Merry Christmas everyone!

WOOOOWEEEE this has been a crazy week! Miracles left and right, strange scenarios up and down, Christmas joy all arouunnnddd! Except in the hospice we went to. That was really sad.     :)

As Christmas creeps closer and closer, it seems the work starts stretching. This week we were extra adventurous in our quest for happiness! We taught the word of wisdom to a large group of drunk moms with a drunk member helping us at her Christmas drinking party that we were invited to, made an appearance at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and crashed the sermon on accident (I didn't know we were supposed to be quiet in the Amens and Songs my b my b), and also crashed a Spanish Christmas party by being the only gringos around. We had a pretty hoppin party week when I think about it hahahehe

Remember back to my second week out in the field when i committed Bruce and Nicole (our investigators) to get married before baptism? Well this week we went to the D.C. temple lights with them and showed them around the beautiful and tranquil Temple grounds. When we got up the best view, Bruce got down on one knee and proposed to Nicole! In front of the Temple! they're not even baptized yet! He said, "What better place to propose than the place we'll be sealed for eternity." AHHHHH I was crying and Elder Van De Graaff hit me and said to suck it up. He's more like Elder Vandemort if you catch my drift

Living in tune with the Spirit is a process not easily describable. It's something you have to experience for yourself, in your shoes. Faith is the underlying factor in guidance through the Spirit and Obedience is the first step. If you know me, you know that I tend to question authority..a lot. But as I've been giving myself up to the Lord as an instrument in His hands, absolute miracles blossom before my eyes.Wednesday started out rough, both in homesickness and rigorous studies in the gloomy grey Maryland winter. Off we went to proselyte in one of the neighborhoods where we had a referral. I was driving and drove right past where we needed to go in my "laziness" and parked way up the street for some reason. We hopped out and began walking when a seemingly ordinary woman crossed the crosswalk perpendicular to us up ahead. I yelled to her that we're missionaries and she stopped, looked at us, and said, "I'm an alcoholic and need help. I guess I'll listen to ya." We sat on the curb of that busy street and ministered to 50 year-old Debby, homeless and afraid, among all of the judgmental people that passed by. God led us to cross paths with Debby that day, despite me not having a clue what was going on. Even if we are our complete selves while being open to the Lord's will, all else is taken care of. We don't need to pretend to be someone of something we're not to come unto Christ. Come unto Him with your full heart, your full sense of humor, your full personality, and he will open all we could ask for.

Christmas is coming up and I get to watch a rated G movie with a family. YEAH. WOOHOO CINDERELLA WOOO! It's gonna be hype sick money yo (someone on the street said that to me and I'm saying it now live with it)

Merry Christmas everyone! <3

xoxo

Elder Burgess