Turn The Car Around

MERRY CHRISTMAS:) 

This week was so special!! 

Tuesday was our zone conference. It was so fun to be with the missionaries in our zone. I love them all. We had the opportunity to go to all the zone conferences in the mission and ours was definitely the best;) 

On Wednesday we went to the Lansing/Spanish zone conference to be a part of the choir. It was fun and I got to see some old friends. 

That night we had an awesome experience- we went to this address from our records and a man named Andre answered. We asked if he'd be interested in hearing a Christmas message and he said that they were busy. We asked if we could come back again another time and he again said that they were too busy. So we left. On the way home we felt uneasy. We felt a really special spirit about Andre and knew that God needed us to go back at some point. We got home but stayed In our car. We prayed to know if we were supposed to go back that night. After we prayed, Sister Schmidt said "I'm turning the car around- we'll know along the way if it's right to go back tonight or not". The minute she turned the car around, we felt peace. We knew that we needed to go back that night. We knocked and said "hey this might be awkward but we really feel that God has a message for you and your family, when can we come back and share it?". He said we could come back next Saturday at 5. I seriously can't wait. 

This experience taught me about faith. If sis Schmidt and I had just sat in the car and waited for an answer to come, we would've been there all night. But the minute we made a choice and took action- that's when the answer came that we were doing the right thing. Sometimes God needs us to choose before He just gives us the answer. Then once we chose, He tells us if what we're doing is right or wrong. 

Thursday was a crazy busy day!! We taught lots of lessons and stopped by lots of friends who needed some Christmas cheer.

We had a really sacred experience with our friend Hong. She's a member who doesn't come to church that often because she can't drive herself. We played President Nelson's Christmas message and she was brought to tears. She opened up about some really hard things she was experiencing. We just listened, hugged her, and cried with her. I felt so strongly in that moment that the Savior was with us. That He is completely aware of her situation, even though she's alone. I came to understand the Savior's love more than I have before. I know that He's aware of us even when we don't feel like it.  He sits in the hard with us.  He cries with us. He listens.  And that's the beautiful thing about Christmas- we celebrate that we have a Savior who was willing to descend below all things so that we are not alone.  

Christmas eve and Christmas were so special!  We spent part of the day with our district hanging out and playing games. Christmas eve night we had a dinner with some of my favorite people on the earth. Sis Thurber, sis mayo, rich, Audrey, Billie Sue, and the elders were there too. We had a blast. Breakfast for dinner and then we sang/ played Christmas songs. I felt so at home and so filled. 

Christmas day we spent it with the coipel family and with our friend Aly and her fam! I felt so blessed to be with these amazing people. 

I loved spending Christmas on my mission.  it was peaceful. It was really special to always be focused on the Savior. I know He lives and loves us all. And the cool thing about being on a mission is that my opportunity to focus on the Savior 24/7 isn't over. I get to keep telling everyone I know about Him. It doesn't stop just because Christmas is over. And that makes me so happy:) 

I love you all so much and hope you had the best Christmas ever! Happy New Year!! 

Sis Ross 

Photo dump of this week!! 

 1) we went caroling to a nursing home and it was the best thing ever 

Everything else) zone conferences, district activities, Christmas eve and Christmas