Yesterday at Christmas Eve Church our Bishop and his wife spoke and did a wonderful job reminding us about the reason for the season and the reason for life: Jesus Christ. Our Bishop's wife referenced a talk by Elder Causse (who also is the man!) called, "Preparing a Place for the Lord." In it he talks about how our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was born and raised in simple circumstances but that will not be the case when He returns. He then asks us to reflect on how we can prepare "welcoming places for Him for the day He returns." And he offers us four suggestions of how we can best prepare. I want to outline these four suggestions and share stories along with them.
1. Go to the Temple.
I briefly mentioned last week that we had plans to go to the temple this week. Well 2:00 a.m. Thursday morning that is exactly what we got up and did! We slept in a sweet member couple's car for four hours down twisty turny roads all the way to Columbia South Carolina. A recent convert, the half-footed vet, was there as well and he said that he didn't fall asleep until 1:00 a.m. because he was so excited! We were able to do 20 of his family names. 2 of which were his parents. His remark after being baptized and confirmed for his father was: "There is no word in the English language to describe the way that I feel right now, I am so warm and tingley, and I know that he and the Holy Spirit were right there with me." He also said that walking into the temple was like "walking into heaven." It was incredible to be a part of this lifechanging experience for him. Sister See and I were able to take his mom, and a female relative from 1859 whose name was Nancy and do their initiatory and endowment. It was such a privilege, and such a sweet experience to be proxy for a woman who shares the same name as my sweet mama. No coincidences on that one! It was also really important for me to be able to go and add names to the prayer roll. Both people I have met out here as well as people that have reached out to me and told me that they write my name on there each time they go. Thank you! What a great way to prepare for Christmas and prepare for Christ! Elder Causse says it best when he says: "One of the best ways we, as His disciples can prepare for His Second Coming is to go regularly to His holy house and bind ourselves to Him through sacred covenants."
2. Prepare Your Home
My family, oh my sweet family. Talking to them today was such a long-awaited and counted-down to time! Ugh I just love them, I cannot even adequately express how much I love them. I am so grateful for the way that they have prepared our home so that the Spirit could be there and that I could learn all that I did so that I could use those experiences to prepare for my time as a missionary here in Tennessee. I am grateful for my companion Sister See and our sweet little apartment here on Fairgrounds Rd. that we have made our temporary home. I am grateful for the Spirit that resides here and the many things that we have learned together, and experiences we have shared. Saying see you later to her this upcoming Wednesday is something I am partially dreading because I am so grateful for her example and friendship. However I am also very excited to hear all about the adventures that await her as she heads home and heads to BYUI (we have a running bet that she will be married by November 18, why that date, I don't even remember but a trip to Hawaii is on the line and the way I see it it is a win-win either way!). But I also want to mention my gratitude for the many homes that have been prepared to welcome us into as missionaries, both by members and non-members alike. Southern hospitality is so real as is the Christmas Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. People have been so kind in reaching out to us and inviting us into their homes. I am so grateful for my Greeneville family, and my Greeneville home. Elder Causse said that "Our homes need not be spacious or luxurious. A humble dwelling, centered on the gospel and filled with caring family and friends, would make Him happy." I know that the homes that I have been in make Him happy and they make me happy, and they make my family happy knowing I am taken care of and looked after.
3. Gather the Elect
Oh boy, where to even begin? We are currently working with some amazing people right now that I love and care about and truly think they are elect. There is an almost 9 year old girl in the ward that comes weekly, but was never given a name and a blessing, or baptized but is ready to be. She reads her scriptures each night and is able to tell us about what she has read. She prays nightly and helps her siblings pray as well. We love her, she is such an example to us!
We also are working with the above mentioned recent convert that went to the temple with, his nephew. Who has been reading the Book of Mormon and wants to be baptized, when that time comes hopefully in February his sweet uncle will be able to perform that ordinance which is just so amazing to think about!!!!! I could ramble on and on about this one, but I think it will suffice to say that as I think of the past year from the time that I was sitting in Mexico getting ready to head to Tennessee, to sitting in Tennessee now, I reflect on the hundreds of people I have met and how many of them are an inspiration to me. There are elect all around us and we are the Lord's instruments in bringing them closer to Him, through membership in His Church. Elder Causse describes how apostles and disciples of Christ have: "relentlessly spread the gospel." We all can do that, with or without the tag we can live what we know and share what we believe by our examples and our choices.
4. Help Those in Need
Here it comes, my weekly schpill on Light the World. Oh my goodness what a perfect way to help those in need! The 25 ways over 25 days campaign has been incredible to be a part of. Hearing about the outreach of those who have participated has been incredible. I want to share one such story that struck me nice and deep this week. Our ward has set up in the foyer what they call an "angel tree" where they hang paper angels, labeled with items needed to provide Christmas for local children. Normally they reach out to families in the ward, but this year those that were asked to be recipients declined. So the Bishopbric thought, maybe we won't do it this year. But they continued to think and received the prompting to reach out to the community. They went to local schools and were able to work with them to provide Christmas for 8 local children that otherwise would have had no Christmas. This story is touching already but the stipulations for the gifts is what tore at my heartstrings. Ward members were told that absolutely no receipts could be attached to the gifts and if at all possible there should be no indication as to where the gifts had been purchased because "the parents will try to go exchange the gifts to get drug money" oh. my. goodness. My heart shattered to bits when I heard that. There are so many in need, I am humbled to say I had no idea how needy some people even inside the United States, I know it isn't unique to Tennessee, there is darkness, drugs, grunge, hoplessness, and despair in each and every state, community, and city. Christmas is a time when we can do our part to help alleviate some of those burdens, yet how much better would it be if we could continue to reach out year round. That's why I am grateful for tithes and offerings, because that is how we as a Church reach out year round. I also really appreciate the way that the Light the World campaign emphasizes that there are spiritual needs as well as temporal. I am sure we all know someone who could use a spiritual boost, both today and tomorrow, and in the future I know that there will be people placed in our paths that we need to impact for the better. I know from personal experience that the Lord needs us to be ready to minister to His struggling children "at all times, in all things and in all places." (Mosiah 18:9).
As we do so we will find that in helping our brothers and sisters around us we will really be helping and serving our Brother Jesus Christ. The hymn "Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" puts it best:
’Twas night; the floods were out; it blew
A winter hurricane aloof.
I heard his voice abroad and flew
To bid him welcome to my roof.
I warmed and clothed and cheered my guest
And laid him on my couch to rest;
Then made the earth my bed, and seemed
In Eden’s garden while I dreamed. …
Then in a moment to my view
The stranger started from disguise.
The tokens in his hands I knew;
The Savior stood before mine eyes.
He spake, and my poor name he named,
“Of me thou hast not been ashamed.
These deeds shall thy memorial be;
Fear not, thou didst them unto me."
I know that our Savior lives, we can prepare our lives and ourselves to welcome Him and we will find that as we do so light will enter our lives and a happiness and true joy unlike any other will be ours as we are "on His errand."
I am so grateful for my life and they way I am living.
I am grateful for each of you and wish you the Merriest of Christmases.
Merry Christmas, and Feliz Navidad Y'all!
Love,
Hermana Hall
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