.: Week 30 HYMN 214...peace on earth, good will to men...

Week 30

Holy cow this song is a new found favorite of mine, and we sang it in the Makati 4th ward choir for Christmas (yes I was in the choir, yes I was the best one) (and yes I am totally joking---but that left corner in the back was looking real nice) (thats where I stood in the choir)

Dear Fam and Friends and Santa,

Hello everyone :) and a very merry maligayang pasko :) Hope Christmas was a time for people to think about Christ's birth, spend time with the fam, and EAT a lot of food. I know I did all of those things, its not Christmas without it. Just starting out--it was a very merry Christmas to skype with my dear family. Ahhh, it seriously is the happiest moment to finally see the faces behind all the emails. I did think about Christ a lot--I think missions do that to you, you just get the opportunity to really zero in on the importance of the birth and atonement of Jesus Christ. And of course we ate a lot of food--its not Christmas if you don't eat yourself sick haha! So you could say it was a Christmas to remember.

So a little about my week :)

This week me and Sister Guiuo tried to center our messages around charity because we feel like their is no better way to get in that Christmas Spirit. So on Christmas day we had double Christmas programs with both of our wards. And what I really loved is just being surrounded by our ward family and we are lucky enough to have double the family haha. Both wards ended with the song 'Silent Night' and i just felt the love and importance of the birth of Jesus Christ...so it was a special moment for me. Then afterward we bought 100 pesos worth of candy to give candy out to kids and we did our best to be the Santas' of the Philippines and then afterward we took Kelly and Jerry to hang out and share a message at our Ward Mission Leader's house. It was a great Christmas day---one that will not be forgotten!!

The rest of the week was really good too. Sister Guiuo had her VISA interview this week. So I got a little field trip to go there with her. It included us staying in a fun hotel and I got to have a warm shower. So that was a fun part about our week foooor sure. We had our mission Christmas Party with all of the missions on the mainland and it was the funniest thing ever. We got to watch my new favorite movie the Fourth Wise Man and Santa came, and we sang some songs, watched an awesome nativity scene. Life was good for that.

Our fun hotel room for the VISA interview trip!

VISA trip!

Missionaries going for VISA interviews. Sister Guiuo going to SLC.
Some going to Arkansas, some to San Francisco.

My companion for the day while everyone was
at VISA interviews haha!!!

Our view from the Embassy

We actually had some fun opportunities to visit a lot of families and to bring our investigators to their house to do some fellowshipping which is the HAPPIEST thing ever. We got to go visit some members with the new family we are teaching...Antonio and his kids. We watched the Restoration Video with him which was super fun. And the Restoration Video is so great--it changes lives for sure.

And the rest of our investigators are doing good, we had a lot of peeps come to church and that was super fun. I really think that Christmas on a Sunday is the best for missionaries, we guilt trip our investigators to come. haha jokes. But in all seriousness, our investigators really felt the love and feeling of charity from our messages this week and from going to church. Specifically someone who came was Sister Beth. We have been teaching Sister Beth and her daughter Faith and they told us this week about how they feel like we are REALLY teaching them about how they can better follow the example of Christ which was super cool.

Sister Ruby who always works with us

We got to go to a fancy restaurant with a family!

Sister Beth and Faith in their home!

And just to end I have felt both sides of the spirit of Christmas this week. The giving and being on the receiving end. We had members give us food, surprise us with pizza, and I just got so many wonderful, encouraging words from members from both wards. And it just made me feel like what I am doing, the little things I am trying to improve about their ward are helping them in someway. And being a missionary I have really felt the love and joy that comes from being a servant on the Lord's errand. Charity, and the pure love of Christ is just sinking in deeper and deeper. I am so grateful to be a missionary in such a special time of the year.

Well everyone I am grateful for your love, emails, and especially grateful for my cute fam at home. Thank you again!

Love,

Sister Zarbock