Dear friends and family,

I can't believe we're almost 1/3 through December! My first winter without snow and I'm so grateful haha. Every day feels like a day and a week feels like a day too. And I just hit my 3 month mark two days ago, which means I'm 1/6 done my mission whhaaaat?! Last week we got a few new investigators from the tram tours! It's so fun when visitors are excited to learn more about what we believe in.

On Monday we had Mission Tour, where Elder James J. Hamula(from Quorum of the 70) came and spoke to all the missionaries serving on Oahu. It was an exciting day because the VC sisters got to see other missionaries they rarely get to see, and we get to hear from Elder Hamula. One of the things I loved about his address to us was that we needed to be "sober" missionaries. Of course we don't drink alcohol, but he meant sober in mind, spirit, heart. We need to use every spare minute we have to go do missionary work and not let the island culture here waste our time. Because the people here love talking, and our dinner appointments are often over an hour. Elder Hamula suggested that we need to show members that we have a sense of urgency, and we have work to do! Serving in this area is difficult! Because we want to help the members in any way possible, like serving them, or building their faith in the gospel, but they treat us as friends, spoil us with food, and think that our role as missionaries don't really affect them. I know that what Elder Hamula taught us is inspired for this specific mission. We can't let the culture here prevent us from fulfilling our potential as missionaries. That bothered me since I came here, but everyone seemed so used to the culture. But Mission Tour is such a good reminder that we are here for a purpose.

Since Christmas season is here, we've had more visitors come into the VC! I love sharing my testimony about why Jesus Christ is so important to me, and how He was born for every single one of us. We watched the General Presidency's Christmas Devotional on Sunday afternoon and I loved the story President Uchtdorf shared. He spoke of a man that couldn't move his legs or walk for his whole life that went to a wheelchair event. The man rode on a wheelchair and was so joyous and couldn't believe it when they told him that wheelchair was his to keep. He cried. And I cried listening to this haha. Jesus Christ is the most precious gift given to man, and instead of thinking about what you'll get this Christmas, what can you give others? I know that this Christmas means more to me than any other one because I'm choosing to serve the Lord and I'm able to share my testimony with so many visitors.

Yesterday Sister Buday was feeling really frustrated because of the island culture here and we had a super long talk about what Elder Hamula taught us and how we can be lifted because we can only control what we can do, not what others around us do. I know that we're assigned each other's companions because we can support and uplift each other. I definitely think my capacity to be patient and loving has increased so much more on my mission :)

Scripture of the week:

1 Nephi 1:20 "But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he has chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."

The MacDonald family invited us over for a "Bethlehem" themed Christmas dinner and we took a group picture :)

After VC Training yesterday, all the sisters sang happy birthday to us because our birthdays are coming up! Crazy.