Merry Christmas!!! Weekly email #42

Hey familia and otherwise. =]  Merry Christmas to you! I don't have much to say today, but the little bit I have, I'll tell you. 

Does anybody know how Boyd and Susanna (also, I can't remember if her name is Susanne or Susanna. Sorry!) are? I thought about them the other day. Just wondering. 

Our mission fleet coordinator has been cracking down on mileage recently, so Sister Palmer and I borrowed bikes from the elders in Lake Poway and rode them to the church building that's 1 1/2 miles away for a lesson. When we got there our lesson  got cancelled, which we were super bummed about, but we sure liked riding our bikes there! (see pic 1) We did it one other time, this time with longer skirts, and it was a lot more enjoyable. Julianne, how did you bike on your mission? Haha. It felt good. 

I did an exchange with a Sister from Mexico that is English speaking right now. Her name is Sister Lopez. She's legit learning English right now. Anyway, we had a really awesome day! (see pic 2) Her teaching is really good because she only says what's necessary and she pauses to think which invites the spirit. It's the best. 

We had our mission Christmas party this week!!!!! That was SO FUN! They fed us breakfast and President and Sister Clayton gave us all a California San Diego temple recommend holder. On the inside it has the CSDM logo and our mission scriptures, 2 Nephi 2:8. It is SO COOl. Oh, and it says "With love, President and Sister Clayton". I am going to keep it FOREVER! They gave us time to take pictures while we ate. It was so fun to see friends from past districts and zones. SO GOOD! And then we did a gift exchange. I got two pair of earrings, one of them I'll probably never wear because they're so little, but the other pair is silver french twists or something like that.....hard to describe. I LOVE THEM! I wore them yesterday. After the gift exchange we went into the chapel and we just all sang hymns together! Our whole mission! I was so touched by the spiritual power in there that I just cried. President Clayton also told us about the mission president that is coming in July. His name is President Schmidt and he is from Texas! His family is young, with the oldest of 4? kids still in high school. It'll definitely be different, but I already felt a lot of love for him. President Schmidt will be my mission president for 9 or so weeks. Cool. btw, I got a picture with Elder Mason Lucero as proof that he's in my mission. Enjoy. =] 

Last Tuesday before p-day was over we went to a Christmas house. This guy that has a lot of money decorates his house up with no stoppers and has santa come. And it's free to take a picture with Santa there so tons of people go there. So we went there before everyone and we took a picture with Santa! There's a picture of some of us sisters in the zone with Santa and Mrs. Claus. =] 

Also, we have a baptism this Saturday! Ashley is getting baptized at 3 pm and I am SO EXCITED!!!!! Christmas gift to Jesus. =] 

Also, the best picture is of me and family! I asked President Clayton a little while ago about Don taking me and my companion out to lunch for Christmas and he said yes as long as it was in my zone and on a p-day. So today Don, Laila, and Rose took me and Sister Palmer out to a greek restaurant. And we've been at the stake center since then. I love this picture!!!!!! =D =D =D 

That's all! Merry Christmas! Love you all! 

-Sister Bishop

Christmas is coming! Weekly email #41

Hey family! I flew home a year ago today from school. Right before Christmas and stuff. What that means is that time is going by! Wow! First off, administrative items, as it were: 

Can I call you at 12 central? It would be perfect for me because it'd be right after our companion study. Let me know. If you don't say anything, that's when I'll call. 

Also, maybe you could make a list of things you want to ask or talk about for our phone call. It's only supposed to be 30-40 minutes and I want to make it efficient and full of fun. =] 

I don't know if I have a whole ton to say today. Just mostly pictures. I hope you enjoy them. One really great thing that happened this week is that Boone passed the sacrament for the first time this past Sunday!!!! It was SO COOL to see our recent convert to pass the sacrament. And to top it off, he passed it directly to us. SWEET! 

Ashley, she's in some pictures, is getting baptized now on December 28th, not January 4th. And Heather is now getting baptized on January 4th, not December 28th. Heather would be getting baptized earlier, but she has to come to our ward. She's been to church 3 times, so that 's not the problem. We just want her to be able to come to church. And she just found out that she got a promotion at a bank and she won't have to work on Sundays anymore! Whoo-hoo! And to top it off, this morning she texted and said she gets off work at 12:30 on Sunday so she can come to church after all! We are so excited to have her there for our Christmas program. 

Last night for fhe the bishop had a Christmas dinner at his house. IT WAS SO GOOD! The food was good, but mostly Sister Palmer and I were so happy because of the people that came. We had a lot of returning less-actives and some non-members and both of our progressing investigators. Man, it's awesome. We just could not get over how awesome it was. And then when we left we had a voicemail from Austin, a ward missionary. His message said he had super great news and to call him at his work phone. So we did and he had a referral for us! It was his boss! Austin was really excited to tell us that he testified. We had been teaching him how to do that. It's called teach, testify, invite. That's how you do it, people! Anyway, life is good. I don't have much else to say. 

Love you! -Sister Bishop                                                                                                                    

pic 1 - me and Elder Hill after zone conference. He's my district leader. He's cool. And he's from Mississippi. 

pic 2 - my zone after zone conference 

pic 3 -  The woman at the well!!!! I hope you enjoy this picture. I have wanted to take it for MONTHS. The church is on the street that we live on. 

pic 4 - my companion and myself! 

pic 5- me, Ashley getting baptized on December 28th, Sister Palmer, and Heather getting baptized on January 4th 

pi 6- Bishop and Sister Meacham! He's the Bishop of Mt Woodson. And all of these Christmas pictures are taken in his home.

We got a surprise Christmas tree! Missionary miracle. Weekly email #40

Familia! 

I have to start out with saying that yes, mom, I got the package. It was super fun to open! I'm really glad you sent the blouse with the flowers on it and my headband and the other purple shirt with the pocket. And the scarf is so beautiful! see pic 1. And I am super honored to wear the sweater Julianne wore her whole mission. I put it on right when I got it and wore it for the rest of the day. *heads up to Julianne. This part is for her. And I hope she feels bad for NOT EMAILING ME THIS WEEK* When I took off the sweater to hang it up at the end of the night, I don't know what possessed me to do this but I looked at the back of the tag and I saw that Julianne had written her initials and a heart and a star. Julianne, I just want you to know that my heart melted. It was such a tender moment for me. (pic 2 I'm wearing the sweater)

This week I got to go on exchanges with Sister Sorensen. That was fun. =] We got to see a miracle. We had received a referral from some elders up in Ramona and they had already set up an appointment for us. So we went up there and 30 minutes before the lesson we got a member to say he could come. That was a miracle. Anyway, we go to teach Heather, who is 28, and amazing things happened. Heather used to date a mormon guy and he invited her to church. She liked it so she met with the missionaries. But when she broke up with the guy she stopped going to that ward and meeting with the missionaries. She recognized she wanted to make changes and what she was learning was good so she referred herself on mormon.org!!!! Cool, huh? Anyway, Sister Sorensen brings up baptism at the perfect time and Heather says "I was hoping you'd ask me that". WHO SAYS THAT?! Prepared people, that's who. So then we invited her to be baptized on December 28th, and she said "sure! What day of the week is it so I can ask it off?" WHAT THE HEAVEN?! It was really amazing. When we left the lesson Kyler, the member, said "Could she have made it any easier for you guys?" Haha. It was easy. Elder Ballard always says that when you teach the doctrine people will ask us if they can be baptized. That's essentially what happened. It was so wonderful. 

Sister Tengberg (you saw a picture of me in their decorated home before) asked us a week or so ago if we needed anything. I said we would love to have a Christmas tree, so she surprised us a got us a 4 feet tall Christmas tree with ornaments and decorations. Sister Palmer and I had a blast putting it up on Friday. see pic 3. Hey Dad! Are you wearing your Christmas ties? Will you take a picture with them on and send them to me? I miss seeing you in them. 

We got to watch the Christmas Devotional on Sunday. Elder Nelson said that at Christmas we spend time with our families and family time is sacred time. I was sitting there wondering why missionaries don't get family time (well, we do get to phone home. That's awesome. =] ) on Christmas if it's so sacred. At that point, I finally understood the saying "missionaries leave their family for a short time so others can be with theirs forever". It was really special. =] 

Anyway, family, I don't think I have anything else to say. I love you! Merry Christmas! 

-Sister Audrey Bishop 

pic 1 - Elder Casey (zone leader) put on my scarf last week 

pic 2 - Elder Hill (district leader), Elder Arntsen, myself, and Sister Palmer. We had a mostly district lunch on Friday which was my 9 month mark. Then took a picture. Gotta love timers! 

pic 3 - Us and our little Christmas tree. It adds a lot of Christmas spirit in our missionary apartment. There's a picture of Jesus taped at the top. You might be able to see it if you zoom in. 

The best picture of all! It's a Texas ornament on Bishop Meacham's tree. They used to live in Austin. Anyway, enjoy! 

A picture from Elder Brent VanAlfen who says Mom and Dad sure raised a wonderful daughter!

Thanksgiving and Temple lights. Weekly email #39

Hey Family! 

Transfers were super crazy last week! My favorite district leader got transferred and became a zone leader back in Chula Vista! I'm sad he's not my district leader anymore, but I'm happy he's a zone leader and I got to see him at MLC (mission leadership council) yesterday AND at the temple lights, so it's alright. And our new district leader, Elder Hill, is way cool. Sister Pond, WHOM I LOVE SO MUCH (see pic 1)  is the new sister training leader!!!!! It was super funny. They pulled Sister Engebretsen out of Chula 3rd (my birth place!) and Sister Kober went home, which meant they were whitewashing Chula 3rd which is weird because they just white washed it in March when Sister Brown and I went in. But whatever. Anyway, Sister Pond's companion was getting transferred, so we figured Sister Pond and Sister Engebretsen would be companions and Sister Pond would be the new STL! Anyway, when President Clayton announced it in transfer meeting a ton of people around me (and myself) raised our fists and quietly cheered because we were so happy. President Clayton chuckled and said that it was the best muffled cheer he's ever heard. Haha. It was awesome. So maybe Sister Pond and I will get to be companions someday. I sure do hope so. =D =D =D 

Oh, but this is the part of transfers that you'll think is interesting. Elder Mason Lucero is now in my mission! Apparently he's waiting for his visa, but it's still super cool. I was so excited when he introduced himself in transfer meeting. I went up to him afterwards and had to help him remember who I am. But still. It's awesome. 

The next day was Thanksgiving!!!!!! Hooray! That morning a bunch of missionaries in our zone played football for exercise. It was fun to have a mini turkey bowl. ate dinner at the Brundage's. (he's in the bishopric) Their home is GORGEOUS and HUGE. Their was tons of yummy food made and there was so much food leftover they sent us home with some. Oh darn. =P But really, there were kids and adults and the food was yummy and Thanksgiving was awesome! (see pic 2) 

Our YSA ward combined with 2 other YSA wards in the area for fast and testimony meeting this week. It was a ton of fun. We had to get permission to go out of our zone for church, which was funny. But the missionaries serving in the Palomar ward had to call their mission president and get permission to come to church because they're in the Carlsbad mission! It was so weird when they walked in because we didn't know those missionaries. haha. But it was way fun. Our investigator, Ashley, was well taken care of. She went to church one time in the Black Mountain ward and she saw some of those people, but she said she likes our ward better! Yippee! Our ward is great, after all. I'm so stoked to be here for Christmas! =D ....Anyway....

Last night our ward was going to the temple for Sights and Sounds. Sights and Sounds means looking at the temple lights and listening to a small choir from a community church (as in not LDS). Anyway, we really wanted to go so we set up a lesson with Ashley for right after we watched/listened to the choir and got permission to leave our zone for it. The temples lights are SO BEAUTIFUL! After the choir sang we went to a spot of grass on temple grounds and had a lesson. We just briefly taught the beginning of the restoration, but we can tell that Ashley's faith is growing. She is becoming more confident that she'll be baptized on January 4th and she's reading the Book of Mormon and she can tell it's making her happier! Please pray she'll make her date. We are really excited for her. 

Everyone should watch the new Mormon Message that's up on lds.org It's called "The Reason Behind Christmas" and it's really cute and touching. Also, I really love this verse:  

3 Nephi 5:13  Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life. 

Being a missionary is so great. =D 

Oh, really fast: the call home on Christmas is supposed to just be for Mom and Dad, and it's only supposed to be 30-40 minutes. I would love to hear everyone's voice super fast, which is okay, but it's supposed to be quick. So what if we coordinate the timing of the phone call with everyone and see who can listen in to the conversation? But I can only say hi for a minute or two, and then it's back to mom and dad. 

Can't wait! Christmas is the best! Love, Sister Audrey Michelle Bishop 

pic 1 - Sister Pond and I after transfer meeting 

pic 2 - my companion and I on Thanksgiving showing the porch of the Brundage's home

pic 3 - the 4 English sister training leaders after MLC 

pic 4 - I know you can't really see our faces, but it's Kadi Baggett (AMAZING member and fellowshipper. She's an RM. We'll probably be friends after my mission) , Sister Palmer, myself, and Ashley. 

pic 5 - A lot of people from the ward. Back row first: Jake, Chris, Thomas, Tom, Kyler

front row: Sister Palmer, myself, Kristi, Ashley, and Kadi . THE BEAUTIFUL TEMPLE AND CHRISTMAS LIGHTS! 

pic 6 - the most beautiful temple ever all lit up for Christmas. =]