Week 42 - Christmas in Chicago

Hello Family. :) This week has been an absolute blast. :) Chicago at Christmas? Heaven. I adore everything about this place. 

Sister McChesney

I have gained such a powerful testimony that Heavenly Father is willing

Saying goodbye to Sis McChesney

to put forth a lot of effort to place people in our path that we need to learn from. I have been so unbelievably blessed with some of the most amazing companions that this mission has to offer. Time and time again I am so amazed with how perfectly God is aware of us and exactly what we need. He knew I needed sister GI, sister McChesney and now sister Johnson and Sister Prestidge. :) Tuesday we got to spend the whole day with president and sister Woodbury. It was so fun to be able to learn from them in such a fun way. I love them. :) We dropped sister M off at the airport Tuesday night and sent her on her way to Portugal. I am again so grateful that we were able to serve together, it was far to short. But I know that it was exactly what I needed and I am grateful that God made it happen. :) After we went to the airport I got dropped off with Sister Prestidge & Johnson. I

The tripanionship

love these sisters with everything that I am. I have learned SO much over the last week and I will always cherish this time we have had to serve together as companions. We have had so much fun. :) We have laughed a ton, had some incredible conversations, had amazing lessons, found some special people, and became so close. I am really sad to be leaving the tripanionship. But I am forever grateful for their examples and what I learned. I feel like a broken record over the past few transfers, but I am so grateful that Heavenly Father has a plan for us and he knows exactly what to do to be there for us because he loves us. I'm just happy. :)

It was fun to be able to cover their area and my area this week. We saw miracles in both areas! I love their investigators and feel so blessed to have been able to teach them this week. We had a special moment where we were in an apartment building where we had a lesson and we felt prompted that we needed to share the "he is the gift" video with someone in that building before we left. We prayed

Train Station Art

about which floor we needed to be on, then we prayed about which way we should walk after we got off, and then we prayed about which door to knock on. And then we met P*****. Oh my goodness she is darling. :) We showed her the video and she just fell in love with it. She was so appreciative and grateful for us and the sweet spirit she felt when she watched the video. She was very excited about us coming and really wants the sisters to go back. I'm very excited to see how that works out. :) We are fasting and praying as a mission that we will be able to find and baptize someone because of the "He is the gift" initiative and I felt so strongly that she will be an answer to that prayer. So cool. :)

Fun miracle in my area. :) A few weeks ago we got a call from a man in St. Louis who is a member and he told us about how he had been talking about the church with one of his coworkers who lives in Chicago and that she was really interested in the gospel and wanted to learn more. Well, she came to church on Sunday. :) She couldn't have been more darling and just fit in with the ward so well and loved what she learned. She felt the spirit super strong and had a really special experience. I am so excited to see what Gods plan is for her. She is so special. 

Tripanionship

I had the funnest moment in the whole world on Saturday. :) I don't remember if I told you about Jenni? She was the most adorable young woman that I taught while I was in LaPorte. :) She was so excited about the gospel and just loved everything at we were teaching her. Well, when we were teaching her she accepted everything we taught in such a powerful and tender way. She was very receptive to the doctrines we taught her, but she was really scared to be baptized. It was really intimidating for her and always seemed kind of daunting. Well, she GOT BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY. :) I was so happy. She has shown so much faith this whole time and now she showed the faith to be baptized. I am so proud of her.  I got to Skype in and watch it online, it was such a tender mercy to be able to be apart of her special day. I love that girl so much and I am so grateful for her faith that she has shown and for her courageous example. She is so brave and I just love her so much. She is so special. :) It was really fun to get to see her and everyone else from LaPorte. That Ward will always hold such a special place in my heart, I loved them so much. One of the happiest moments of that Skype call was when sister Paulson told me that they had set up an appointment for Wednesday for her husband to revive his endowment. AHHHHH. I was so privileged to teach her and him temple prep while I was serving there and now he is going to make some of the most special covenants in the whole world. I just cried when she told me. The spirit was so strong. I am so proud of that tender family. The gospel has completely changed their lives and they are feeling a profound peace and happiness that is so powerful. I am thrilled beyond belief. :) He is receiving his endowment on Wednesday and they will be sealed in a few weeks. Every time I think about them I feel so overwhelmed with happiness. COVENANTS ARE THE BEST. :) 

Ice Cream after a great lesson!

We had the most unreal experience this week. :) We were walking down the hall of an apartment building to go and visit some of our investigators, when we heard the most beautiful music I have ever heard coming out of this apartment. Because we are missionaries and we can do things like this, we knocked on the door and the cutest little family invited us in. When we turned the corner and there was. Easily 50 or 60 people sitting in this tiny little room having the most beautiful church service. There were families, kids, individuals all coming together under the most humble of circumstances to worship. It was beautiful. They were all from Berma and spoke very little English, but they were so kind to us. They asked us to introduce ourselves and they made us feel so welcome. They sang "Joy to the World" in what I would assume is Bermize? I don't actually know what language it was? But I have never felt the spirit so strong during a song my whole life. It left me completely covered in chills and absolutely speechless. We couldn't stay for long, but I was so touched. I felt so much love for those sweet people and was so inspired by their simple desire to follow and worship their savior. I loved it.  

Well. :) I love my mission, I love this time of year, I love you, I love my savior, and I love my

Christmas picture with the District

Heavenly Father. I am so happy and I couldn't be more grateful for the experiences I am having. Thank you for supporting me and loving me. I hope you are all having an incredible Christmas season and that you are remembering that Christ is the gift. :)

I LOVE YOU. 

-Sister Watts