Christmas In Crestview

Merry Chrestview

Prepare yoursElves

for what? I don't snow

========================================

"It's beginning to look a lot like summer, everywhere, no snow. There's a palm tree over here, and one over by the pier, the sturdy kind that doesn't mind the sand." 

Christmas in Crestview 

FLO-Sleigh-RIDA

facetiming the family yesterday my mother said:

"I want to hear more about what you're doing during the days. What's your prep day like?"

*see white missionary handbook 

but here's the run down of a normal preparation day in the life of a missonary 

We email our families/friends/randoms

 for a two or three hours

Which consists of 

1. Feelings of guilt because you don't have time to email everyone the heartfelt thank-you-for-being-in-my-life communication that you want to

2. Feelings of shock and awe at how many engagement pictures/wedding pictures from your friends/family at home there are to look at... what the.....

3. Feelings of shock and awe at how your baby sister is now grown up and looks like a model.

Then we have Nerf fights/play basketball/go to the beach(rarely)/Ashley does work outs with us/we get haircuts & facials at the Corbins house/clean our apartment

but only one of those things a week

then we grocery shop 

attempt to write letters

and we are out and about by 6pm to do normal missionary work.

Now about the last week of my life.

quick updates

-Christmas conference was awesome, half the mission, all of the fun, skits, musical numbers, the works. I played my version of the LIGHT the WORLD song played in the video on mormon.org, and mixed Joy to the World with it on the piano. Sister Jamison played the violin Silent Night it was amazing.

-Was able to spend the night in GULF BREEZE after the conference... that's right... I went back to my first apartment OH THE NOSTALGIA 

It was so therapeutic. No kidding. Sister Jamison ran with me to the dock the next morning, the same run I ran all those times five months ago. My dock. Woah. We watched the sun rise and ran back. We also made a pit stop to the Baxters, which was very needed and so much fun, and Paul and Paulas! YAY and I was able to see Matt as well. He's home from his deployment and planning on baptizing his two kids in February. MY CUP RUNNETH OVER to the dock. ;)

- Back in Crestview, on our way home Christmas eve, mainstreet has a lot of pretty lights and a giant Christmas tree!

 We had to take pictures with the tree. Of course.

 

So we pulled over and not long after, a car pulled into a stall right by us and we saw a man looking at us.  Obviously, he noticed us taking selfies and he kind of chuckled.

We felt a tad bit awkward because no one else was around, just us two Sisters in skirts taking pictures with a giant tree. Well he rolled down his window and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't pull up to watch you take pictures, I'm on the phone and didn't want to be distracted."

 We told him it was alright. 

A few minutes later we walked up to his window, he was still on the phone, and we gave him a LIGHTtheWORLD card. 

He was still on the phone, but he told the caller he would call him back and talked with us for about 20 more minutes about our message. Turns out his name is Willie, and Willie has a good friend in Utah, plus Willie loves the Mormon Tabernacle Choir :) 

Willie just retired, and as we all shared our experiences of coming to know Jesus Christ, the Spirit was felt, and he actually asked us when he could come to our services.

I ran to our car and grabbed the Mormon Tabernacle choir cd Sister White left for me, (shout out to Sister White still doing missionary work and doesn't even know it) 

and I gave it to him. He was so happy.

 Now none of this is super out of the ordinary yet, because we often have experiences where others feel the Spirit and desire to know more and even make the commitment to come to church...but they unfortunately, usually don't follow through. 

Well lo and behold CHRISTMAS MIRACLE Willie came to church yesterday and set up a time to meet with us tomorrow.

We are so excited to continue to share the good message with Willie.

Christmas miracle!! 

One more Christmas eve memory, The Curdys in the ward invited us over to do their family traditions with them and I just about cried because how sweet are they? SO sweet and thoughtful of them.

They have a really fun tradition where the kids all grab blankets and pillows and "sleep" while dad reads Twas The Night Before Christmas. 

While he reads, their mom puts one present under their pillow. 

After the story they turn the light on and pretend it is Christmas day and open their gift. Yes, sister Jamison and I enjoyed it immensely and we even got a gift. We were touched by the sweet spirit always felt in their home. I love the Curdys and I'm grateful for their example to me.

Christmas was insane. We got to the Fetters at 7 to watch the kids open presents and even help them assemble some heavy duty Nerf guns to which little 4 year old max shot the guitar across the room and literally it struck a perfect cord so we all laughed our heads off. Their dad is in Afghanistan this is his first deployment and their first big holiday without him, so we were happy to be there and hopefully make their Christmas a little merrier even thought their dad was not there.  God bless the USA

We went to the Harts who were so sweet to let us eat breakfast with them and then we went to church, taught Willie some more, enjoyed the amazing feeling and excitement that comes when an investigator comes to church, and then we were off to eat a yummy meal with the Howes...

 ...dropped in on some more favorites~the Baltimores, and then to the Nelsons whose home we were at to Facetime our families.

So much fun. Seeing my family was incredible. LOVED IT.

Ya'll are perfect. I miss you so much but I love what I'm doing here, which made it so much fun to see you. I love you, and I am thankful you still love me even if I got a little preachy on that Facetime call ;) lol

*grandma Pat sits down and says

"Are you going to interview me?"

me- "Are you doing your home teaching grandma?"

her- "No, but I'm doing my visisting teaching.." ;)

me- "Good. That was a trick question, and you passed." 

hahaha I love my family and I loved this Christmas and the love of the Savior I have felt the past two days especially. I feel like the wise men who left all they had to find the Savior. I am following that star more carefully than I ever have, and sometimes, I even get to be that star to lead others to Him.

Well the rest of the day, Paul and Paula came to visit and gave us the coolest thing ever. Sand dollars with our names and palm trees airbrushed on it. SO AWESOME

Then we had a district devotional, exchanged white elephant gifts and I won an actual white elephant christmas ornament it's adorable. 

I left out so much, but it was all filled with sugar plums, mangers, wrapping paper, and nights that were suuuper silent. 

Grandma Pat, Nanny & Grandpa, Mom, Dad, Family, Friends, Crestview Ward, Gulf Breeze Ward, Missionaries, THANK YOU for the love and prayers, support, cards, presents, and again... 

the love. I LOVE YOU.

I'll write some more next year... ;)

<3

Make it a great sleigh

The Tree of Life ;)

Christview

Hello my name is Sister Saunders

I am a missionary for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Saints are just sinners that keep trying

to be like Jesus Christ.

I am currently serving in the Crestview Second Ward

Christmas in Christview

This week was absolutely crazy in a good way

Sister Jamison is my new companion- she is from Salt Lake City, she is six months out, and she is absolutely adorable and I feel so loved around her always. I love her very much and I am happy to be able to learn from her and learn with her. 

fun fact, I have actually been on two exchanges with Sister Jamison so I already know her which relieves a lot of anxiety leading up to transfers.

Ha!

Well this week we met Wanda. She is amazing. She is super sweet and super prepared. We also went to a christmas party at our apartment complex where a man asked me about my mission and broke down in tears telling me a spiritual experience he had and he said he would let us teach him about the Book of Mormon. He was baptized when he was thirty and has not had his records with him for many years so no contact from the church.

On Wednesday before saying goodbye for now to Sister Baker, I ran out and gave the maintenance guy a Book of Mormon and a candy cane and said Merry Christmas. Well later that night a lady in the complex asked us if we could read it with her and the maintenance guy sometime. Have a Bible study. She said she is very interested, and that he told her that we gave him that book and that he wanted to read it.

He is a missionary and he hasn't even read the Book of Mormon yet :)

Things are so wonderful and I absolutely love the ward, and Crestview, and my companion(s) now and from the past. The mission is perfectly suited to what I need, which is incredibly selfish, but not in my control. I am realizing more than ever that I didn't come to the Florida Tallahassee Mission to save souls, I came here for God to work through these people to save mine. 

I love the Light the World initiative and all the service we have been able to do. I look forward to seeing my family on Sunday. I can't believe it's been as long as it has! 

May you all have a very Merry Christmas.

Click here for the Light the World calendar...

<3

Eat, Pray, then Sleigh ;)

Ward Christmas Party~Christmas in Hawaii theme

said goodbye to the Leishmans :( they moved to Colorado

Make it a great day-Sister Saunders

One of our service projects was painting this kitchen <3

Truths and Lies We Tell

It's not the lights at Temple Square but who doesn't love a Nativity!

I studied Alma this week--  Alma is explaining his conversion to his son. Something that hit me was that his repentance process was from a state of rebellion to a state of peace and joy with the effect being his desire to share that same peace and joy with others. 

EVERYONE

Alma wanted to share it with everyone he possibly could, Lamanites, Nephites, all the kinds of ites out there.

Then we have Enos who was not (as far as we know) ever rebelling or going against the church. In fact there is a sufficient amount of evidence to suggest he had been involved in the work already prior to his faith building moment of prayer that we know him for. Nevertheless he had heard about eternal life from his father, and had a desire to taste of that for himself so he prayed and his weaknesses were forgiven. 

Weaknesses made strong. Well after this experience he had a desire to share the gospel with his brethren (Friends) the Nephites. 

Then there is Lehi in Nephi chapter 8 who tasted of the joy of the fruit of the tree of life. We know of no major conversion moment with Lehi, he was a prophet and obedient. He didn't have the Enos moment, or the rebelious compelled to be humble Alma moment, he was simply faithful and obedient. But he still felt of the joy of eternal life and had a desire to share it with his FAMILY. 

Desire leading to feelings of the Spirit 

leading to change 

leading to joy 

leading to SHARING with those around them. 

We can be like all three of these people, our hearts can change when we disagree or kick against His will, our weaknesses can change when we pray, we can reap the blessings of submissiveness even without being compelled to be humble and just be obedient like Lehi. 

First that. Then... Share. Family. Friends. Active. Less Active. Everyone. Investigators. Missionaries. Formers. Potentials. 

EVERYONE

feel.. then share. 

pray, prepare, then SHARE 

sin to clean 

weak to strong 

obedient to blessings 

we can do it all. 

Struggles: 

I'm learning to love them. 

Key word being LEARNING. (It's a daily lesson) Seriously , I have never had more struggles than on the mission.

 It seems like they come never ending, and they aren't even huge struggles (most of the time)

 They are small battles, thoughts from the natural man, adversary, or the human Sister Saunders that I am , and impressions of the spirit in a constant battle. Sometimes that battle is more intense than other times.

 When I have a struggle I'm more vulnerable to lies of the adversary. Some lies he has told me this week that between prayer and Sister Baker I have been able to sort through:

Lie: These things that happen are to humble you because you are too prideful and you don't deserve comfort and peace because of your flaws.

Heavenly Father's truth: A positive side effect of struggles is that you will be more humble. But I give you these struggles because I love you, and because I trust you to do what no one else can do. You just need to ask and I will help you, help me. I am the Gardner here, and I know what I want you to be. Happiness is not a side effect of a comfort zone, it is the result of using the atonement when you are uncomfortable. 

Lie: Others think you are not a capable or smart missionary. 

Heavenly Fathers truth: You are not, and will never be as smart or capable as you can be without my help. BUT Joseph Smith translated a book of scripture in two months with little more than a third grade education.. with my help you can brighten lives, save souls, change hearts, and change yours in the processes. Care less about what others think about you, and more about what I think about you. You are amazing, precious, and I love you. 

I'm learning how to recognize those thoughts in me and say:

 "Okay, that's alright to feel and think that thought. Now it's time to pray, and change it."

 It's hard but it's getting easier. 

guilt is not an attribute of a disciple of Christ

Well I don't have much time because fun fact: Sister Baker is already leaving me. I am staying in Crestview, she is going to Tallahassee. 

My heart is breaking, she is truly one of my best friends. LUCKILY we will still be able to see each other in the mission here and there. Thank goodness. She has been such a strength to me in so many ways. I LOVE SISTER CHADLEY BAKER

 

prayers are needed because change. is. hard.

but so many miracles come from hard things so I'm so excited for the adventures, the spiritual highs, and life lessons to be learned with my new companion coming to Crestview live from Fort Walton..

*drum roll please

SISTER JAMISON

fun fact: I have been in her Zone for four and a half months now and gone on two exchanges with her and she is simply incredible. God is good.

BITTERSWEET that is the lesson of the entire mission. 

Some of the sweet in bittersweet...litterally~Paul, Paula and SWEETIE!!! 
Thanks for your perfectly placed visit!

good things to come, I love ya'll make it a great day. <3

It's time for Sister Smoot to go home!

#LIGHTtheWORLD

...if you thought your high school mascot was lame...

Slept by the tree

-Sister Saunders