Friday, December 13, 2013

Snow Day! Letter Dated December 9, 2013

December 9, 2013
Sister Loi Anne Eyring, Sister Bullock, and Elder Harden Eyring (Washington DC Temple Visitors' Center Director)

Hellooooo Idaho (and other parts of the world...)!
 The first week of Festival  is done! Holy cow, what a week it has been! Let me tell you a little bit about it!
·  New Carrollton: I pretty much like this area a lot. I haven't really been able to see much of it this week (still), but what I have seen, I've liked. I probably won't see all of it until January, but hopefully we are able to get out more and work in our area.
·  Sister Holland: She's pretty cool. (Mom and Dad, she says that if you really want to go back to McCall, all you have to do is talk to her dad and he'll set you up.) She's doing a lot better this week. She is starting to talk more about the visitors center instead of  home so it's good :) And she's growing a lot. I think she'll be okay.
·  Studies: I love having time to study my scriptures everyday! It seems that no matter how many times I read my scriptures, I always learn something new! I'm continually discovering more and more gospel principles that I can apply to my life or to the lives of my investigators, recent converts, or members! I LOVE the scriptures!
·  Church: Church was also cool this week. Part of our lesson in Gospel Principles was on grace and mercy. I really liked how our teacher defined these things: Grace is getting what we don't deserve, while mercy is not getting what we do deserve. Just an interesting thought, I guess. I never really thought about the difference between grace and mercy until I came on my mission, and I feel like that has been of the greatest lessons I've learned. An yesterday with church, it was like the finishing touch :)
·  Ward choir: mama, I'm back in ward choir :) I thought you'd be proud of me for that one. This wards Christmas program should be really fun! We have Joy to the World, Still, still, still, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and (the choir director was feeling adventurous this year) Unto Us a Child is Born. They are all really fun! Unto Us is SO challenging... Hopefully it will be ready to sing in 2 weeks.... But, 'tis fun. And I think of my dearest mother every time I sing in choir.
·  Sick day: Saturday was a sick day. Both my companion and I were down with something. Hers seems like a sinus infection, and mine seemed like the flu... But now it seems more like a cold. Either way. We slept all day until we had to go to the VC. Then we rocked it and taught everyone we saw that night! Combined, we handed out over 100 referral cards :)
·  Snow day: Yesterday, during church, we got a call from Assistants to the President, telling us that President Cooke wanted all of us to stay in our apartments all day. And we were not to leave until we were told we could. So after choir, Sister Holland and I carefully drove back to our apartment, and there we stayed... Kind of. We have a senior couple that lives in our complex, so we walked over to their place and watched the Christmas Broadcast with them :) Wasn't the broadcast wonderful?? It was a little bit of a different set up  this year, but it was fun. It was also fun to see a few people there that I had met just days before (Sister Wixom, and a member of the MoTab).
·  Ambassador and Diplomat night: Pretty much the coolest nights ever. This year, it was Elder Christofferson that came to help turn on the lights the first night, then Sister Wixom the second. Elder Christofferson surprised me that first night! There I was, standing on the floor, and he walks up behind me and asks, "How are you this evening?" As I'm turning I say, "I'm well, how are you?" By the end of my words, I'm looking at him, and I realize who I'm talking to. I would pay good money to see the look on my face! He kindly smiled, shook my hand, and went to greet the other sisters. I felt so dumb. Oh well. Meeting Sister Wixom went a little smoother. She and her husband are so cute together! I loved spending time with them! Also, during diplomat night, there was a camera crew from Salt Lake there... My Visitors' Center might be part of a Mormon Message soon. I don't think I'm in any of the shots, but I know I was right behind them while they were filming some of their shots :) Should be cool to eventually see.
·  FESTIVAL: It's here. It's underway. We're done with week one. It's insane! We have had bigger crowds than we've expected every night this week! And we're thrilled about it! This year, we're all working in companionship's in the Visitors' Center as opposed to last year where we worked solo. It is wonderful! I love looking around and seeing all the sisters 2-by-2 talking to so many people! I LOVE it. And I love festival.  It's a completely different experience from last year though! Last year my head was up in the clouds and I just enjoyed the experience. This year, I'm still enjoying everything, but I'm also in the position to make sure everything that needs to happen, is happening. It's weird. But I secretly love it. Mostly, I just love teaching those that come into the Visitors' Center :) People are wonderful.
Alright, well that is it for me this week :) I'll catch you all next week (if I survive this week)! I love you! And don't forget to catch the Spirit of Christ(mas).
Love, Sister Bullock


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