Hello family and friends!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and that you were able to spend some time reflecting on our Savior and His birth and the true meaning of Christmas!
It was a white Christmas up here in Galion-- There was snow on the ground AND the Saunders were dressed in white baptismal suits on Christmas eve for their baptismal service! It was a beautiful service, and Lee and Marla were just glowing that whole day!
When we called one of the members in the ward to invite them to the baptism, she said, "Christmas Eve, that's a terrible day to do this... We can't come. I have to get ready for my family to come over." Well, I told her, that we didn't plan it, the Lord did, and we were just following what he told us. Then I was thinking about it, and what better thing could you be doing on CHRISTmas eve than make covenants with Christ-- the one who's birth we are celebrating! Even though this particular member didn't come, we had a wonderful turn out, and I feel so privileged to be able to work with the wonderful members of this ward. They are all so good to each other and I have no worries about the Saunders' being fellowshipped!
We had a wonderful experience last week when we were getting some lunch at a little hamburger diner. Our waitress was Judy and she asked about our name tags-- we told her who we were and why we were here in Galion. She told us a little about herself and how her husband was laid off and how they didn't have enough money for a tree thus year... We talked about how she was disillusioned by the church she grew up attending/raised her children in, and then we talked about the Book of Mormon. We gave her a copy and she agreed to read it. When we left, I just couldn't stop thinking about how she didn't have a tree-- this just wouldn't do. So we ran home when we had a break in our schedule and put the little three-foot tree mama sent me back in the box it came in. We drove back to the diner and gave Judy the tree, explaining that it wasn't much, but she could at least have a little tree up this year and for every year in the future where money was a little tight. She began crying and told us that we made her Christmas. She also told us how she had been ducking into the back all day long to read "that book" we left her with... It was a wonderful Christmas experience and just another piece of evidence how our Heavenly Father is constantly preparing everyone around us to eventually receive the fullness of His gospel-- we need to pray to have the eyes to see and the ears to hear the missionary opportunities placed in front of us on a daily basis. I know that if you do this, you will be more aware of those around you who are being prepared to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ!
I am so grateful for this wonderful gospel and for the opportunity I have to be here in the Ohio to share it with my brothers and sisters. I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know He lives. I know our Heavenly Father loves us much more than we can comprehend and that we love him much more than we can remember. I know that families can be together forever, through Heavenly Father's plan. I know that the priesthood is on the earth, and that we are blessed by it and miracles are wrought by it every day. I love the Book of Mormon, it truly is the word of God. I know we have a living prophet on the earth today, and his name is Thomas S. Monson. He is the mouthpiece for God and we must listen to the words he is making known to us. The gospel is SO true, and everything that is good in my life comes from this wonderful gospel.
I love you all-- happy 2011 almost. Go out and be missionaries!
Love,
Sister Chelsea LeSueur
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