The Salem Missionary Triumphs : True Love, Miracles and Snow

Week #40

You know it's Christmas time when it is normal to stand outside someone's door/window and sing.

We went caroling this weekend! We went around to members and investigators and sang and delivered cookies that we made. Confession. I have never liked caroling . . . Ever. Why? Because I was doing it wrong. Before now I have gone to hang out with friends or because it was a mutual night activity and I was promised a cup of hot cocoa. This time I felt different. I actually enjoyed it. It was freezing cold. At one point I couldn't switch the song on my iPad because my fingers were so cold they wouldn't register. BUT the reason I enjoyed it is because I felt such an amazing love for these people. I was hoping that they would open the door not because I was cold, but because I wanted them to hear the precious words of our hymns and know that they had people who missed them at church and wanted them there. Some of the people I didn't even know because they were the Elders investigators, but I still felt that love for them.

That is one of the amazing blessings of being a missionary. We can meet someone and love them. Really love them. We get to feel a small portion of our Heavenly Father's love for each person individually. I am learning what "true love" is. True love isn't romantic love. True love is our Heavenly Father's love. He loves unconditionally. He loves our strengths and our weaknesses. He loves us. And you know, sometimes it's hard to believe that for ourselves. We can believe it for everyone else, but we don't believe it for ourselves. Even as a missionary I have fallen into that belief. It's not true though! Our Heavenly Father loves us unconditionally and individually. He truly loves us. His love is "true love".

This week has been weird. It went fast and slow at the same time. Slow because our cars were "grounded" and fast because I don't feel like I worked my hardest. The best feeling is when you get to a Pday and you NEED it because you are completely exhausted from working all week. This week was hard because is snowed and froze. That means grounded cars (and we can't ride our bikes) and when you live outside of your area it makes it harder to get to places. Then when you get there your lessons cancel because no one wants to let you in when there is snow for some reason. We did get Skype approved in our mission, but none of our investigators have Skype so . . . Yeah. We did have some awesome phone lessons though! It's not something that I really have liked before because you don't know if they are actually focused and listening, but it actually went great.

We also had some miracle lessons at church. We had two families drive through the snow and ice to come to lessons at the church. We thought for sure they would cancel, but they didn't. I know that Heavenly Father is definitely going to bless them for coming. It's so important that people act. That they do something with what they are learning. That is how true conversion happens. The Spirit was so strong in those lessons and I know it is because they exercised their faith by coming despite the weather. And now two of them are on date! I'm so happy to help them progress!

We did make snow missionaries this week. How could we not? We even put pass along cards in their hands. Hopefully someone picked them up.

I'm so excited for Christmas! It's this week! We are going to combine with one of the English wards for Christmas and it's going to be wonderful. It'll be half in English, half in Spanish. Most of our members are gone for the holidays so it'll most likely just be us and a couple of families, but we will represent! We are going to sing in Spanish and one of the Elders is giving a talk. Everyone is just going to be staring, not understandng, but it's fine 😊 our members will understand.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. Go caroling, just make sure you do it right.

I love you all,

Hermana Dickson