a scripture, a testimony, a personal experience, a promise and something from Preach My Gospel.) Each month the topics change and at any mission meeting you could be called to give it.
So as I was walking down from the podium they were announcing who would give testimonies on our purpose; usually two people do. And then they announce two people who will give talks on our S.T.E.P.P. topic. And what do you know: they say MY name last for the STEPP talk. I seem to always be picked. This month the topic is on the Atonement, which has applied a lot in my life recently. So it was a very emotional talk for me; I'm definitely inheriting Mom's genes! (Thanks Mom!) :) But I felt good about it. Then transfers started and all of a sudden I hear my name to be companions with SISTER PILKINGTON!!!!!!!!!! She was one of my past Sister Training Leaders, and GUESS WHAT?!?! I'M A SISTER TRAINING LEADER WITH HER!!!! AHHHHH!!!!! So weird, and a little scary.
So what that is, is we are over five companionships of English speaking sisters in the mission. We go on exchanges with them, we help them improve and just be the best missionaries we can be! I'm pretty excited. We also go to a lot of meetings with President now and all the Zone Leaders, so that will be weird!!! But I'm so excited and honored to have this opportunity. AND GUESS WHAT?!?!? There are two sets of Sister Training Leaders--the ones that used to be over me, which includes my trainer Sister Stewart. I love her!!! And she was getting a new companion as well, and guess who it is???? SISTER CARLSON!!!!!!! I FREAKED out!!! When President Schmitt announced it I was so excited that my MTC companion will be with my trainer!! Crazy stuff. So we will get to see each other a lot at different meetings and such! So excited! Transfers were SO good. And my international trio is still in a trio, with a new Sister, Sister Guest! They should be GREAT together!
BUT... let me tell you about Sister Pilkington! SHE'S SO FUNNY!!! She's my first companion from Utah, and guess what part? AMERICAN FORK!!! How crazy!! AND SHE KNOWS THE PARSONS!!! AHHH!!! She's in their stake. But she only has two transfers left, so I might be her last companion......Sad. But she's SO cool! She has a twin brother! And she's 20 years old! Pretty much the best.
And she had a baptism on the next day we were companions! Pretty sweet! I got to teach him the day we became companions and guess how they found him? So he had read the script for The Book of Mormon musical and listened to the album, and was like, "I want one of these Book of Mormons." But he didn't want to pay for it so he ordered it for free through us! And my companions and her companions went over and asked if they could teach him about it and he said yes! And now he's a member of the church. Pretty cool. This area is on fire! Sister Pilkington also makes me laugh. A LOT. She reminds me a lot of my sisters, same humor, but not as cruel, because she's a missionary. :)
There is also an investigator getting baptized THIS Saturday! The day after Christmas! :) I've been able to teach him twice. His name is Anthony. And he is so prepared! Ready to make this lifelong commitment! He had his baptismal interview yesterday and he passed! YIPPEEEE!!! Also we got to teach an older returning less active. He's 80 years old and he was sustained to receive the priesthood on Sunday. So sweet. The Lord never gives up, and it is never too late! I love this church. :)
Oh, by the way, I am in Santee! It's right next to El Cajon!!!!
We double cover a family ward, Grossmont, and a YSA branch! It seems I cannot escape YSA, which is not a bad thing because I LOVE YSA!!! And I love double covering! This will be SO fun!!! :)
Jake's baptism was GREAT! They had me play piano, and quite a few people showed up considering it was a 10:00 am Thursday baptismal service! I was quite impressed.
Jake's baptism
But Jake is YSA, so I guess YSAs are more flexible. :) And it's been quite chilly which is rather weird. We also tried tracking people who had nativities in front of their houses that day--SUPER nice, but SUPER not interested. It was good times. Sister P literally ran to someone across the road, down the hill, it was quite funny, but we did get to show him A Savior is Born! Unfortunately he's not interested. Ah shucks.Then Friday morning we got to go to a food bank! We just helped package things up for people. We also met this old woman who is from Jerusalem. Apparently she has met with missionaries before! Her name is Lydia and she really wants us to come over. She kept saying how much she loved us! She's so sweet! One time she even came up behind Sister P and just gave her a big hug. It was so cute and so funny! :) But it felt good to serve those people, and all the volunteers know who we are! It's awesome. We then had zone meeting. It went well. There were donuts so that always makes for a great meeting! Also, people in San Diego DECK OUT in Christmas decorations. It's pretty great. There's this one street where when you move on it, it's in the contract that you have to DECK OUT at Christmas. People have themes to these houses; the nutcracker, monsters inc, beauty and the beast, Peter Pan, it's legit!
We have two members that live on that road so our zone just stood in front of their house and sang Christmas hymns. We sounded good! Harmonies and everything! And some of the missionaries were giving out A Savior is Born cards to EVERYONE!!! It was awesome. They even gave out a couple of Book of Mormons. And people stopped and listened to us, recorded us, and one little girl even sang Silent Night with us! So cute! But THOUSANDS of people walk through, it's that legit! And we got to do it two nights in a row.
the zone caroling
Saturday morning we had a Grossmont Christmas party, for the family ward. We had breakfast and a bunch of service projects, in the church and out in the community. We got to help wrap gifts for a family in need. SO FUN! And I love being around little kids again. Perk of being in Santee we are SURROUNDED by Senior Missionary couples. One lives below us. Mom, you actually got an email from the one that lives below us. They are the Tanners and they had us over for lunch on Saturday.
Lunch at the Tanners
So sweet! And so good, I felt so healthy! Eating my carrots and grapes. :) Sister Tanner was also so sweet and made us Christmas pillow cases! She's the best! And we also have another Senior couple in the YSA branch who lives in our apartment complex, the Monks! They are the best! We also got to meet with another investigator Eddie, a YSA, and the Monks came! Super cool lesson about real intent in the Book of Mormon. He has a baptismal date for January 2nd! SO PUMPED! Sunday was great, no sleeping in because Grossmont ward council is at 7:30am!!! Good times. So we both went to Sacrament meeting for Grossmont at 9:00 am. Sister P sneaked out while I went on splits with a member. Sister P went to YSA Branch council and then we went to Sunday School and Relief Society with our investigator Vanessa! She's Mexican but looks super American. Really confusing. And GUESS WHAT! One of my favorite Mormon Messages is called Expressions of Love. Look it up. It's the one with a bunch of couples and the purple couple that talks about how they have a lot of fun together and how it only makes sense that they would be together forever.... THEY ARE IN MY WARD!!! It's crazy. They are sort of like celebrities, and the sister taught the Relief Society lesson so that was fun. :)I then sneaked into the end of Santee YSA Sacrament meeting. And then had two more hours of church! Woohoo! And guess what? A guy Sister P had street contacted in the past and invited to church actually CAME! His name is Julio, but again super American, weird. But awesome! We taught him after church and added him! He then came to Family Home Evening the next day! So cool. He's quiet but awesome! We also saw a 17 year old investigator Sunday and Monday night. She lives in a hard home, she also lives with a recent convert; he's nine, so cute! And one of the lessons he was the member present! He was telling her about his baptism and how much he loved it! :)
She wants to be baptized on January 23rd! It's legit! So pumped for all these people to come closer to Christ!
Then yesterday was really fun because we had a Mission Christmas Devotional. It's where the whole mission gathers together. We enjoyed special musical numbers, remarks from our mission president and his wife, they fed us brunch, gave us Christmas cards, and we got to see old friends and companions! That was one of my favorite parts. :)
two of the original trio
In the Christmas program I got to play the piano. It was fun and I love using my talent! Hard to find time to practice but worth it! Did you know this mission has a facebook page? Well check it out because President Schmitt took a panorama of us. I'm at the very end near the piano. And also he recorded us singing the mission song, it's legit! And I'm playing the piano! Ignore all the mistakes..... I'll work on it. :)We then also got to see a slideshow of all the pictures of the baptisms that happened in 2015, and the people that went to the Temple for the first time! So it was fun to see Taylor, Arthur and Eli up there! :)
I love Christmas.
I love my Savior.
I'm so happy I get to give Him my heart this year, and that I can devote all my time and attention to this work. That's what I'm giving him this year. What are you giving him?
I LOVE YOU ALL!!! And I hope you have the BEST Christmas EVER!
Love,
Sister Whitcomb
All of Sister P's (in the middle in red blouse) companions that are still in the mission
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