The ravishing Sparta sisters in their matching Christmas turtlenecks.
The sisters of the New Jersey Morristown Mission at our Jingle with the Jeppsons--and we'll be added to by 75 more sisters, we just found out!!
Our caroling crew.
A small sample of what the creche looked like (memories of Uncle Tim and Aunt Collette)--isn't the chandelier thing neat?
One of my favorite displays.
The zombies have arrived!
Sister Rittenhouse and I finding joy in this dalmatian in the rubble.
Part of the goonish crew by the garbage heap.
If all parking signs were like this, I feel more people would obey them.
We stoped by to see what the Jersey Shore was like, and it looks like this.
The crew enjoying their labor--we really do have so much fun, in a tactful way, and the people around us notice and it makes them happy.
Family Darlings!
I surely hope all is well over in the West. We've received some snow, and much fog. I hope the expecting mothers are doing alright. Any baby names in the mix for Tim and Jamie?
I surely hope all is well over in the West. We've received some snow, and much fog. I hope the expecting mothers are doing alright. Any baby names in the mix for Tim and Jamie?
This week was all over the place! I had to go on a two day emergency exchange with the Parsippany Sisters as one of their trio is sick. So they snatched me and I got to see what serving in Morristown is like. And actually, it answered a prayer. One of the Elders and I were discussing journaling and how it's hard to keep up in our journals. He said he prayed for an opportunity to get caught up and lo and behold the next day his companion was sick so they had to stay in the whole day and he got caught up. So I prayed for such a situation, and then I got to stay in for a few hours with the sick Sister and didn't get caught up, but got further. I'm now only a month behind! We switched off teaching and staying in the house. And then come evening we all went to the Stake Center for the Christmas Creche display. It was quite beautiful! We were given the assignment to carol as people came into the building. The music coordinator made us practice a bit first, and he seemed less than enthused about our musical abilities, but it turned out ok. And it was fun to sing, even if people weren't coming in. We just kept singing to the trees and the stars and keeping our thoughts focused on our Savior's birth. I felt the Spirit quite strongly.
My companions joined me at the Parsippany apartment that night, and we all carpooled to hurricane clean-up in Keansburg the next day. Amazingly, there is still a lot to do down there. Our zone worked all day at Jose's house. Originally just taking out sheet rock, and then he told us to just take everything out. When we were finished there was only a frame and the outside walls left. The kitchen had, not joking, seven plus layers. We'd clear the tile and lo and behold: wood! Clear the wood, and: tile! It took us a while, but it was fun. We have a rambunctious zone, and I think it lifted Jose's spirit. He and his wife gave us a bunch of pies as we left.
In the middle of service we left to find foods, and happened upon an Episcopal Church that was feeding victims and volunteers. They were so kind and gave us chili and rice. They made us sit down and then took our orders and bustled about seeing what they could do to help us. So cute. After we finished eating they asked us to sing-- random--so we sang "Called to Serve." It was quite powerful. The Sisters had to leave service early as we were scheduled to carol again at the Creche. Again, we felt the Spirit strongly, I love hymns for that reason.
We've been looking for more people to teach, and found a former investigator who has a lot of Plan of Salvation concerns, so I'm excited to teach him again. Also, Dawn's step-daughter Ashley called her father and asked if Dawn was coming to Church this week. She asked if she could come too. Dawn has been struggling, so we took her to the Bishop and they talked things out and he gave her a blessing. I love the priesthood! Afterwards Ashley asked us for a Book of Mormon. We gave it to her and read part of the intro with her and asked her to pray about the things she reads. Dawn later told us that on the way home Ashley told her that, "I feel something good every time I go to that Church." When they got home Bill rolled his eyes, and said, "Now you're reading the Book too?" To which she replied, "Yeah. And you need to get with the picture dad."
Also neat, remember a month ago we helped someone with a tree in their backyard and the neighbor said if that's what Mormons do he might want to be one? Well, we left him a note saying that the next week we'd be doing service in Staten Island and if he'd want to join us he'd be more than welcome. Well, we just found out he did go! And he rode with members for three hours and got to talk Gospel with them. And he enjoyed serving with the Ward. And how! I think the Bishop is inviting him to the Christmas party, so we'll see if we can talk to him more then.
Also, kind of funny: While I was in Parsippany, my companions visited a sort of investigator and she fell asleep mid lesson. They didn't know what to do. Should they leave? Should they make a loud noise? She jerked awake a few minutes later and that scared Sister Torgerson into asking, "So what did you think about that verse?" Needless to say, she didn't remember what they'd been talking about.
Well, I love you guys and I hope you're all safe! Let me know what's going on round those parts!
Love,
Sister Mister
