Hey!

The email before the call...dun dun dun

 Christmas is coming so fast! We are spending Christmas Eve night at the Naylor's house (the senior couple) and having Christmas with them. We went and got them some fun stocking things and some slippers. It'll be so fun! They have a Christmas tree and everything. We are going to the Ibrahim's for Christmas Eve and having some African food I hope! And then the zone is having an ugly sweater party and white elephant gift exchange and then hopefully looking at some lights and on to the Naylor's. It's going to be soooo fun!

This last weekend we had the baptism for Vernitta Manuel. It went so well and she had family that came and they all wanted a Book of Mormon and to learn more. Her brother in CA already knows missionaries and was just supporting her all the way. The Branch even had a decent turnout at the baptism even though half the Branch is out of town! Sis. Stoehr, Sis. Naylor, and I sang "When I Am Baptized." It seems like I've been singing in a lot of special numbers lately, but nope STILL CAN'T SING! It's a good thing I don't get embarressed easily. We have this older man in the Branch named Brother Keene. He is the best thing to hit the Branch. He is the man when it comes to fellowshipping the recent converts. He is around 85, works full time, and is so sweet. His wife recently died and he lives with his son and daughter in law and his mother in law who is younger than him. Haha. He gets the over age 50 recent converts together on Saturday afternoons and they all watch church movies together. The night of Vernitta's baptism he already called and chatted with her and went by Sunday morning to pick her up. Oh yeah, he also picks all of the older recent converts up too because none of them drive. Well Bro. Raymond Woods drives (he's 90) but his car hasn't been working for awhile. The Branch is just so funny. We keep finding these single women to teach. Sis. Stoehr and I both feel like there is a family here that the Lord is preparing, but we just haven't found them. Sis. Adaniya and I felt the same thing. So we are still trying to find this family. Vernitta was confirmed on Sunday and has just fit right in with the Branch. It's so fun here. Parents, you're going to love it! It'll be different than any ward you've visited, but you'll love it!

We are still teaching Inez Thornton. She rocks! She has been really involved in all these other churches and she told us yesterday that she cut off all ties with the other churches. She was saying how they aren't getting it and they keep calling her. She knows this is right and there is no need for other churches. She showed up to church early yesterday and the Glen Allen elders luckily had met her the week before and spotted her and took her to Sunday School with them. So she had 4 hours of church yesterday. The Branch just started a FH sunday school class too, and she has been going to that! When she was talking to the Glen Allen elders they asked her if she had thought about being baptized (they know she's set for 1/15/11) and she said that she was and told them her date and said she "thinks the sisters are going to ask me to move it up" or something to that effect. We hadn't talked about it, but from what the elders said, she might want to. She'll be ready in time, so we are going to talk more about it tonight. Last night at the church they had the Richmond Mormon Chorale sing and we decided to go to see if any members brought friends and Inez was there and came by herself. She can handle being alone, which is nice because we don't have to always call her to make sure she is coming to church and yada yada. She is so cool! So many cool single ladies here in Richmond. Oh and she has a car!

Thursday we had snow pretty much from 9am to 3pm and it was coming down good. We couldn't use our cars, and it was snowing too hard, so nobody in Richmond went out. The city was deader than dead. It was so pretty. We had to go out in it because it was too inviting. I had been craving pizza for weeks and so we ordered in some Papa John's. Sis. Dickson and I did that last year. The new being snowed in tradition.

We had a lesson with the Thompson family last night. They are a really cute family that came to Richmond for med school and just haven't left yet. They've been here 10 years and have 3 cute little girls. We went around and said something we love about Jesus and the 2 year old looks at us and said "Cake" and we all just start laughing. It might be one of those you had to be there moments, but it was so funny. And the 6 year old on her own came up with her answer by herself. She said she loved Jesus because he created us. Cute!

Mom, that DVD is awesome! We've used it in a couple of lessons already. Everyone loves it. And it has MY picture in it too! It's really neat that is shows paintings of Christ when he was younger. It's been interesting to talk to people about Christ at this time of the year and see what they do to show Christ their love. The best things I think we can do are to love each other and treat each other like we do AND to be obedient. That's what Christ asks of us. One of my favorite obedience scriptures comes from one of my favorite Book of Mormon prophets...does anybody know? King Benjamin! Mosiah 2:22...all that He requires of you is to keep His commandments...

Well I hope you are all ready for Christmas. We have our Christmas Mission Conference tomorrow and then afterwards I am going to the Henrico spanish branch till Thursday morning. I am finally going zebra...even if it is just for a day and a half. Yes, per my request. They are trying to get us on more exchanges and because my time is limited I gave my opinion. Next, hopefully the country or the suburbs. In all my mission I've only served in the same type of place. City and ghetto. I don't really want to serve anywhere else because I love city and ghetto, but for an exchange it would be perfect! I'll keep you posted. And cross your fingers I get some gooooood Mexican food. I am already practicing my Spanish. I'm thinking caroling in Spanish!