It's almost December!

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we can show the Christmas video to everyone who comes to the Visitors Center :) If you haven't watched it yet, go on mormon.org/christmas !

I love the Christmas season because we can ponder on the influence of Jesus Christ in our lives, and what a gift He is, but the initiative is inviting all of us to become like He is, by actively serving others. Make sure you share this video with your friends! I believe it'll be available in other languages too!

Thanksgiving Day was really sweet this year. At lunch, all the missionaries, sister missionaries and senior couples, were invited to have lunch at the Polynesian Cultural Center (which was closed to the public that day). Later on we had a little gathering with all the sisters, and we prepared desserts and watched a movie together - Inside Out! Sister Allen can't really sit through movies but I loved it. I've been pretty grateful for companions who like to be healthy recently! We ran a mile for exercise one day, and that felt good. And now I have the privilege of drinking homemade smoothies in the morning too! And other meals we cook together 😋

Area:

1) On Thanksgiving Day, we also met Matt (student at BYU) and Linling (non-member) for their ward Thanksgiving Lunch. Basically, long story short, she works as a manager of a restaurant near Honolulu and loves coming to church, and came to the Visitors Center in the summer a few months ago. And it was a miracle we finally met with her! There were two other students, who served missions as well, and it was so cool when each of them taught and testified of how Jesus Christ's gospel can change her life, and by experimenting for herself, she can come to know that too. One member present is great, but talk about three! Member missionary work is the best because they are friends with her, and help her to understand things when we're not around. 

2) On Sunday, we attended a few ward councils, and changed our plans around last minute to attend a different Sunday School class. We have four different Young Single Adult Wards which we cover, so every week we go to different meetings. When we sat down in class, a Mongolian student named Una approached us and wanted us to meet with her friend(not a member) from Mongolia, who is staying here for a semester. We exchanged contact information and hope to hear from her later this week, but I'm amazed at how Heavenly Father literally hands us opportunities to share the gospel! If we stayed with our original plan, we probably wouldn't have been able to talk to her!

VC:

1) Yesterday we had our first Christmas Musical Fireside of the season! All the sister missionaries performed a few songs, and many musical numbers followed. Sister Lee played the bulk of all the music, and I played the piano for a few arrangements as well. Many families and students showed up and the music definitely invited the Spirit into the Christus room. Music is such a powerful way for others to feel something special. 

2) Sister Allen and I called someone who requested for a Bible, and we introduced the Book of Mormon to her, and she said, "so it's like they go hand-in-hand!" and we said "that's right!" She was so open and understood right away why we read both scriptures, and agreed to have the missionaries share more with her. We have such an amazing tool (teaching center online) to introduce the gospel to everyone, and this was a tiny miracle for us. :)

3) I met two Chinese couples from the tram tour, and the two men were childhood friends from Beijing. One of them actually went to free English classes the missionaries hosted when he went to school in Seattle! We talked some more about why Jesus Christ is important, and about the Book of Mormon, and he openly accepted meeting the missionaries in California, where he works now. Seeds were planted by those missionaries so he could be open at this time!

Looking ahead into next week, we're going to start exchanges for this transfer! For all the days in December leading up to Christmas, we will be reading scriptures in the Book of Mormon and the New Testament prophesying of Jesus Christ's life, and about the nativity, so we can be strengthened and ready to testify about the reality of Christ this Christmas season and every day.

Scripture of the week: Alma 33:14

"Now behold, my brethren, I would ask if ye have read the scriptures? If ye have, how can ye disbelieve on the Son of God?"

​Sister Training Leaders in action - making calls to make sure everyone can do online teaching on Thanksgiving Day. Sister Allen, Sister Lor, and Sister Ng. 

​Our Thanksgiving with member lesson with Linling(left of Sister Allen)! The girl with the football served in Vancouver with Marina! 

​Thanksgiving Potluck in the Married Student Ward - they really are one big family :)

​Lunch today with an ocean view 🙌 (Sister Lundgren took this picture)