"Born on Christmas Day" - November 29, 2021

Family and friends, hello!

It has been quite an exciting week! We had exchanges on Tuesday with the Sister Training Leaders and there were SO MANY MIRACLES! Wow!! I went to Ashland, Kentucky with Sister Walker. We began with doing some service at a clothes store. From there we drove to some recent referrals homes and knocked on their doors. We gave a Plan of Salvation pamphlet to one of them! The last one we tried to visit didn't live at the address listed so we knocked on some of the neighbors doors! We had a wonderful conversation with a lady who is friends with people who attend the Ashland ward! She accepted a Book of Mormon so hopefully something comes of it! This neighborhood was also right along the Ohio River! It was beautiful!! That evening we were calling a few other referrals and two of them who haven't been very responsive in the past answered! One said they weren't interested but the other set an appointment up! Later in the week Sister Walker told me the lesson had gone really well and they had another appointment set up! It was super exciting! Also, our mission president recently approved over night exchanges so I stayed the night in Ashland! It was so much fun!

Happy Thanksgiving!! We had an early Thanksgiving with the Baker Family on Wednesday night! It was us, their family, the Huntington 2 Elders and the Marshall Elders! We played games, ate, talked and laughed! On Thursday we had lunch with Michelle! We do service for her at her quilt shop. We ate at Cracker Barrel! It was very yummy! It was also special for me because 10 years ago, almost exactly, my great grandpa Francis died. He would always take us out to Cracker Barrel! It was as if we were celebrating him, too! That evening Sister George and I ate dinner with Brandon! We ate at the park and hadn't thought to much about how light it would be outside, haha. It ended up being dark and cold but it was still a lot of fun sitting under the pavilion eating Thanksgiving dinner! I am so grateful for the amazing people I have met out here on my mission. I love them all so much!

Saturday was a very special day! My brother Ben and his wife Dani came and had dinner with us!!! They were on their way home from visiting family for the holiday. We had a wonderful dinner together! I am so grateful for them and the influence they have had on my life. It was truly a miracle to be able to see them!

As a zone we had a huge push to get our friends to church this week! Saturday night we called everyone we could and invited them to attend! Our friend Jack said he would be busy but about an hour later he called back! And said he would change his plans so he could come!!! Sister George and I waited for him but at 11 Sacrament Meeting started and he still hadn't come. BUT! at 11:15 a.m. guess who walked into the chapel???!!! JACK! He came to church!!! It was an absolute miracle! Afterward he said he had enjoyed it and we confirmed our lesson with him on Wednesday. I don't think I have said much about Jack but he has been taught by missionaries before. We have been trying to meet with him for about 3 weeks and every time something seems to come up! But then he came to church!! Yay!!!

David is doing ok. He also came to church yesterday!!! On Tuesday Sister George and Sister Johansen taught him. He has some questions about baptism still and why he needs to do it again. We are meeting with him this Wednesday and will hopefully be able to clear up some of his questions!! Please keep him in your prayers, everyone!

Song of the Week: "Born on Christmas Day" by Kristin Chenoweth. I love this song so much! The Christmas Season is for us to all celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. He came into this world in the most humble of circumstances and yet was the "King of Kings," as the song says. On Sunday we had the opportunity to watch a broadcast from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints called "Witnesses of Christ." I encourage you all to watch it! It gives a new perspective of those that were present at the birth of the Savior. He came for us, to love and guide us.

Have a wonderful week! Talk to y'all next Monday!

-Sister Francis