Dec. 16, 2013 Bucksport, Maine

What shall I give Him?

Hello hello!!                                  Dec. 16, 2013

I hope that you are all doing well!! :)  It has been quite the week here!  Christmas is in the air that is for sure!! 

First, I have some pretty great news.  It all started on Tuesday when we went to teach Valerie along with Sister Millis.  We taught the law of chastity and it went alright, but she and her returning less-active boyfriend weren't too committed to living it.  Then we taught her again on Thursday and it was a fantastic lesson.  She still wants to get baptized on January 11th so bad!  She knows that living the law of chastity is necessary and she wanted to find a way to make it work.  So, we got a call on Friday, and she told us that they are planning on getting married the day of her baptism!!!!  We get pretty great calls from her :)  I just love both of them so much! They are great, and I hope and pray that everything works out for them, and if it does it seems as if I will attend a wedding as well as a baptism this transfer! :) 

As far as the rest of our teaching pool it is kind of shrinking.  Vijay is on Christmas break from the academy so we won't get to teach him again until the beginning of January.  We did teach him this past week though.  The word of wisdom.  It went well, but his attitude toward it is pretty much encompassed in the saying Sister Bickel and I have been quoting like all week, "Don't knock it 'till you try it."  We're going to need to work with him on that a bit.  What a fun lesson :)  We need to do some finding, and that is what we've been trying to do.  What better way to find then help people shovel snow!!  There is a lot of that around here lately.  On Saturday, after our branch Christmas party (which was awesome by the way), we had heard so much about a storm coming in we decided to go buy a shovel.  I'm so glad that we did!  We have sooo much snow!! Yesterday they cancelled church because of the weather, and our car was grounded.  So, what did we do?  Walked in the storm with a shovel helping other people shovel!! :)  It was actually super fun!! :)  It is so beautiful!!  Not the funnest to drive in, but walking was really not as cold as I thought that it would be.  We bundled up really good.  I wish that I could send you pictures this week, but we are at the Bucksport library because we didn't want to drive down to Blue Hill.  Overall, we made some good friends on our shovelling excursion :)  A lady and her daughter invited us in after we helped them, and they were super open and willing to have us come back over!!  Hopefully new investigators :)  Hooray for that!! 

We had zone interviews this week which is always good!  I love being able to gather together with other missionaries and talk about how to become better disciples of Christ as we preach His word :)  I also love our mission president!  He is such a great man and I look up to him and his wife so much.  It is a hard calling, but they are putting everything they have into it!  Just like they ask us to do :) 

Hmm...what else happened this week?  We taught Kaila, and she is doing well!! :)  There are still so many trials she has had to deal with, but she is doing it with a great attitude!  Also, the members are helping so, sooo much with her, it is great! :)  She is amazing!  James is doing great on the ship, he may even be back a month early so we may get to see him again before the next transfer which would be great!  Other than that we have really just been enjoying this time of year!  We listen to Christmas music day in and day out and we just love our decorations :)  We decorated our Christmas light tree and it looks so cute! We also made a fireplace to go next to it!  And now with all of the snow it is practically perfect!! :)

This really is my favorite time of year, and I love being able to celebrate the season on my mission!!  It has put Christmas in a whole new perspective for me.  We go to the store and it is crazy and hectic.  I'm so glad that I don't have to deal with all of that!  We get to spread the good news of the Savior and His gospel and the true meaning of Christmas with everyone we can!!  I've never felt so focused on Christ in my life.  I love my Savior and am grateful for everything that He has given to me!!  I will be forever grateful for the gift of His life and the Atonement.  I've been thinking a lot about gifts lately.  Not about gifts that others will give me, or gifts I will give others, but about a gift that I can give my Redeemer.  There is a Christmas song called In a Bleak Midwinter that has become one of my favorites. It plays over and over in my head.  I love the last verse so much.

What shall I give Him,

poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb;

If I were a wise man,

I would do my part;

Yet what I can,

     I can give Him:

Give my heart.

I love my Savior, Jesus Christ.  I know that He is the reason we celebrate Christmas, and we should remember to give a gift to Him this season. 

Love you all so much,

Sister Bergeson :)