What a slow week. We did a lot of work with helping to find people to help fellowship investigators and to help us get things done but all of our investigators decide that this week was too busy for them and that they needed to cancel or to reschedule for another time after the holidays. It was so sad.
This week though I had a cool inspirational testimony builder. So we have this lady we know, who was less active and now is back in church every week and has a calling. Her 2 daughters are not members and neither is her husband but all 3 of them sort of investigate the church. We go over once or twice a week to teach them and read scriptures with them. Every day we do she asks us if we found a bunk bed for her. She asked us a few weeks ago to help her find one because her 4 year old and her 10 year old share a bed that sits on the ground. We totally slacked off on it every week and forgot.
The other day we were having dinner with this really nice family. We shared a scripture and were talking about faith and how we can build our own. Somehow the thought kind of popped into my mind to ask if they had a bunk bed. I ignored it and kept teaching because I thought that wasn't the right time. Apparently Elder Gomes got the same thought but he decided to ask! They didn't have one... but they said Deseret Industries (DI) might. It was the day before Christmas Eve and they thought that it might have closed already. They called and DI was open and had one. The family thought it was a reasonable price and wanted to go buy it for the family if we would bring it to them in our truck. The family wanted it to be an anonymous gift. They told us that they had been looking for a family that they could help out this time of year and be generous. I thought that this family was so nice to a family they don't even know! Well, we get to DI and she spent $600 on a brand new bunk bed, mattresses and new sheets for this family. I was so grateful for their generosity and we continually thanked them because she wouldn't let us keep asking around so she didn't have to pay so much. She told us it was no problem. When we dropped off the bunk bed the family was over joyous with our find for them and they said it made their Christmas because they didn't have a lot to give the kids. Their little 4 year old boy was jumping around the house yelling "I get my own BED! I get my own BED!" It was so cute. I realized that day that Christmas time really is when people open their hearts to others and want to give to those in need. I also know that the spirit prompted us to ask for the bed, and when we did we were blessed for following that prompting.
Christmas was great. We had a wonderful evening on Christmas Eve with our area missionaries and the mission President. We were each given a nice bag with a couple of ties in them, 4-5 gift cards to stores and restaurants in our area, a Tide to go pen and a few other small things. These were all donated by members in our mission, we are extremely grateful for this mission. We received our letters from our parents and we got to choose to watch either "Polar Express" or "It's a Wonderful Life." I chose Polar Express. :)
Thank you to all of you who sent me a card or a little something. I appreciate it so much. It has helped me a great deal to know I have so much support at home. I wish I could write you each a letter personally back but I don't have time. :(
Love,
Elder Willis
We were able to talk with Brian Christmas morning! He sounds wonderful. He has been truly blessed on his mission and watched over by many of the various ward members they come in contact with. He was scheduled to have 2 brunches and ward member homes, an early dinner at the mission presidents home and a dinner with another family that evening. All those meals along with the stops they made with other families during the day. He and Elder Gomes were quite full and sent home with lots of food.
It was hard not to have him home this year for the holidays but we know he is doing what he should be at this time in his life. He had been given permission to visit the Walter's home on Christmas day. Since they just moved from up here to Utah, and in his mission area, we were very excited that he would get to see someone he knew during this first Christmas away from home. We are so blessed with the friends we have.
Many thanks to the Walters family for opening up their home to Brian and his companion! And a special thanks to Michelle for giving him a mother's hug that I wasn't able to this year.
Becki and Brian
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