I had such a wonderful Christmas. Really, really a wonderful Christmas. Christmas
Eve we spent most of the day trying to figure out the bus system, and riding/walking back and forth to Fairfield. Got back in time for dinner at the Hogans'. They always try to keep their Christmas Eve very simple and spiritual, so they had just the immediate family and his parents there and the two of us. We ate soup and sang Christmas songs. Oh, and we listened to Brother Hogan tell stories of his rambunctious childhood and Boy Scout experiences. You know, jumping in fires, shooting various kinds of weapons, getting injured doing stupid things. It was just like being back at home! My favorite part, I think, was Sister Hogan periodically inserting her two cents, which was several different versions of the sentence "What a bunch of idiots." (Mom, you would like her!!)
Earlier in the day some members dropped off presents at our apartment. I ended up opening most of mine and Sister Johnston's. This started because we thought they had mixed us up and labeled some of them wrong. So I was trying to figure out what was whose then I just kept going! and all of our Christmas Eve presents were unwrapped. Who says I'm supposed to be the mature one in the companionship?
On Christmas morning we had planned to do our studying before opening the presents (yes, we still had a lot to open even after the Christmas Eve fiasco I told you we were spoiled!). Monson thought we should be all dignified and such let's exercise and study and act like missionaries. Then I woke up at 6:30 on Christmas and said, "Let's open our presents right now! like a two-year-old.
Don't worry, we did do our studies that day. We read "The Living Christ"
together for part of our companion study. The Spirit was so strong! I was overwhelmed with gratitude for my Savior and for my mission.
On Christmas Day we were super confused about what we were expected to do, the white
handbook says to proselyte on holidays, but we were told we didn't have to proselyte
and also that we shouldn't, but we could if we wanted to you know. So we ended up
watching movies at the church with the other missionaries while we talked to our
families. It was so wonderful to talk to the family!
Family, did you know I am obsessed with sausage? Neither did I. I think I liked it before the mission but I started to like it a lot more out here, because in Fairfield we volunteer at the food bank packing frozen meat which includes every kind of sausage under the sun. I had no idea there was so much sausage in the world, of so many varieties. Anyway, the family we ate with on Christmas Day asked if we had any special requests and I asked for sausage and meatballs. They served us a type of spicy Italian sausage which was a new experience. Mike and Andrea, do you remember the first time we ate at the Saltgrass Steakhouse in Texas and the food made us giddy? It was like that. This sausage was so ridiculously good. It even inspired the "this sausage makes me happy" dance, which has since been recorded on video (don't worry, that was later, at our apartment). And the best part is they sent us home with the leftovers!!!! Oh happy day!!! I know what I'm having for lunch.
The week of Christmas ended with a bang: transfer calls on Sunday night. I had been
praying and praying not to get transferred, but still was fully expecting a call. Waited and waited for the dreaded call, which never came!!!!!! I get to stay here!!!! This will make six months in Fairfield. I am so blessed. I wasn't expecting it to happen, because there are only eight sisters now (seven after next week when we lose our Temple Square sister); this means the Windsor sisters are getting doubled out, and they are going to Torrington and Newport both of them serving with their trainers again. How random is that? That is why I expected to be transferred. I didn't see that coming. But I never do. I can never predict what transfers will be like.
This week we spent a lot of time going through the Trumbull area book and talking to the members about who to work with. Surprise: this area is a gold mine!!! Best kept secret ever. And I actually get to stick around and participate in the gold-mining process. I'm so excited.
Merry Christmas everyone! Love,
Sister Monson
Monday, December 28, 2009
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