#1

This week was full of miracles! We'd been struggling with finding new investigators- progressing investigators anyway. And all in a matter of a couple days, we have 4. Holla! Half of those came from tracting...what! My experience with tracting was that you don't really expect to find anyone, but you're doing what the Lord asks you to do so you kinda have to. But last night was truly a blessing. For tracting we usually set aside about an hour for going door to door, and the very first door we knocked on this super nice guy named Paul invited us inside and was super eager to hear our message. We shared a Christmas video frommormon.org and talked about why we need a Savior. After a long conversation about his beliefs and faith, we looked up and saw almost an hour had passed by! He invited us back and we are so excited to teach him more about the gospel. Since we'd already been out an hour, we headed back to the car to get to our other appointments, and there was a guy jogging by. We simply said hi, and he stopped to talk to us. He saw our nametags and asked what we were doing out so late (to Minnesotans, 8pm is late since it gets dark at 4pm). We told him we were missionaries and no lie, we stood there talking to him for an hour. He invited us to come back and see him later this week, and even offered to let us spend Christmas Eve with his family. We already have places to spend the holidays with members, but the pure kindness he showed was so Christlike, it really made me feel warm inside regardless of the 10 degree weather (not including windshield). YAY FOR TRACTING!

Another investigator we have is from Mississippi and we bonded over a love of grits and fried chicken. I told her my daddy made the best biscuits around- she challenged him to a duel against her grandmother. Dad, if you ever meet an old black lady named Mama Cleo in Jackson, be sure to show her who's boss :) There's a potential investigator we keep trying to visit, but we always seem to come at the wrong time....you see, we're pretty sure she's a woman of the night (actually we're 99% positive she's a prostitute). But that doesn't mean she doesn't need Jesus! Maybe one of these days we'll catch her when she's not preoccupied.

My companion and I sang at zone Christmas Conference which was fun- once they know you're musically inclined they have you sing at almost everything. I haven't let them know I play piano yet...that's a well-kept secret I have no intention of ever revealing. Our district went to the Minneapolis Institute of Art on P-day which was super cool. It was mostly modern art, so basically children's drawings :) I always wonder what the credentials are for getting your work in an exhibit, because I'm pretty sure I could get in if I closed my eyes and scribbled around on a blank piece of paper.

We had dinner with a convert the other night, and she was talking about how hard life was for her before she joined the church. She was just wandering around not knowing what to do with her life. People say life doesn't come with a manual...but it does. The gospel of Jesus Christ is our guide through life. The scriptures are truly handbooks to the struggles and trials the world has. She said she wished she'd grown up with the knowledge Sister Teuscher and I have had since we were born. I've taken for granted what a blessing it was to grow up in the church and to never have those aching questions about where we came from, or what our purpose on earth is, or where we're going after we die. Not everyone has that comfort, but that's what our job as missionaries is- to share the peace the gospel brings.

I can't wait to talk with my family on Christmas! I'm so excited to hear your voices, I've missed them so much. Love you all, and have a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! Love, Sister Brett