Merry Christmas

12-23-13

Dearest Family!
Merry Christmas!!!!
    This week has been a crazy roller-coaster. 

    This week was Zone Conference on Wednesday and we got to hear from Elder Arnold of the Seventy. It was a really long meeting, but it was AMAZING! Elder Arnold was super intense and he really inspired us to make and keep goals and plan more effectively! All the sisters also had to be to the meeting super early in the morning to have an extra meeting with Elder Arnold's wife. It was a really spiritual experience, and Elder Arnold said a lot of things through inspiration and it was epic!...

 The Christmas Zone Conference was this Saturday and it was so fun! David Glenn Hatch, the famous pianist was a guest performer and played a ton of amazing Christmas piano music. It was so inspiring to watch... and it looked like his fingers probably got really tired. But we got a picture with him and it was cool! He was a great guy and a musical genius! Then we had lunch and the talent show! I didn't end up singing in the talent show because I didn't get the cd from you guys until later that night! So I'll save it for a different time! The talent show was hilarious...They had High School Musical dance routines, chipmunk-voice 12 days of Christmas, and then Elder H organized his own Christmas dub step song that everyone about died laughing at!  There was lots of singing and a kazoo band too! Then we got to actually watch a movie...which felt really weird.... but it was fun! We watched Up, and I forgot how funny that movie was! Then we opened gifts and took a ton of pictures! Thank you so much for the gifts! I loved the healthy snacks! (Thank you SO much for not sending me candy!) and I loved the necklace and everything else! It was perfect! Also thanks for all the letters in the package and memories and missionary experiences! They made me tear up a bit and laugh when remembering them.
      So our golden investigator G didn't end up getting baptized this week :( At the beginning of the week he was doing REALLY well and super excited! We had it all planned out and then on Thursday he had a really hard day and was fighting with his dad, and when we went to see him he smelled like smoke and kind of brushed us off and said he was busy. We asked if he had smoked and he said he had... so we told him we had to push his date, because he couldn't smoke for at least a week before his baptism...We were really bummed that he brushed us off and wouldn't talk to us...It was really hard and you just feel heart-broken. I really love and care for these people. It's so hard when they make mistakes and lose hope. I want so badly to help them but sometimes they won't let us and it hurts a lot. He texted us yesterday and says he wants to continue so we are going to go see him tonight and hopefully set a new date for his baptism.
    Sis A and I get along amazingly!  Sis A is super silly and she has been telling me stories about how many times she's broken bones because she has five brothers. She's a good singer, so on Christmas Eve we are singing a duet at a family’s house for their nativity program and dinner. At night when we're walking home and it's really cold (It snowed AGAIN!!!!....and it's still snowing outside right now!) we try to distract ourselves by linking arms, huddling really close, and then singing "Angels We Have Heard On High" at the top of our lungs...super super loud...and harmonizing in really creative ways haha! It's great! 

    We gave talks yesterday in a ward Christmas program. I read the poem you sent that I wrote because it went along with my topic, and afterward a bunch of people came up to me about it. One man asked for a copy of it and so I gave him my paper copy because I have it on my ipad, and a couple other people asked for copies too....
    This Christmas has been VERY different than what I'm used to. Obviously I'm not at home or out buying gifts or participating in traditions with you all, but in some ways this Christmas has been the best because I've never felt so close to Christ, and I've seen such an outpouring of service from the members towards the missionaries. Everyone wants to take care of us for Christmas. People bring by food, offer rides, help us with service, organize activities, and so much more. I've seen a lot of service and love in action this Christmas and it has been so humbling. I'm so grateful for all the people who try so hard to make us have a good Christmas. I'm just glad I get to skype you and see you all. That's all I want for Christmas. This Christmas I've really realized Christ's sacrifice for us. The atonement usually goes with Easter, but just Christ's life in general has meant so much to me this Christmas. To remember the spirit of Christmas we need only drop the last syllable and it becomes the spirit of Christ. Pres. Monson is a genius! I miss you all so much and I love you so much! I'll talk to you in two days!!! I'm so stoked!
    Merry Christmas!
Love,
Sister Lenise Diane Volmer

p.s.

My district is about to go iceskating...I'm clumsy enough as it is...why on earth would they put blades on my feet...Well this mission I've faced a lot of fears... here goes another one...I'm probably going to spend the next hour on my behind or on the wall of the rink. Wish me luck!