MERRY CHRISTMAS!! HO HO HO!                                                             12/21/13

Well this week i have really felt that there is a true feeling of Christmas in the air. people are just so jolly and happy to be alive! everyone we talk to. its awesome.  Monday we just went and said goodbye to everyone (for sister Payne) she packed up and then on Tuesday morning we had to be at the Peoria stake center by 5:30 so that was an early morning. 

and then after i dropped her off i spent the day in Mini Mexico!!

Mini Mexico was so much fun! I was with Hermana Torrez. and it was 100% en espanol! :) 

I met up with her around 7:30 am and we did pretty much every aspect of missionary work together. I had an hour of language study and then prayers in spanish. it was fun! I understood a lot of what they were saying but it was SO hard to communicate at all so most of the time i just sat there. haha i introduced my self, but that was about it. SO much for taking all those spanish classes. i guess it helps, because i could understand most of it. haha  but i would just sit there and every appointment i would recite the 3 or 4 sentences that i had memorized like : Se que el libro de mormon es verdadero y se que la profeta jose smith es de Dios." things like that. it was fun. haha I NEVER thought i would go to mexico and back on my mission. - first time for everything :) 

Then sister Coburn got here, my wonderful new companion! i LOVE her! We get along great! and have laughed a lot already. Yesterday i was looking back and it felt like we had been companions for weeks and it had only been 3 days. haha awesome! i am excited for the next 7 weeks with her!  Miracles are going to happen and lots of good memories along the way!

We had a wonderful lesson with Kira on wednesday, we made cookies with her and related the ingredients to things that we need in our lives. like scripture study, prayer, church etc. and how all of those make a good base (or dough) to withstand the trials we go through or the changes( like being baked) and how we come out on the other side all wonderful and delicious because we put the right things into our foundation. it was pretty genious and fun to do. Baking can really be applied to ANy aspect of the gospel. its awesome. 

Then we also had a good lesson with an investigator named Mark.  He wanted questions answered like Why to bad thigns happen, what is the worst sin, how do we know if we will go to heaven or hell. 

so we answered all his questions with the plan of salvation. it was great! 

Today we were supposed to be in Naperville for our chrsitmas party with President and it was cancelled becasue of the freezing rain! it is crazy out  there, let me tell ya. so that was cancelled and we will be going up there on monday now.  dont know if the weather will be much better, but we will be there.. haha I am planning on wearing this red and white tutu that a member made with a green shirt. haha i have been thinking about it for a while and am just going to do it. only one chrsitmas party on my mission! President will love it! i know it! haha (kinda nervous not gonna lie.) haha 

So we had all of these wonderful caroling appointments set up with members for this week, and all but one of them was cancelled, due to the weather, So hopefully we will get to go at least one more time. I LOVE the caroling kit! and want to use it again. I just love singing! 

and then today we had a little bit of a miracle.  The elders had a baptism for the son of a less active. well the less active is now active and was active enough to baptize his son today, so everyone shows up and the elders had forgotten to get a white jumpsuit/ pants for him because this guy was a bigger guy and so they had to order a big size from the Nauvoo temple. well no one did that. so 10 min before the baptism, we were scrambling and we called a member who we thought might have one and he had it, IN HIS CAR!  crazy! they live out in the boonies and it was freezing rain and stuff, anyways after the baptism he told us that he had felt really inspired to grab an extra white shirt, he was thinking it was because maybe he was going to spill and would need to change, but then it was for brother mead to baptize Gideon(his son) it was awesome! EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON! dont neglect those promptings!!  it was a wonderful baptism

I love life. i love being a missionary. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone.

I hope you take a private moment to ponder and reflect on the true meaning of the season. I am go grateful for the Savior Jesus Christ and all that he has done for me personally. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the way it blesses my life. 

i love you all

Merry Christmas,

Sister Jenny O'Neil