Christmas on a mission...

Christmas on a mission is a lot more odd then anything else I've experienced. Getting nervous to hear the voices of my parents was an odd sensation. With Christmas this week, we had a mission-wide Christmas party where all the missionaries were able to get together. We did some skits, white elephants, and then snuck in a spiritual message at the end so it could be official.  But, of course, the highlight of Christmas is hearing my mom’s voice.

 As for mission work this week… it slacked. We didn't really have a full day till Friday. At that point we went around talking to our investigators seeing how Christmas went. We did go give a blessing to a lady in the hospital from Hawaii. She was getting taken off life support the day after we saw her. It was a very unique experience but very powerful as well.

During studies this week, I was studying all of Christ's gifts to us. They are honestly a countless number! But the one that really stuck out to me was his first gift that we received… our agency. Lucifer presented one plan and Christ presented another. The only difference between those two plans was in one we would have agency and in the other we wouldn't. I often don't like having agency. It means I can’t blame anyone for my mistakes. Some of the hardest times in life are caused by a choice we have to make. God himself wept over our agency but he understood we needed it to progress. That is what I am most grateful! I am grateful for the agency I have every moment of everyday.

-Elder Johnson

A sketchy part of my area.