A Good Week

Family!

This week has actually turned out to be such a good week! I'm so so so grateful for your prayers and concern and definitely the card. I got it on Saturday and it was the best thing! So thank you! Your words of encouragement really helped me. Like I said the week of transfers was tough but after a talk with President Jeppson, and a blessing from him, everything has been good. Our companionship is working great and everything is fine and dandy!

Before I begin on the weeks events to answer your quick questions mom, after we are done demolishing the house we spray the walls with bleach and it doesn't completely fix the problem but it defintiely helps it. And thinking more and more about it, I'm sure I have seen Sister Galavau on the Square but I wasn't like, "OH, I've seen you before"...ya know!? Thank you for the GPS, I recieved it on Wednesday and am so grateful for all of you again for getting that for me. The story of how you got it is incredible, the Lord knew your desires and he put it there for a special reason. Haha so thank you for that! The Christmas fireside we did get to sing at, we all sang as missionaries. No solo for me :)

Now for the good experiences and fun of the week.

Monday after emailing I finally got to write some of my friends and siblings that wrote me. I haven't gotten them sent off yet because I haven't gotten stamps but they will be sent off today. I can't believe it really has been a week. The weeks are getting so fast and before I know it, in just a few weeks I'll be out for THREE months! Crazy crazy crazy. And the transfers haven't been normal either! We had dinner with a member family on Monday and then went to visit one of our progressing investigators. She's looking to move pretty soon so we taught her and then told her we'd come back and help her begin packing. She's incredible and promising. We're teaching her hopefully more this week and help her progress to baptism. Tuesday was fun! We got to go to the mission home and have a "Jingle with the Jeppsons" It was all the sisters there and we ate breakfast and hung out with the Mission President and his wife. They are incredible people! I love them so much. They sang and we even played the bells like we do every Christmas Eve with Grandma Stevens and the cousins. I kinda laughed inside when she brought them out. (Before I forget, I recieved a letter from Elder Stevens and he was telling me how everything was going and at the end he told me he'd been doing service and work for the F.F.D.A, it made me laugh so hard after I read that!!) The Jingle was great and very fun. After that's when I had a talk with President Jeppson and he gave me a blessing. He's an inspired man and helped me so much. The blessing and your prayers are exactly what I needed. I'm doing so good now! We went out the rest of Tuesday and tried to teach some people. We went to Cary Tuesday night and taught her the Plan of Salvation, it was a lot to take in but I feel like she has a desire to learn. She's awesome. Wednesday rolled around and Sister Morrison started getting really sick, so Sister Galavau and I did our studies and S. Morrison stayed in bed. We had district meeting so we drove to that and S. Morrison wasn't feeling good so S. Galavau went on an exchange and I took S. Morrison home and we stayed there the rest of the night. It was so amazing though because I got to read and read and read more in the Book of Mormon and get farther in it. I finished Alma and was so happy! We actually went and picked up a Sister from Sparta on Tuesday so we could still go out and one sister could stay with s. Morrison. So after weekly planning we went up and picked S. Healy up. Let me just say, New Jersey is so beautiful. I can't wait til I can bring you guys back here and show you how pretty it really is. I love it HERE! S. Healy and I went out and went and taught four lessons to some Recent Converts and then had dinner at a members home. We had pizza, that's another thing...the pizza here is so good! I can't wait for you to try it! YUMMY!!!! Friday S. Galavau and I got to go out (I was lucky and got to go out because I was the only other Sister that can drive the car so I didn't have to stay in except Wednesday.) We went and visited another investigator and talked for TWO HOURS!!! Way way to long but it was a good discussion and I think we're going somewhere with her. We also went and found a Less-Active which was great! This past weekend the church put on a community Creche (Nativity) at the church which was beautiful so Friday night we went and sang Christmas Carol's outside the church for peeople coming in.. It was a lot of fun and cold.

Now Saturday was another SERVICE DAY! We drove down to Eatontown for service and got right to work. We went and helped a man right by the Jersey Shore. It house was torn up! (Well, we helped with it of course) Knocked out everything. We went to lunch and a St. Mary's Episcopal church which was really nice and fed us and such. We sang Called To Serve after lunch and they were all so appreciative. I'm so so happy for the opportunities I have to serve down here. It has been absolutely incredible! S. Morrison left early because she's still been sick. We got back from lunch and quickly went and saw the ocean! It was cold but beautiful (pictures to come). We got back to work and had to leave a little bit early because we were caroling at the Creche again. We got back and s. Morrison wasn't feeling well so I stayed with her and read more in the Book of Mormon. I love the Book of Mormon so much! Sunday rolled around and S. Morrison, still sick, so we stayed inside a lot of the day, didn't get to church....but it was incredible. I read the Book of Mormon from 7-2 and FINISHED IT! I think I told you what I was doing and it was incredible to see how many people are really in the book of Mormon. Ether was tedious. But at the end of my reading, I took Moroni's promise and prayed about it. It was a calm peaceful feeling i got. Not big, but I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I'm so grateful for Joseph Smith and all of the prophets that contributed. I love it!!!! We made a cake for Cynthia because it was her birthday yesterday and went and helped her pack and celebrate her birthday. We also taught her about the Book of Mormon. It was a good day. It ended with the Christmas broadcast at the chruch. I love hearing the words of the Prophet.

Next week, we get to go to the temple and we're either going to Carlos' Bakery (from the show Cake Boss) today or next week. I'm more excited to go to the temple though. After not being able to go every week like I did before I came on my mission, it's killing me to go back and feel the peace there. I'm very excited!

Sister Dicou said her home coming is on the 16th of December and I'm trying to get her church address but Kimber if you add her as a friend on facebook, I'm sure she'll post the address. She's incredible and I'd love it if you could go to it and meet her mom. You'll love her.

Thank you again for all your prayers and the card. I'm so grateful for every single one of you! You are so amazing! I know this chruch is true. I know God lives. I know Jesus Christ is our Savior. The Book of Mormon is true. It's the word of God.

Lets try and remember Christ this Christmas. Because that's what its all about. It's not about the presents and all the hustle and bustle that goes around but, Christ's birth. I'm so grateful for the growth I've realized and seen in myself so far on my mission. It's changed me forever and I'm so excited to be able to come back and share everything I learned with my family and friends. Thank you for your support!

Things I've learned in New Jersey:

1. You are not allowed to pump your own gas, GAS GUYS do it for you!

2. Cheese pizza is not called "cheese pizza", its a "cheese pie"

3. I know why it is called the Garden State, there's more trees here than I've ever seen.

4. The Jersey Shore, isn't like what it is on the TV show, it's an actual shore! Haha

5. I've learned to be confident and bold in expressing my feelings. Don't be scared

6. God's hand is in everything and is looking out for his children.

7. Mission's are the best thing ever!!!! :)

Love you all and miss you. Pretty soon you'll be able to hear my voice (and maybe) see me. Five days and I'll be out here two months. Sixteen days and I'll be out on my mission three months. Time flies when you're having fun. Pictures very soon!

Love,

Sister Christine Taylor