Dec 17th, 2016

It finally started snowing!  That is great!  There is a lot of snow in your mission in the winter right.  Obviously not right now, but in the winter right?

Also we went to get our boots checked for skiing and we found out that really me and Anna should be wearing boots two sizes smaller. 

I feel like mom wrote you about a lot of things this week, but I will try to send you something funny this week.  Yesterday, we got bored because you can only watch  so many hallmark movies in one day, and then we decided to play bucket ball (basically basketball in the main room) and we got some awesome trick shot videos.

So I will try to send it to you.

Also, Trent spiced up the who houses this week by creating a new look, the garden knome.  I tried to put a red x on the front like the nutrackers have, but then my knome got nicknamed the confederate knome.  It didn't help that he had a point white hat on . . . . ..  which I covered up with little colored candies.  And mom really outdid herself this year by making a who community center.  It was huge! 

This week I think one of the things I learned and I feel like it is especially applicable to South America (because they have big nativities that they put up, or at least in Paraguay they do).  But at the Lillenquist Christmas party they read a little picture book about the nativity figures that get all knocked down, and then this poor old woman comes in and set them back up again.  Then she goes home, without food, without money.  She falls into the snow on her way home and doesn't get up.  Then, the nativity figures go lift her up, carry her back to her house, go to the store, cook her food, and buy her her accordian back (she had sold it to a pawn shop to have money for food but then a thief came and took her money.)  The point of the quaint little story is that instead of looking in at Jesus the whole Christmas season, we have to go out, out into the cold, stormy day, (or really hot day) and serve other people.  That is how we, like the nativity figurines, help Jesus.  It is a cute story, and has a good message.

Anyway, I feel like I will have a lot better letter next week.  Honestly the hardest time for me to have meaningful scripture study is when my routine and normal schedule gets thrown out the window when I move home.  But that is my goal for this week.  Meaningful scripture study each day.  And prayer, because we sure have lots of people to pray for!

Love you,

Liza