email from December 26, 2022
Hey Everyone!
I hope that everyone was able to have a Very Merry Christmas!! It has really been an amazing Christmas Season, and I am sad to see it go, but it is always good to spread the light of Jesus Christ all year round! 🙂
Last Monday, I can’t remember if I said what we did, but we were able to make Ginger Bread Houses and make a massive stuffed Santa Farias. That was pretty fun, and it turned out super funny! For the head, we got a bloon and taped a picture of our Mission president, so he was the Santa Clause ??.
Tuesday, we had District Council, and then we had so many lessons! It was a super busy day, so it pretty much flew by.
Wednesday, we woke up a little bit earlier and got ready super early because we trekked all the way to Fayetteville for the missionary Christmas Devotional! That was super fun to be able to see all of the other missionaries and play games and eat good food. At the end of the devotional, we went to the chapel and some of the missionaries sang or played some really pretty music. As the closing Hymn, we sang Silent night and because my mission President is from Brazil, we sang the last verse in Portuguese. That was a super cool experience.
Thursday, we had weekly planning. That was pretty much it lol. We did have a lesson with someone we were teaching, but they decided that they no longer wanted to meet with us. That is always sad, but it is okay because he will get another chance to accept the gospel at another time in his life. We had a good weekly planning session and got it all done!
Friday, we had exchanges. We had a good lesson in the morning, and then went to Macon and I stayed in Warner Robins and Elder Scoresby came with me. Elder Lettich and McCaulley stayed in the Macon area. We had an incredible exchange and had some super awesome lessons! Our friend who we put on date last week was having some hard core opposition, but we had a good lesson with him, and we are hoping that we were able to resolve some of his concerns.
Saturday was Christmas Eve! We unexchanged at lunch and had Subway. Then we went to a birthday party for Jesus at someone that the previous Elders have taught house. We then were able to go to the Kimball’s and have deer chili, and it was super yummy. We were able to have a good time at their house and I always like going over to their house :). When we got home, we started making cookies, and we doubled this recipe that makes 96 cookies, so we had SOOOO many cookies!! By the end, we had like 5 or 6 gallon size zip lock bags that were just full of cookies!!
Sunday, we went to church in the morning, and that was super awesome! We had a combined meeting with the first ward, so there were two wards that were meeting in one hour. The songs that were sung and the choir were very beautiful :). Then, because it was Christmas, I was able to call my family (two days in a row!), so that was super awesome!! In the evening, we got to go to the Harpers house, and they completely spoiled us too! We were able to play some games, and the food that was made was my favorite foods all in one dish :). We didn’t get to deliver our cookies yet, but we plan on doing that later today. And then Sunday night, I found out that I am leaving Warner Robins!! On Wednesday, I will find out where I am going to go.
For a spiritual thought today, I wanted to share from Helaman chapter 14 which is Samuel the Lamanite prophesying of Jesus Christ’s Birth. In verse 3 it reads, “And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness” which I love because Jesus Christ is the Light of the World. Verse 8 then sums it up perfectly, “And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall believe on the Son of God, the same shall have everlasting life.” I hope that everyone was able to focus on the Savior this Christmas season, because He is the reason for the Season :). I know that God Loves you; He sent His only begotten Son so that we could return to him someday! I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Love you all! I’ll let you know where I end up next week 🙂
-Elder Claussen
