called to serve AZ a MESAnary: “Candy, candy corn, candy canes, and syrup”

On Saturday, I felt like Buddy the Elf because we had so much sugar, and one of the contributing factors to all that sugar was being served vanilla ice cream with maple syrup on top. It didn’t really taste bad, it was just too much.

Anyways, this week was pretty good. We did a lot of service. On Tuesday, we helped two older women in one of our wards put up Christmas decorations. Sister Burlew, who was one of the women we helped, even took us out to lunch before we put up her decorations, which was a miracle because we didn’t have much time between her and the other person we helped that day. It also saved us a handful of miles (which will probably be really important this month). It was fun to help put up the Christmas decorations because it helped it feel more like Christmas time.

Tuesday night, we also got to go to the temple to do baptisms with Maria. It was great to be able to spend time in the temple. It was also great because this time I had family names, so I was able to do some baptisms as well. Maria seemed to really like being inside the temple. It just brings such a sense of peace and calmness. It was just refreshing.

We got to help with the Christmas Lights on Thursday and Friday night. Thursday night, we had a slightly interesting experience. We had a lady come up and start talking to us. Just small talk, nothing much. She then offered us cookies because, she “knows how hard it is to be away from home for Christmas and [she] wanted to give us something.” We took a cookie, and then not too long after she left, we had a host from Christmas Lights tell us that we may not want to eat the cookie because this same lady was passing out propaganda/anti material the other night. I then proceeded to keep the cookie in my pocket the rest of the night since there wasn’t a trash can near. Sister Clark still ate the cookie anyways. Don’t worry, she’s okay.

Saturday was full steam ahead all day basically. We woke up, helped someone move, got ready, went to a baptism for a child in the ward since Larry and Maria were invited to go, and they invited us. As always, the Spirit at the baptism was super strong. Then, we helped an older couple decorate their tree. Then, we got home to finally do planning and studies only to realize that we were actually supposed to be at a lesson 15 minutes earlier. We rushed over there. Then, we did planning and personal study at the church (we didn’t even do comp study because there was like no time). We had a few good contacts in our area. Then, we had the Christmas Party for Mountain Vista Ward. The whole gym was full, and there were lots of non members there. It was great!

Sunday, it was the usual church meetings. On Sunday night though, our stake had a Christmas Devotional where each ward choir sang a song, and there was one talk at the end. It was full of the Spirit. I just love music so much. We even sang with one of the ward choirs. It was fun and uplifting.

I will add that it was really rewarding to do all of the service of helping with the Christmas decorations because the members appreciated it so much. Each one that we have helped has come up to us multiple times to tell us that they just love their decorations and stuff. It’s just good to know that you helped someone and they have been cheered up and blessed by it.

This morning, it was a lot of fun at zone sports. We started off by playing free for all dodgeball (and I even won a game). Then, we decided to play soccer free for all dodgeball where instead of throwing the ball at each other, you have to kick it. Let’s say there were multiple faces hit. But I won 2/3 games!

Anyways, I love y’all!

Sister Smith