Hi,
Sorry I was't able to write on Monday. We were doing our
mission Christmas conference all day, but we got permission to email today.
Christmas Conference was super fun! It officially started
Sunday night in Tempe at the monthly Mission Presidents Devotional, where new
converts share their testimonies and President Toone speaks. Usually,
missionaries only can go if we have an investigator with us and a ride from a
member, but all the missionaries got permission to go to this one, even the
missionaries out in Yuma.
Monday morning, the whole mission met at a big park
across the street from the Gilbert temple and we ran a 5k. It was super
unofficial and no one was timing or anything because missionaries aren't
supposed to get competitive...but if anyone was counting, I was the first
sister to finish. After the 5k, we had a big pancake breakfast in the park with
bacon, sausage, orange juice, etc. The only downer was that it was pouring
rain, but there was a big pavilion that we ate under and it was lots of fun.
After that, we went to a nearby stake center and had a 3 on 3 basketball
competition between zones. It was sooooo fun!
I think I forgot how much I miss playing and watching
competitive sports (the competition got pretty intense). My voice was about 3
octaves lower than usual on Tuesday because my throat was so sore from
screaming and cheering so much during basketball. After that, we had a nice
lunch/dinner and then headed out into the middle of nowhere between Maricopa
and Gila Bend to a church history site where the Mormon Battalion camped one
Christmas. It was about a 2-3 mile hike from the road to get out to the site.
We built a big bonfire and the whole mission sat crowded around for a testimony
meeting. It was super cold even though I was pretty bundled up, but it was a
cool experience. The stars were so clear and pretty. After the testimony
meeting, we all got big cinnamon rolls, then hiked back. I got back to Maricopa
at about 10:20.
On Tuesday morning, our zone went to the Mesa temple for
the 8:30 session, then we headed over to the Gilbert temple for the entire
mission picture. After that, we had a fancy lunch at a nearby stake center with
all the missionaries, stake presidents, and their wives.
There were lots of talents and different musical numbers
shared and Santa Claus even showed up for a little bit.
But now, we're back to regular missionary life.
On Thursday, we had a Relief Society activity in our
branch where we went and sang Christmas carols at a hospice home. Afterward, we
went out to eat at a nice restaurant on the golf course here.
Last Wednesday, we had a special zone training from
President Toone, the Assistants, and a couple other experienced missionaries on
how to apply the Doctrine of Christ (faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance,
Baptism, the reception of the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end)
into everything we teach.
Before the training, I scheduled an interview with
President Toone to recite "The Family, a Proclamation to the World"
which I've been memorizing in Spanish for the last couple of months. At the
mission conference, myself and a couple other missionaries who passed it off
this transfer received a certificate and CTR pin.
Sorry, not a lot of time to write today, but thanks for
the care packages and all the letters and notes from everybody. My companions
are convinced that dad's persimmons were the fruit in the Garden of Eden
because they taste so good.
I'll send some emails with all the pictures from
Christmas conference.
Hermana Sedgwick is in most of them because we hung out
pretty much the entire time.
How's the Christmas decorating coming? I want to see
pictures of the house with Christmas lights and everything.
Love,
Hermana Gubler
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