HEY!
I hope you are all doing well!! I get to SEE you in TWO DAYS! WOO!!! I can't believe it's already Christmas time. Time is flying WAY too fast. I wish it would slow down a little bit...
Last Monday I went to the Pentagon! A member of my ward works there and gave us a private tour!!! It was so cool. I wouldn't mind working there... :) There were little tables lining every hallway that had old war gear and stuff in glass cases. It's like a museum! I really liked the 911 memorial they have. It's not too big, but when you walk in, it's really reverent. There is definitely a special spirit in there. It really made me appreciate where I am. I am proud to be an American!!! I got to peak inside the secretary of defense's office. (I think that's what it was) And I loved the carpet and fancy furnishings. I love the colonial style. It was a great experience. My tour guide said that if my family came to pick me up at the end of my mission, she'd be happy to give us all a tour!!! How cool is that? Today we're going to Mt. Vernon. Can't wait!
We took one of our less active members who is really wanting to come back to the church to the temple visitor center! So we got to see the temple lights. They aren't as spectacular as they are at temple square, but they're still fun. I really like being on the temple grounds. Those sister missionaries who get to serve in the temple visitor center sure are lucky! :)
Sister Anderson in front of the Pentagon. I need help rotating Pics. If you know how, HELP! Ha ha. |
This past week was pretty good. The bug exterminator guy finally came around and gave our room clearance of all bed bugs! So we moved back in. I have my bed in the center of the floor so it's not against any wall. I also put duct tape on all four legs of my bed with the sticky side out so that bed bugs can't crawl up and get me. I also have plastic bed covers on both my mattress and box spring. I might be a little paranoid...but I have good reason! I am NOT going to be a midnight snack any more! Hahah!!! Last night as I was laying in bed after prayers, I called out, "I say bed you say bug--BED" and Sister Hansen called out "BUG"! hahahaha.
It's really nice that we are moved out of our tiny living room and into our bedroom. It makes the apartment feel a ton cleaner. Also, we had the aparment workers clean our carpets. And they cleaned twice! So we feel pretty good about our living situation at the moment. :)
Last night we went to check on a former investigator that we haven't been able to get ahold of because he works two full time jobs. We stopped in at his apartment last night, and he was home with his sister and niece!!! It was great. We tried to teach him a lesson, but lost the interest of his sister really quickly... His name is Ibraheim and he's from Sierra Leon. He said that he has issues with what the missionaries before taught him...He doesn't believe that we have spirits. He thinks that once we're dead, we're DEAD. And that's it. He was trying to teach US and make us believe. But I just don't see the mercy of God in his way of thinking. There would be no progression or purpose to life if there was no life after death. It made me sad.. We didn't even try to correct him because his heart was so set in his ways and we didn't want to bible bash with him. The spirit prompted me to let it go. So I decided to share a "special Christmas message". Immediately, Ibraheim's niece got excited and went to grab her mom. She came out and sat on the couch next to us. People just love Christmas! I shared John 3:16-17 and bore testimony of Jesus Christ. I challenged them to make Christ the center of their Christmas and to think of something they could "give" to Him this season. It was cool to see the spirit work within Ibraheim's sister as she talked about how she wanted to help the less fortunate children and the elderly. She wants to find something to give them this season in order to give back to Jesus. It was really touching. We left with a prayer. I love Christmas. People are so open this time of year. Even though we didn't teach them a lesson about the Restored gospel, we helped them come a little closer to Jesus Christ, and that's what it's all about.
We went Christmas caroling in the Pentagon City Metro Station again! It's so fun. It's a great way to help people feel a bit of the spirit as they quickly walk by. There was a man down the walkway who was selling candy bars and ringing a bell. He was obviously handicapped, as he was in a wheelchair. Immediately, my heart went out to him. It was aparent that he was homeless, and rather than just begging for money, he was trying his hardest to sell candy. I went up to him and asked him if I could sing next to him to help him sell his candy. With a big smile on his face, he said he was fine and that he could handle it. It was hard to understand what he was saying...but I think the spirit helped me understand just enough. So I tried to start a conversation with him. I asked him what he was doing for Christmas. He said that he wasn't doing anything... I felt so guilty in that moment. Earlier that day, Sister Hansen and I were talking about how hard it is to be away from home for Christmas. I just felt so selfish! At least I have somewhere to go and people to be with! So I finished my conversation with him and walked back to the group of caroling missionaries. I told an elder and a few of the sisters standing near me what had happened, and the elder gave me $5 and told me to go buy some of his candy! So I did. :) As I approached this man again, I asked him what his name was. He said "Teddy!" So I asked, "Teddy, what's your all time favorite candy??" And he said, "ohhh I like Kitkats!" I looked down in his bucket, and he didn't have a single kitkat! So I said, "Oh man Teddy! Looks like Kitkats are a best selling item! What's your second favorite? Do you like M&M's??" He laughed at me but of course he said YES! So I picked it up and handed it to him and said, "Here's your Christmas present!" And walked away. Later as we were leaving, I could see that he had put the M&M's off to the side in a special spot. That little bag of peanut M&Ms very well could be the only gift he recieves this Christmas. It really put things into perspective for me. I really hope and pray that God will take extra special care of him this year. I hope I find Teddy again the next time I go sing at that metro station. I want to find him and get him a Kitkat!
As a missionary, my entire perpective of Christmas has changed. It really is all about Jesus Christ. As hard as it is being away from home, I am so grateful for this opportunity that I have. I hope that I can be a blessing to others in helping them come closer to Christ. Jesus really is the reason for the season. <3
I love you! Have a great Christmas and be sure to serve as many people as you can! Don't do it for me, do it for Christ! :)
Love,
Sister Anderson