Fwd: Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas everyone!

 Training calls are coming in today (they're calling everyone who's training new missionaries coming in next week), and I guess I'm a little nervous. Last night I dreamed I was training a Sister Amy Humphreys, who was terribly homesick and I was terribly cocky. I also dreamed that Sister Buhler and I crashed F61's into the capitol building. Hopefully only the first part comes true if any of it.

This week has been one of the best so far! Sister Buhler and I have a system pretty well established, and we're rapidly becoming more efficient and effective in goal-setting and scheduling, finding and following up with potential investigators, and in how we approach situations with members and investigators. Our teaching is improving as we focus on asking inspired questions, listening, and using scriptures to teach. We are obedient missionaries. We aren't perfect at it every day, but we're trying hard. We constantly look for ways to improve.

I loved the Skype home, by the way! My view of y'all on my end was pretty terribly pixelated, but it was good to see your shapes and hear your voices. :) I love you and I'm so grateful for your diligent support of me on my mission. You're all being such good missionaries back home-- we are one rocking family!

Yesterday Sister Buhler led the singing in sacrament meeting, I played the organ, and we taught sharing time in primary. It's great to be involved in the ward.

Of course it must be time for transfers, because we've just settled into the swing of things! But I'm so grateful for what I've learned here with Sister Buhler in John's Creek. While difficult, no doubt, I'm blessed with an extraordinarily missionary-minded ward, a diligent companion, a committed and involved ward mission leader, and both the zone leaders and the sister training leaders as good examples to work with in the ward. I have some good ideas of what an ideal area is like. I don't know how the setup could be better!

The Lord gave us a great gift on Christmas Day. We visited an investigator, Vivian Bailey, who was alone on Christmas in terrible health, expecting to share a simple devotional with her. However, she was in much better health than we'd ever seen her-- and as we felt directed, we taught a lesson and invited her to be baptized. She accepted the invitation and is currently on date for January 18th. That's the first investigator we've put on date, and it was on Christmas Day. What a gift from Heavenly Father! I hope everything comes through for her. Please keep her in your prayers.

The work is picking up in every aspect. We're finding so many promising people, and the investigators we're already working with are starting to progress. I can feel the Lord is blessing us for trying so hard to be diligent. 

Could you please keep these investigators in your prayers? They'll need the extra faith. Thank you.

Morgen 

Devon

Vivian

Fernando & Miriam Escobar

Yana & Angelica Kaspirova

Thank you for everything. Happy New Year!

Sister Christa Taylor