Dear Everyone,

     Can you believe it?! Christmas is finally here!!!!!!!!! I hope you're all having an amazing time spreading Christmas cheer and drinking lots of hot chocolate and egg nog (egg nog has been my particular favorite these past couple of weeks). My waist line is probably not too pleased with me, but I like to live it up in December, what can I say? It's been an amazing week. Very eventful!

     Remember Megan K.? The miracle from the Ward Christmas Party? Well we met with her twice this week! And she's invited to the Christmas Eve party we're going to. She is so amazing. She's had a hard life and has been through a lot, but the first time we met with her we only got through part of Lesson 1, but we're teaching people not lessons, right? But the Spirit was so strong as we taught her and shared the Restoration video. As we were talking to her, I felt the Spirit prompt me to invite her to be baptized. And she said YES!! After she comes to find that the things we are teaching her are true, she said she would be baptized at the end of January. I am so excited!!! I know some people are so prepared to here this message and as we humble ourselves and are obedient we can have the gift of the Holy Ghost with us at all times. I have really felt that this week. I'm so grateful for the Spirit. The next lesson we taught was more of Lesson 1, and as we taught through the Book of Mormon and discussed the power of the Holy Ghost, she interrupted us at one point and said, "this sounds really crazy, but I don't know, I just feel weird sometimes when you're here. And it's like something throughout my body. Like Iodine or something at the doctor's, except I don't have to use the restroom. I just feel really peaceful which is so not normal." UMM WHAT. I know!!! So we basically told her that what she was feeling was the Spirit bearing witness of the truth and she felt it mostly when we would read out of the Book of Mormon. That was one of the best experiences I have felt on my mission so far. What we are teaching people is truth. It's real. We can feel it. I feel so blessed to spread this knowledge to others. 

     Danny F. is another man we've been teaching. He has so much potential. He's a faithful christian and a little rough and tough around the edges, about 57, and the Spirit has been felt both lessons we've taught him this week. He just has a hard time knowing that there is only one true church. We're doing our best to build his faith, but he has to put in the time to read the Book of Mormon because that's where true conversion is. Keep you updated.

     Jessica is so fun loving and such a sweetheart, but we didn't meet with her at all this week as planned. She bailed on all 3 appointments we had scheduled, one including institute. She struggles with anxiety and so we think it really stresses her out to have appointments, so this week and the next, we're just gonna drop by and show up at her door. She can't deny us haha. And we wrote her exactly what she has to do before she can get baptized on a a cute piece of paper, like a checklist. I think that'll help her to know that it's up to her to be worthy for baptism because she already knows that this is the true church. We're really excited to help her overcome her struggles with her! I know she can do it. 

     The last two days we've been 'iced in'. Yup, that's real. I'll show you some pictures. So we've been doing missionary work inside. Surprisingly, we got a lot accomplished. Today we've went to Warrrensburg and went bowling at the Whiteman Air Force Base which was really awesome. I won once and lost once. I started to get a whif of how competitive I am again haha. Christmas Eve we're having dinner at a members with a bunch of inactives/investigators and Christmas we're going to a member's house in the morning. Plus a whole lot of caroling. 

     I'm so grateful to be a missionary. I love it with all my heart. I'm so grateful to have this time for my Heavenly Father to shape me to who he wants me to become. I have a constant desire to share this Gospel because it's the truth and it brings so much peace. I love people more than I ever have before. I'm so grateful for my Savior and the path he created for us to return to our Heavenly Father. Our life on earth is only a small time in which we do our best and follow His commandments, so that we can have eternal life with our families. What a miracle! I love you all, have a very merry, snowy, icy, grateful, loving, fun Christmas!

Love,

Sister Penman