Merry Christmas!

Dearest familia y amigos

Our week was nuts.  I was sick for two days. I slept for most of the first day and was sick all night and sick the next day.  I lost a bunch of weight though, so I can't complain about gaining weight for Jesus anymore! I lost weight for Jesus!

Then the Sister Training Leaders came and stayed with us.  Then they got sick and slept at our apartment while we were working.  They came to go on splits with us and evaluate how we're doing... so they didnt' really get to do that.  

Then I found out that I am finally getting transferred!  I am going to Clinton, Mississippi.  I'll only be 4 hours from home! I looked it up.  Isn't that weird? Don't come visit me.  

We've spent the last two days visiting members and my investigators.  One investigator named Amy Gandy (I've mentioned her before) came to church on Sunday to say good bye to me.  I bore my testimony in sacrament meeting and she cried and then after church we bawled our eyes out saying goodbye to each other.  I love that woman.  I really hope she gets baptized someday.  

I accompanied people on the piano 8 times in the last two weeks.  Multiple performances were without ever practicing with them.  It was stressful.  We had our stake christmas music program last night and I played for both the ward choir and the branch choir.  I was so proud of the servicemen who sang in the choir.  They all wore their service uniforms.  They looks so sharp and nice in their Air Force blues.  I got a picture with them because I kept telling them that they looked so cute in their "little outfits."  I'm going to miss working on the base. 

We taught one last airman yesterday after church the basic restoration lesson.  He started going off about end of the world things and England being a lion bird with its wings cut off.  I chuckled afterward because my companions are going to have a fun time teaching this one.  

Well, I'll get to talk with you guys in.... a week and a half? That sounds about right.  Let me know details that I need to be aware of.  Other than that, Merry Christmas! I love you guys! 

Love,

Sister McElderry

P.S. We went carolling a bunch this week and it was AWESOME! The Christmas season is the best time to share the gospel!  So many people were uplifted by our carols.  I even sang the alto part a cappella! 

Transfer!

Hey! Just a quick note:

Everyone- I'm getting transferred on Tuesday up to Clinton, MS. Mom- I need a coat.  I think I put my coats in the back of the coat closet.  Will you send me my tan colored pea coat? And send it to this address:

175 Burnham Rd

Brandon, MS 39042

Actually, just send everything to that address from now on.  I'll be right next to the mission office.

Love,

Sister McElderry

Productive Week + Preparing for Christmas

Hey there!

We had a fun and productive week!

Starting on Tuesday, one of my favorite members in the ward had a shrimp boil for us.  Her name is Sister Curtis.  She's the lady who threw up with her companion on her mission because they ate too much.  She also let me borrow a bunch of winter clothes because I was very unprepared for the winter weather down here.  She also takes us out to eat and to fun places on our P-day.  She also goes on splits with us so we can get more work done.  She also got us stockings with fun goodies and giftcards in them.  She also will feed us any time we don't have a meal appointment.  Needless to say, I am very indebted to her.  Ideas on how to repay her are welcome! (I wrote this part 8 hours ago.  I would like to add that I got super sick today and Sister Curtis let me sleep on her couch and took care of me so my companions could continue with their p-day)

I participated in musical numbers at both big missionary meetings we attended this last week.  I also participated in one at church yesterday, and will be accompanying the choirs for both the ward and the branch at the stake Christmas fireside and I'll be accompanying two soloists and a quartet for our branch christmas program.  I didn't realize I came on my mission to play the piano for everyone!

Highlights from the week:

We participated in a Christmas 5k on the base with one of our investigators and a less active airmen on the base.  It was pretty fun, but super hot and humid.

We attended a conference with Elder Zwick (don't remember his first name) which lasted all daySaturday.  And by "all day" I mean we were in our seats by 12:30 and didn't leave them until 8:30.  It was NUTS! But there was a lot of good information shared that will help us all become better missionaries. 

We had 4 investigators at church this Sunday and they all had a nice time! It was wonderful!  Although some of our other investigators aren't doing so well.  Keep them in your prayers! 

Transfers are next Thursday, so I don't know what's going to happen to me.  I've been here for almost 6 months.  

Other note: Another elder from the MTC with me got his visa.  He is leaving December 16th.  That's 8 out of 10 as far as I know.  I tried to check my visa status online and it didn't show that my name was even in the system.  Ma and Pa if you want to trying doing some investigating? Or just pray for that too.  Don't get me wrong though, I love it here.

Well, this email ended up being a little more hefty than I was intending, so I'll go ahead and close now.  

I love my mission.  I love the people here.  I had a moment where I truly and powerfully felt the pure love of Christ for a man on his door step.  We talked with him and he described how he didn't have a relationship with God and didn't want one at this point.  My companions were ready to give up on him, but I felt so strongly that I needed to tell him that despite his current beliefs, he is in fact loved by God.  His heart was softened toward our message and agreed to try and come to church on Sunday.  I don't expect anything to come of this encounter, but I learned a valuable lesson about God's love for each of his children and it strengthened my testimony that we are doing the Lord's work, even if it doesn't turn in to a baptism statistic.  

I love and miss you guys.  We're using an advent calendar that Mama sent us to count down the days until Christmas.  I'm counting down the days until we get to call home.  I'm still working out the details, but I would love to either google hangout or skype with the family.

Know that you're in my thoughts and prayers every day.

Love,

Sister McElderry

Thanksgiving on the mission

Hello all!

We have had a fun, holiday filled week!

To kick it all off we suffered through Thanksgiving.  I say "suffered" because we attended 4 Thanksgiving meals.  We were forced to eat at every single house.  I have never eaten so much jello in my life.  Most of the food was pretty good, we just couldn't enjoy it because the thought of eating any more made us sick.  We got to the last members house and just CRASHED on her table.  She laughed at us because she served a mission in California and knows how we feel.  She told us about eating so much, her companion threw up in front of their car.  She said it was dark so the headlights of the car illuminated her companion so the whole apartment complex could see her.  She went to see if her companion was okay and the smell hit her so she started throwing up in front of the car too.  I thought I was going to die laughing.  We felt pretty close to throwing up at that point.  We ate at one house (the native american man's house- I've written about this family before) and they forced us to eat all of these DISGUSTING dishes.  I have no idea what they were.  Sister Armstrong told me she's never eaten a Thanksgiving meal where she didn't know what 90% of the food on her plate was.  Luckily one of the Spanish elders is super clumsy and knocked their gross stuffing off the counter and broke the bowl.  Blessing in disguise.  At another house, Sister Armstrong and I were placed at the kitty table away from everyone else, so we ate really SMALL portions at that meal.  We tried to cut corners where we could, but everyone still managed to get us.  Our funnest meal was at the LDS Chaplain's house.  23 airmen (members and their friends) showed up for the event.  It was SO FUN! We met lots of their friends and hopefully we can get them to all come out and get to know the branch some more!  I love working with the air force base.  A highlight of my mission.

We helped an elderly couple put up their Christmas tree and lights on their house and such.  This couple feeds us every Thursday and have been feeding missionaries since the 70's.  They keep our pictures in a photo album that goes back to Katrina.  (all the pictures pre-Katrina were destroyed).  It helped me feel less homesick because I was able to participate in Christmas traditions with a family.

I didn't have a chance to email yesterday because we had our Christmas zone conference.  I accompanied an elder in a special musical number.  It was nice (mom, I used that christmas hymn arrangement book you gave me for christmas last year!)

I'm looking forward to a zone conference this weekend with Elder Zwick who is the 70 over missionary work.  Or something like that.  We just found out about it so I don't know anything yet.

Life is good.  Our investigators have kind of plateaued for now.  We're hoping that we can get things moving again now that Thanksgiving is over.  Say a prayer for us!

Love,

Sister McElderry

Grateful (from Nov 25)

What Sister McElderry is grateful for this week:

I'm grateful that we have several really good people that we are teaching.

I'm grateful that we work with a really supportive ward, where people sacrifice their time to go out and work with us. 

I'm grateful that we have a nice car that keeps us warm instead of having to bike everywhere.

I'm grateful to Sister Curtis in our ward for loaning me tights and sweaters and a coat to keep me warm because I thought I was going to warm, sunny Brazil.

I'm grateful for the 8 Thanksgiving dinner invitations we have.  (And for the P90X DVDs I was given to help me work those meals off!)

I'm grateful to all the people this week who sent me letters and packages and made my week a little bit brighter. 

I'm grateful for all of the character building experiences I have while tracting.

I'm grateful that I've been in Biloxi long enough to watch our investigators grow in their faith and testimonies. 

I'm grateful that Heavenly Father has called me to be a missionary at this time and has blessed me with all of these experiences.

I'm grateful at the start of this holiday season for my Savior, Jesus Christ.  That he came to this earth to humbly show us the way to eternal happiness and salvation.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Love,

Sister McElderry

P.S. 

Me and my baby girl, Sister Armstrong doing companion study in the triangle chapel on base.

The other is our district with the Zone Leaders and Assistants to the President