Across the Pond: A Christmas Post Card

Hello one and all!

Hope everyone has had a wonderful first week of December wherever you may be. :) Now that it's "officially" the Christmas season Canterbury has turned into a winter wonderland (without the whole snow part..) The city center is filled with twinkling lights, a Christmas market with traditional English/European christmas gifts, troubadours on the streets singing all the classic holiday songs, and delicious hot cocoa and roasted nuts. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming, because this place is honestly taken out of a Christmas post card! And I love it here!

My week has been crazy, just to put it in one word. It was pretty different from usual because Sister Mussman was sick, and I wasn't feeling 100% either. We ended up taking it pretty easy, staying in for a couple days, and then going to see a doctor to make sure Sister Mussman didn't have anything serious. The good news is she's fully recovered! Yay!

Just to mention a few cool things that did happen this week though..

*On Friday we got to attend and help serve food at the wedding of Megan & Gerry (two of the YSA's in the ward) at the chapel. Let me just say.. it was so BEAUTIFUL! Both Sister Mussman and I haven't attended a wedding before so it was especially exciting! We spent the day serving various courses to the guests, washing a bajilion and a half dishes, throwing flower petals at the newlyweds, and having a lot of fun with everyone there.

*On Saturday we had Zone Meeting! This Zone Meeting was really focused on the new Christmas video that came out 7 days ago- "A Savior is Born". If anyone hasn't seen it yet, go right now and watch it! It's such an amazing video that helps us refocus and remember what Christmas is really about. It's been so much fun to stop people in the streets and show them the video, and then to see the smiles on their faces when they feel the sweet spirit that comes with watching it. :) A lot of people out there don't know that a little over 2000 years ago a Savior was born for them! But I know that for a fact, and it's such an incredible feeling to let others know.

*Yesterday we had Stake Conference. This was my first Stake Conference as a missionary so I was really excited. :) Also, our investigator S was able to come as well, even though it was about a 40 minute drive away. Something special about this particular meeting is that there was a short lesson before the main conference started for all the recent converts,and investigators. President & Sister Stevens and President Hunt (stake president) taught it so it was super spiritual! They each bore testimony of the Book of Mormon, and just how real and inspired it is, which is exactly what S needed to hear. :) Another highlight of the conference was the closing song. We sang "I Know That My Redeemer Lives", and for some weird reason it was the first time that I really payed attention to the lyrics. As 400 or more of us stood and sang these words the spirit hit me like a brick wall, and I realized once again that Jesus really is our Savior & Redeemer! And most of all He does live today!

I hope everyone has a fantastic week full of holiday adventures! Sorry if this email was really boring... but if you read the whole thing, I'm impressed. haha. Love you all!

Love, Sister Rebekah Croft