Dear friends and family,

My next P-Day is next Wednesday because we have Mission Tour (all the missionaries on the island attend and it's like a big training/conference) on Monday! So don't expect an email until Wednesday :)

Last week we helped out a restaurant called Tita's Grill for Thanksgiving Day! They were closed on the day but hosted an event where they fed Thanksgiving lunch to all the missionaries (including senior couples), the homeless people in town, and anyone else who heard about it. It's been a tradition of theirs for the last 5 years and this might even be their last year because their lease is getting way too expensive. :( So on Wed night some of us went over to prep all 130 turkeys; this included taking out the guts (and whatever else gross from inside the turkey) and seasoning and packaging them in foil. And overnight they cooked it underground with coals and covered with leaves...but the morning of Thanksgiving we helped set up all the tables and sliced a ton of pineapples too. A ton of people showed up and even though it started pouring rain while we were cutting pineapples and continued pouring, I had so much fun! It was set up like buffet style where all the VC sisters helped serve the food and then we got our own plates. I think doing service on Thanksgiving day is so humbling because the Ah You family(who owns Tita's Grill) wanted to share their blessings with others who weren't as fortunate. I also learned how to slice and cut a pineapple properly...as we got soaked by the rain for a few minutes haha. For Thanksgiving Dinner, we ate with the Tonga family (that's their name). Sister Tonga and all five of her daughters have the most amazing voices when they sing together. The Spirit was so strong when they sang a song for us (they harmonize without practicing)!

This week we also shared the new Christmas initiative videos the church released with the visitors that came into the VC. One is called "A Savior Is Born" and the other is called "A World Without A Savior." They both focus on why we celebrate Jesus Christ's birth for Christmas. I know that He was born so that we could have Godly peace and joy in this life. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have this much joy in my life if it weren't for Jesus Christ. We also had our first Christmas Fireside on Sunday evening. It was a musical fireside performed by all of the sisters! :) Sister Lee and I sang "Did You Hear?" (people from Bayview Ward probably heard this one many times). Everyone was seated in the Christus room (the front of the VC) and people were even standing past the doors outside! Between each musical number, individual sisters would bear their testimonies of Jesus Christ. The Spirit was so strong and I looove listening to music about the Savior. I'm so grateful for the power of music because it invites the Spirit and touches hearts so easily. Everyone was also helpful as we put away all the chairs we took out from other rooms. I saw Ben Wilson(from Toronto) there! I totally forgot he goes to school at BYUH haha.

Sunday was also the day both Sister Buday and I gave introduction talks in sacrament meeting. We introduced ourselves and shared our conversion stories. I started crying..as usually haha. A sister after class gave me a little note that said the scripture I shared during my talk meant a lot to her. I know the Spirit guides us in whatever we say and do as missionaries, and I'm so grateful for that.

If you haven't gotten the chance to go watch those videos, you should: christmas.mormon.org
And if you actually use social media, go print out the paper that says "He was born so I ____", take a picture, and share it with your friends on Facebook or Instagram :)

Have a great first week of December! Doesn't really feel like December because the seasons don't change here haha.
Picture creds: Sister Lee's camera and Sister Schmidt's camera
P.S. Does anyone get my title reference? It's from a TV show I watched before the mission ;)