Keep Walking

I would rather walk in the snow than in the desert any day. We do a lot of this:

Bignormous scarf, hat, boots, freezing cold hands because I won't wear my mittens, heavy bag filled with Books of Mormon and pass along cards, name tag, big smile. Just your friendly neighborhood missionary walking around in the snow after dark.

Honestly I love being in a walking area. We get to talk to everybody we meet. It's a blast. That's the little town of Moses Lake, Washington in the background. Really there isn't very much snow at all, and the cold gets us sympathy from the people we talk to.

Christmas was great. People have been really nice to us. The kindness of the ward members here is overwhelming. The Bishop let us spend a lot of time at his house on Christmas and Christmas Eve. We even got presents.

On top you can see our tiny fake Christmas tree overwhelmed by our presents. I'd like to add that Santa Claus (Sister McMurtrey) visited and left us Santa hats filled with candy and fun stuff. I'd like to thank the people that didn't know us in the Columbia River Ward who sent us a big box of presents. Maybe they knew that the brand-new missionaries wouldn't be able to receive mail from their families in time for Christmas.

I am also grateful to the people who pray for us and for those we teach. I am grateful for people who pray for and look for missionary opportunities in their own lives.

I love the people we are teaching, and the people we've met. This week I've noticed how much it changes people's attitude and perspective to develop a testimony of Jesus Christ, His love for us, and the fact that He has called a prophet to guide us today because He loves us. I've seen the Book of Mormon give comfort to people in despair and I've watched as it brings the spirit into their home. It truly testifies of Jesus Christ.

Now for a couple of the pictures that I have been accidentally withholding from you.

This is Sister Karony and I at the MTC right before we left for the airport. They have a bigger map- but this one suited our purposes well enough.

I had a picture of Miranda and I outside the Temple on our way into the MTC- and there might be one on facebook, but due to unexplainable technical difficulties, I am not able to share.

Until next week, keep the faith. "[Stand] fast in that Liberty in the which God hath made us free." - Alma 61:9

Love,

Sister Caroline Faulkner