................Sister Lauren Holmoe..... .......Tallahassee, Florida Mission....: Week 28

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! woot woot! What a FUNNN time this is seriously!! I lovvvved all the pics and videos y’all sent me! SO FUNNY! The fashion show...classic!! Y’alls PJ's were BOSS this year!! Looked like so much fun!!! Now in Cali already! #GOCOUGS!

Where to begin, where to begin.......The half mission conference was AMAZING! It was a blast! It honestly felt like a huge family reunion! (pictures coming your way)! We had a musical program and guess who in the world SANG!? MEEE...hahaha I know what a joke right!? But seriously I did! I sang an arrangement to "I Know my Redeemer Lives" with 4 other sister missionaries! It sounded pretty good! I basically just stood and looked cute ha (: It’s all about the lip sinking haha! Then we had a stocking exchange which was sweet! Cute Sister Dawe had me (: love her! I had one of the senior missionaries! I made a good stocking for her!! It was just so good to see old friends and have the Christmas spirit! Our Relief Society had ham, potatoes, and pies for us. Delish! It was also good to be around President and Sister Smith! I had to say the closing prayer...I felt like I was saying the General Conference prayer there was so many people there! Mom, I had to time it perfectly when to walk up at the end of the song. Do you remember when we used to decide when people should go up!? I finally had to do it!

Ashley is getting baptized Jan 11, 2014 (: WHOOO. SO so excited for her! We had some amazing lessons this week and she knows it is right for her. We took her to a baptism on Saturday and it confirmed to her it’s what she wants! Then the Copelands brought her home her very own quad with her name engraved on it from Orlando! She was SO happy! Then she asked Austin (17) to baptize her and he just cried and cried. BEST MOMENT! Sister Sam and I won some money from the mission office for turning in receipts on time and so we all went out to get some Japanese food on Friday (: It was fun! Ashley’s bomb!

We had some SWEET church tours this week! One was with a part member family who really has not been to church for 10 plus years. The lady who is a member hasn't prayed for us since we met her but at the end of our church tour we asked her AGAIN, and this time...SHE DID IT. It was a beautiful prayer and she cried at the end. We all sang "I am A child of God" in the chapel and the spirit was so strong it was unreal! Then they came to church on Sunday for the first time. Did I mention we had 8 investigators at church on Sunday???? 8 investigators!!! That's not even counting all the many less actives that showed up as well! Christmas brings out the best in people I'm telling ya!!! What a sweet program we had and a very very full chapel! But anyways, you had some questions about the church tours...it’s a worldwide thing I believe but our stake is really involved with them. We designed flyers on the computer and pass them out with time and dates on them to everyone. We've given tours to members, nonmembers, less actives, whoever. We try to encourage the members to invite friends and neighbors. It’s pretty fun to do!! Every church tour has been a good experience so far!

Some fun memories this week:

-a lady in our ward making ME sing a solo...so embarrassing haha.
-Caroling with the YSA's last night!
-A less active member crying to us as she says "I know God specifically sent you two to me."   I mean, it’s moments like that that are just SOO indescribable!!

-We were out proselyting and this man was talking to us and he said he thinks it is so amazing how some athletes leave their scholarships to go do what we do. He said one time when he heard that on ESPN or something he went and looked up the Mormons. He told us he would be interested in us teaching him what we believe in so he could understand better why athletes choose to take a 2 year break! It was great!! We are going back soon! He said he liked the cougs ;)

The members continue to just give us gifts upon gifts!  We got handmade slippers, handmade scarves, necklaces, and more! It’s amazing. So grateful to be here.

So for Skyping on Christmas, WHICH I AM SO EXCITED FOR!!!!!!, the Morses are planning on picking us up around 1 o clock my time and then skyping anywhere from 1:30-3:30 my time. Not sure who is going first between me and Sister Sam or anything but plan on any time from there! What is y’alls Skype accounts?? So as far as I know that is the plan. If it changes, someone from the ward is bound to call y’all and let you know!!  Hopefully it all works!!

THANK YOU to everyone who has sent me Christmas cards! Shout out to BYU athletics, Gunn Family, Shelly Reynolds family, and Papa Joe! Made me so happy to receive them in the mail!! I love y’all!!!! Well I'll close for now because we can just talk on Wednesday!!!! Text or call Sister Morse if you have any questions (:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3/ Sister Lauren Holmoe!

Sister McCan spoiled us! How rad are these?!?!