Thanks to E.Yager I've been watercoloring postcards in my spare time. I'm grateful for friends who know me so well. Thanks gurrrl.. luhyew.

Meerrry Christmass to mee. and you.

Cutest couples award 2011.

I haven't done laundry in 3 weeks.

Merrrry Christmas errbody.

I'm reading Jesus the Christ to celebrate Christmas this year. I'm learning a lot from the Spirit more than just the words on the page. And a lot about myself, in addition to Christ. Christ wrote about sinners. And that's me. So it's nice to hear what Jesus has to say about me. There is hope.

I wish I got to have 2 Christmas's as a missionary. It's so nice. No distractions. Just me and Jesus and the people he wants me to love. No malls. No Santa.

Speaking of Santa...

I was at the Bishop's house for dinner and his 11 year old daughter comes up to me.

"Hermana, I have a question. I asked my dad and he said to ask my mom. So I asked my mom and she told me to ask the missionaries."

At this point I'm thinking... Oh no. Here comes the where-do-babies-come-from-question. Nope.

"Do you think God and Santa are friends?"

"Yes, yes I do."

Have a good holiday everybody. You're good friends and family to me. I love being a missionary with all my little heart. I'm trying to be a good person and do what's right everyday. I'm trying to be like Jesus. I'm growing up a lot. I thought I was already grown up before I went on a mission. Very humbling. Weird and awesome and hard and so rewarding. Love you all. Adios.

When we asked Cesar who he wanted to baptize him he pointed right at me and said "YOU!" Well, unfortunately that couldn't happen. But his baptism was real tender and we have a new man on our hands. The story of Cesar:

One night we were leaving an appointment and heading out to our car. We passed Cesar and I came up with some dumb excuse to talk to him. Somehow I ended up inviting him to church. He handed me his iphone and I typed in the address and found a map and then pulled up some of the church websites. We talked to him for probably 4 minutes tops.

Sunday: He is at church. Jeans, leather jacket. He stays all 3 hours! During Sacrament meeting he leans over to me and says he feels something good but weird that he's never felt before. I told him "That's the Spirit!" He told me he subscribed to the mormon channel on youtube. Ha. Too good. That night we invite him to a baptism in North Hollywood. He comes. Afterwards there's a fireside in Van Nuys. He comes. I have NEVER brought an investigator to 3 church buildings in one day. It was a sign.

Next Sunday he shows up looking so sharp. New white shirt. Tie with the tags still on. He didn't even know how to tie it. We started teaching him a couple times a week. He gave up his coffee and alcohol. Didn't even blink an eye. He starts keeping the Sabbath day holy. Ain't no thang. Every single thing we taught he was immediately ready to accept. On fast Sunday he asked me where the tithing slips were because he wanted to pay his... not even a member yet. What a guy.

From the day we first met him to the day of his baptism was just over a month. So golden I don't even know what to say. We felt the Spirit so strongly with him. Before his baptism yesterday Hna Blackburn asked him, "Cesar, what actually made you come to church that first time we invited you?" He said that he just felt something telling him to go, something he'd never felt before. I love it. I love missionary work. I love seeing people's lives change.

After his baptism we had a stake Christmas musical fireside. It was wonderful and when we were all leaving he stopped me and looked at me really seriously and said, so sincerely, "Hermana, Thank you." That little phrase held so much meaning in that moment. It was not just a thank you for inviting me to this activity. It was a thank you for finding me. Thank you for inviting me. Thank you for teaching me and encouraging me and not giving up on me and for knowing that I was going to be this happy even though I couldn't comprehend it myself.

I wish you could all meet Cesar. I wish you could see how he has changed. How HAPPY he is. And how HAPPY I am. I didn't know what happiness was before my mission. And I'm sure I'll continue to say that at times in my life. I didn't know what happiness was before... I got married... or ...I had kids... or grand kids... and just think of all the experiences we are going to have after this life. I am gonna keep saying "I didn't know what happiness was before this!"

I love my life. I love this work. I love the Lord.

Adios!

And you thought only Elders took pictures like this...

WE'VE COME A LONG WAY, LADIES.

Ok. Get ready for this. The evolution of the Sister Missionary Dress and Grooming Guidelines.

The original: (gag me with a spoon)

The much needed update: (a step in the right direction, but sorta screams "young women who don't know how to dress")

And finally...

drum roll please...

The REVOLUTION: (would it be sacrilegious to do the hosanna shout?)

All of this is online at http://missionary.lds.org/dress-grooming. My mind is sort of being lit on fire right now. I love the church. I love the direction we're moving. I love being a missionary more than anything in this world and I would invite every LDS girl to prepare to serve one. Yeah yeah, you will get married sometime. And youre gonna live happily ever after. But first, do something that is gonna impact you for the better like nothing else ever will. Cement yourself in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And do it in style, ladies. Amen.

Dear Friends,

Thank you for the support. I know I make the mish look so easy (sarcasm). But it's not. So thanks for bein so good to me. It means the world. Love you.

Love,

Linds

I like bright tights..

And I cannot lie (=^･^=)

Excerpts from a letter from my brother:

I am not dating anyone right now. I saw a girl at church yesterday that I totally fell in love with though.. strictly based on looks.. which is rarer for me than you might think.. ha. I'm going to try to introduce myself to her next week... somehow. Brace for awkwardness.

My life is pretty strange. I feel like I've lost a lot of my friends lately but I don't know exactly why. It's not really a bad thing though. I believe in destructive innovation.

I rarely talk about my mission because it makes me sad for some reason, but I did see a UFO on my mission once. Not kidding at all. It was a green hovering light way off in the distance that suddenly just shot at incredible speed off out of the atmosphere. No one believes me and I don't blame them at all.

I love you.

James

Also. I've been developing a new found appreciation for Christmas music. The goods. Hear 'em out people.

A TRIBUTE TO 7 WOMEN I LOVE: my companions :)

My very first companion was Asenath Busch. My MTC companion. Sena is from Lewiston, Idaho, is THE BIGGEST harry potter fan, and the only other person I've ever met who likes to give cacti as Valentines gifts like me. But Sena was needed in the field earlier than expected, so she left me all alone in the MTC after only 6 weeks. The remaining 3 weeks were spent in a TRIO with my other 2 MTC companions...

Summer White from Dallas, Texas. Shares my love of cake donuts, the best massuese a girl could ask for, and slow dances with me at night after long days.

Kimberly Williams from Portland, Oregon. The girl sings bass. Enough said.

Then to the mission field where I met my mama/trainer Mariana Lisset Rodriguez from Guatemala City, Guatemala. The girl is hardcore. She plays sports with the boys and dominates. She and I are like long lost sisters with different fathers, separated at birth that had to re find eachother through the twists and turns of life that eventually led us to overlap in the mission only 6 weeks. When I look at the work the Lord must have done to get us to meet, I am blown away. She taught me how to be a latina. I love this girl with all the weird parts of my heart. She is my kin.

After I killed my mom (my trainer finished her mission and went home) I met my step-mom,Clarissa Darger Thomas from Saint Louis, Missouri. This girl is 100% missionary. She taught me how to work so hard that I didn't know what day it was, what time it was, the 6 weeks we were together fleeewww by. It was also her last transfer on her mission, but that girl was not one bit trunky. We also had a lot of fun together. We had a puppy, we had a birthday party, we made forts and had slumberparties. We worked hard and played harder.






Next, Allison Clare Morning Skye Beauchamp. Yes that is her real full name. From Denver, Colorado. Hna Beauchamp is cool. Really cool. But not one bit prideful or boastful. She lets you slowly find out how truly interesting of a person she is. For example, I had already been with her 2 months before discovering that in addition to Spanish, she is fluent in Portuguese and ASL. She has great taste in music. She is a gem. A total doll. An angel really.

And finally, my current companion: Dana Renee Blackburn from Indianapolis, Indiana. She is a scriptorian if I ever knew one. I've never met a person who understands the scriptures quite as easily as she does. We were at BYU at the same time so we know a few of the same people, which is fun. We have worked hard together and laughed harder. I think she's the companion I've come closest to actually peeing my pants with.. TMI?

So yes, I have had 7 wonderful companions so far on my mission. They are people I would probably never have met had I not chosen to serve (even though Clarissa and I are 3rd cousins!). I owe soooo many things to my mission, to the Lord really. And knowing these wonderful women is one of them. From each one I have learned invaluable lessons. I have grown up. I've grown forward. I have made life long friends. Thanks ladies. You will forever hold a place in my heart and a title in my life that is unique. Different than any family member, any friend, roommate, coworker, or teammate. We have been mission companions. And that's nuts!