November 22, 2010

Dear Home,

 

This has been an extra-blessed week. I don't know who prayed for me after they heard about my 'I don't have any food' situation last week, but this week we have had A LOT of meal appointments.

 

Towards the start of the week, we had dinner with a member who had us sing Christmas carols afterwards. I really enjoyed that. =) One thing I absolutely love about the Christmas season is that you're justified in singing Christmas Hymns. They're beautiful, and they have beautiful messages, too. ^^ Wise men still seek Him, This season and Always.

 

By the way, in case any of you are wondering 'What happened to Thanksgiving?' In Canada, they celebrate Thanksgiving in mid-October, so after Halloween, the next major holiday is Christmas, so everyone around here is getting all Christmassy now. ^^ I love it. ^^

 

On Wednesday, we had dinner with members who were going to feed the missionaries in their area, but those missionaries had a schedual conflict (another family was already feeding them that night), so the members fed us instead. The members here are SO nice! I wonder if the nearby Temple has anything to do with that...

 

On Thursday, we were fed by those members I told you about last week. The ones who take us out to eat at a restaurant, but it was cut short because we had an appointment to help a member move some couches and other things to a local thrift store.

 

One thing that we've been doing a lot this week besides eating with members was service. Snow + Shovels = Fun (for us, at least). In fact, this Saturday, there was a baptism that we could've gone to, but we were helping some members more some of there things into storage. Afterwards, they took us out to dinner. That has Tuesday, Wednesday, Thurdsay and Saturday accounted for so far.

 

On Friday, we were fed by a family whose home reminded me a lot about the way our home was when I left. One of the children who live there met me for the first time the Sunday prior to that dinner appointment and told me that my hair was 'cool'. Later, a different member (who fed us lunch today, by the way) told me that I could easily make myself look like Carrot Top. You know what that told me? I gave myself a haircut Friday night. Actually, Elder Higginson gave me a haircut, because I had him help me with the back hairline, but he ended up doing lots of trimming and tappering for me, so now my hair looks great! =)

 

Saturday, we didn't have any plans to eat with anyone, but we did have plans to help a member move stuff, and that member took us out to dinner. I already told you that.

On Sunday (almost done), a mamber of the mission presidency, President Noblet (pronounced No Blay (It's French)) fed us and 6 other misionaries (8 total) a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner, in honor of American Thanksgiving, which is this Thursday. After the dinner and desert (pumpkin pie), Sister Noblet suggested that we go around the table and talk about things we're thankful for. Most people refferenced their families or the gospel. I said I was grateful for our capacity to shovel snow. One of the sister missionaries, Sister Reid said that she was grateful for music. That was a good answer, in my opinion.

 

That was yesterday.

 

Today, we had lunch with a member that was considered less-active until he decided to come back to church. We met him a few days after he had made that decision. Coincidence? Anyhow, he's looking into getting a Home Teaching route and a calling pretty soon. =) For medical reasons, his church attendance is limited, but he has a LOT of motivation to become as active as he can be. That's a good thing. =)

 

Anyhow, we've got to go. We've got a dinner appointment in 20 minutes and we haven't even grocery-shopped yet! I don't know if we're going to be able to shop, but we've hardly touched our food this week, so we should be okay either way.

 

Love, your well-fed missionary, Elder Andrew Robarts