Merry Christmas !
Luke 2:10-14
"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
it is an amazing blessing to be a missionary at this time of year. being able to share the message of Jesus Christ and have people be more open and receptive to the Spirit is beautiful. it is because 'tis the season !
this season not only brings great JOY but it also brings ALOT of SNOW ! Wisconsin is BREAKING RECORDS. they have never had this MUCH SNOW and its never been this COLD this early in December. welcome to Wisconsin Sister Warner .. that's what everyone tells me ! it truly is beautiful to LOOK at .. just not be in !
yesterday was an interesting Sabbath day. our ZL's and us went out and shoveled investigators/less actives walks/driveways at 7am ! we wanted to make sure they could come to church ! as we finished the driveway of the Trujillo family we got in our cars to go to the next house .. just as we left we get a call from Bishop Huzzey telling us church had been CANCELLED .. the temperature outside was -25degrees and the roads weren't plowed ! well that DIDN'T stop the missionaries .. we continued to shovel a few more walks/driveways and then went to our WML house [Robertson's] for some breakfast ! brother Robertson [wml - ward mission leader] got permission from Bishop Huzzey to hold a Sacrament Meeting in the Robertson home. it was so powerful and humbling. we had a mini lesson on the Christmas spirit and then our ZL's blessed and passed the Sacrament to the 15 of us that were present. being able to partake of the Sacrament in the Robertson home reminded me of how IMPORTANT the Sacrament really is. i also loved being directly blessed from the priesthood holders that were able to perform the ordinance with the correct authority. after the Sacrament we all went around and bore our testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ .. brother robertson said it best when he said "its the glue that binds us all together and it is everlasting happiness." i agree .. 100%
we also had a fun time at the robertsons doing our own type of POLAR PLUNGE ! [marmie dont get mad @ me ! i didnt get frostbite !] we all [except s.black and s. robertson] ran outside BAREFOOT in the backyard .. we went out the back door around the shed and back ! the snow came over the top of my knees and my feet were insanely NUMB .. it was SO fun though ! of course we didnt learn the first time around so we did it a SECOND time but this time we went out the front door .. hopped the fence to the backyard around the shed and in the back door .. OH MY .. i should have learned the FIRST time .. haha .. it was great fun for us all and none of us have frostbite ! did i mention is was -25degrees outside !
i also got STUCK for the first time in the snow .. luckily it was AT the robertsons and the ZL's had to shovel the malibu out !
yesterday was a great way to end another wonderful week of missionary work !
Luke 2:10-14
"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
it is an amazing blessing to be a missionary at this time of year. being able to share the message of Jesus Christ and have people be more open and receptive to the Spirit is beautiful. it is because 'tis the season !
this season not only brings great JOY but it also brings ALOT of SNOW ! Wisconsin is BREAKING RECORDS. they have never had this MUCH SNOW and its never been this COLD this early in December. welcome to Wisconsin Sister Warner .. that's what everyone tells me ! it truly is beautiful to LOOK at .. just not be in !
yesterday was an interesting Sabbath day. our ZL's and us went out and shoveled investigators/less actives walks/driveways at 7am ! we wanted to make sure they could come to church ! as we finished the driveway of the Trujillo family we got in our cars to go to the next house .. just as we left we get a call from Bishop Huzzey telling us church had been CANCELLED .. the temperature outside was -25degrees and the roads weren't plowed ! well that DIDN'T stop the missionaries .. we continued to shovel a few more walks/driveways and then went to our WML house [Robertson's] for some breakfast ! brother Robertson [wml - ward mission leader] got permission from Bishop Huzzey to hold a Sacrament Meeting in the Robertson home. it was so powerful and humbling. we had a mini lesson on the Christmas spirit and then our ZL's blessed and passed the Sacrament to the 15 of us that were present. being able to partake of the Sacrament in the Robertson home reminded me of how IMPORTANT the Sacrament really is. i also loved being directly blessed from the priesthood holders that were able to perform the ordinance with the correct authority. after the Sacrament we all went around and bore our testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ .. brother robertson said it best when he said "its the glue that binds us all together and it is everlasting happiness." i agree .. 100%
we also had a fun time at the robertsons doing our own type of POLAR PLUNGE ! [marmie dont get mad @ me ! i didnt get frostbite !] we all [except s.black and s. robertson] ran outside BAREFOOT in the backyard .. we went out the back door around the shed and back ! the snow came over the top of my knees and my feet were insanely NUMB .. it was SO fun though ! of course we didnt learn the first time around so we did it a SECOND time but this time we went out the front door .. hopped the fence to the backyard around the shed and in the back door .. OH MY .. i should have learned the FIRST time .. haha .. it was great fun for us all and none of us have frostbite ! did i mention is was -25degrees outside !
i also got STUCK for the first time in the snow .. luckily it was AT the robertsons and the ZL's had to shovel the malibu out !
yesterday was a great way to end another wonderful week of missionary work !
we had a night with corry, the adrus twins and sister carlruh to make their famous christmas cookies and enjoy this holiday season. CORRY is doing amazing .. we are in the process of planning her baptism .. she is still nervous but so excited ! those cookies turned out pretty good too !we did a service for the salvation army where we helped them pick out toys for their families from the salvation army, we got to talk to a lot of people ! when we were doing this service my mind kept turning to what Christmas is really about .. its not about the toys of presents .. its about the love and service we do for others .. that is why i love being a missionary !
i also want everyone to know .. i can shovel snow in a skirt ! its quite an attempt but i can def do it ! we helped out the Ribbens family by shoveling their HUGE driveway .. poor joey was doing it all on his own on his birthday .. s.black and i showed up at the right time to help him out ! joey also had the amazing idea to do the neighbors walk too .. as we were in the process of doing the neighbors they came home and we were able to talk to TODD about being a missionary and the Gospel ! i love the Ribbens family .. Jeni is still recovering from the accident .. her leg is still insanely bruised and she has to wait till her patella heals to have surgery on her ACL .. BUT she is so ever happy and so positive !
we had a lesson with some women in the GB1st ward and we read this short book by Thomas S. Monson "In Search of the Christmas Spirit" its a wonderful book and in it he quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson "rings and jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts. the only gift is a portion of thyself." i love this quote !
we had an amazing lesson with the TRUJILLO family on Christ coming to the Americas .. it was powerful. the girls had really good questions and you can tell they are searching and enjoying what we are teaching them. brother robertson came with us and the robertson family is actually doing the 12days of Christmas to them and s.black and i had to run and ding dong ditch them the other night with a bag of oranges. it was fun !
we had a night at the HUNTLEY home .. jacob was home for the holidays so i enjoyed giving him a hard time about scoring a touchdown on him at the Turkey Bowl last month ! we played catch phrase with them .. the missionaries against the huntleys and s.black gave the clue of "follow the .." and of course the ZL's and i yelled out THE PROPHET ! it was a good time had by all.
we went to visit DIANE ANTHONY and everything came crashing down on her this week .. she lost her job .. her auntie died and her housing is on the rocks .. it was really hard for her to see the good in the midst of so much trouble. we shared with her more about joseph smith and the trials he faced .. we read with her :
Doctrine & Covenants 122:7-8
"And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?"
we also shared with her :
Alma 7:11-12
"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."
it was amazing to see her countenance change as we read these scriptures with her .. she felt more at peace and she is going to Milwaukee and then Detroit for the holidays and she is bringing the BofM along with her !
Jed Robertson was baptized with weekend .. he turned 8 and it was amazing to see him SO excited and enthusiastic about his decision to become a member of the LDS church. my thoughts turned to my little brother SOLOMON who will get to make that decision in just a little over a year ! and how excited i am b.c. i will get to be HOME for it ! i love you sol !
CORRY also came to jeds baptism which made her a little more nervous but calm at the same time !
there is this movie that we watched yesterday called THE FOURTH WISE MAN .. find it .. i dont think its church sponsored but its about this other wise man who searches his whole life to find the Savior and as he is he is stopping along the way to help people, everyone .. who in turn make him just a second to late to find Jesus .. its when Jesus is crucified on the cross that he is finally there .. by this time the wise man is old and sick .. he dies a couple days after Jesus does and as he is dying he sees Jesus and this is what he says to him :
Matthew 25:35-40
"For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
that is what this life is about and its especially brought to my attention at this Christmas season. i am so grateful for everyone and there service and support to me. i couldnt do this without any of you. thank you.
MERRY CHRISTMAS !
I LOVE YOU !
sister warner
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