'Tis the Season

Wednesday, December 21, 2011 9:21 AM

 

Cari fratelli e sorelle,

 

My goodness, I cannot believe that this year is already coming to a close. I was humbled by my brother's Christmas letter and marveled completely at how much he has grown. His testimony has become so beautiful, if not more beautiful and stronger than before his mission. He's been called to train as well as be district leader...I am SO proud of him! But, my dear brother recounted a story of a Christmas Eve experience only he and I were able to witness. We truly were humbled by a homeless man's gratitude and humbled now, looking back, that we weren't the ones to step in and take care of him. I am so grateful for the growth I am experiencing and how, as an 18 year old little punk, lost and confused...I'm so grateful to have shed that skin and be where I am today.

 

This Italian Christmas is so much different than what I am used to back in the good ol' United States. It's very true, just as President Monson said, that materialism is consuming the beauty of Christmas and the Savior is lost amidst all the wrappings and gleaming toys. I think back on one of the most memorable Christmas Eve's I was able to enjoy, growing up in Texas. I was but maybe 14 or 15, I don't exactly remember my age. What I do remember is hearing my mother recount to us that a family in our ward would not be able to have a Christmas this year on account of the father losing his job. We all felt very sad, but none of us children really thought that we could do anything. But, I am so grateful to my parents for teaching me a wonderful lesson that year, because we found that we really COULD do something...Our beloved gamecube, something that I never could figure out...remote controls and games sticks or whatever they are called, never could figure them out, I am personally a super nintendo type of girl, but whatever...our beloved gamecube sat in our toy room, played practically everyday, and eventually became a vice for the other kids...and my parents sat us down one day and declared they wanted to sell it. They wanted to sell it and use the money to help this family for Christmas. I remember my brother's being upset, but then weighing the odds, consented and happily, my dad took care of business and retrieved money to help this family. Long story short, with the money we received from selling the gamecube, we were able to buy almost everything on these children's Christmas lists. We wrapped everything up in a GIANT BOX, and we silently carried it to the front door and left it on the steps of this family's home...Sprinting BACK to the car, which was parked across the street, my dad makes a phone call and says in a spooky voice "Check your front porch"...and we turn off all the lights in the car and watch silently for what happens next. The front door opens and the children see the box, and then the rest of the children come running out and running too and fro to see if they could catch the ones who left the box...Seeing the joy and excitement of their faces was such a treasure...giving up something that we enjoyed playing for something absolutely PRICELESS...that is what Christmas is all about.

 

As you think of this Christmas, it's not about the gifts...it's not about the fanciest or prettiest things...but the love that people have to share for one another. A warm home, always open to the missionaries, with a cup of hot chocolate, hand made right on the spot, is something that warms my heart completely. Or seeing an investigator be embraced by a family who joined the church just over 6 months ago, taking her to be one of their own, because love is absent in hers, that's What Christmas is all about. Even though it is difficult being away from home, I recall all the Christmas Times we have shared together, and I just sit and recall how grateful I am to be blessed with the family that I have. How grateful I am that my Heavenly Father loves me enough to send me hear on a mission, not only to see, smell, and hear things I have never seen, smelt or heard...but learn new things that i can improve now and upon my return. Familial relationships are more important than anything in this world...giving gifts must come from the heart...time set aside to turly give something to someone you love, for their benefit...just as our Heavenly Father did. Heavenly Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ to this earth to be the Savior of the World. Without His birth, we would be lost...the plan would have been frustrated. But no, Jesus Christ kept His promise to us and to the Lord and paid for the debts that we will NEVER be able to repay..and He lovingly called upon Joseph Smith to be the prophet of the Restoration, so that generations now and generations to come would have the gospel...spread to all the world.

 

The still small promptings you receive, I am learning, are not just "my own thoughts" but are actually, when you are listening, promptings from the Lord, telling you to help someone. To become a disciple of Jesus Christ is an evergrowing experience, something that I will continue to improve until the day that I die. But the beauty of it all, is that I am growing. Growing and loving the life that I am living. I testify that the Atonement is real, and that Jesus Christ truly is the balm that we are all searching for. We just have to learn how to let Him heal us. I look back on my days in the MTC and I look where I am now...I know Jesus Christ is the True Healer. He's healed me and I KNOW that He can heal those who are struggling, and I am so grateful to help move this work forward and find those who cannot find the balm themselves.

 

Brothers and Sisters, May we not forget the true meaning and focus of Christmas...This I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

On that side note, I have had more pandoro (a sweet bread here that they make...a mix between pound and angel food cake) than I can imagine, more lisagna than I have ever had in my life, and more tender experiences that I am so grateful to experience now and times to come. Kerly was baptized this past weekend, and will receive the HOly Ghost on Christmas Day. Liz is still working towards her baptism and our ward Christmas Party is just around the corner. Zone conference is on Friday, and then the eating and festivities begin! All's well that end's well...

 

bacci e abracci,

sorella bowman

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Just a side note.......

Just as a side not..I have been striving more than EVER to listen to the promptings of the Spirit and really feel the guidance of our Heavenly Father. As we were on the bus yesterday, I was a little frustrated with the fact that we had only had ONE LESSON the WHOLE DAY, and yet, it felt like we had been going NONSTOP! As we got off the bus, I was a little distressed, and I turned and saw a woman..."Go talk to her" and I shoved it aside and kept walking. But then, I realized what I just did and told myself..."It's time to make the change..." and i went back, and introduced myself. I brush my hair back, which reveals my tag and the woman points at my tag and says "That's my church. THat's my church..." and it comes to be that she has been an inactive member for about 4 years now, baptized 4 years ago. We ended up teaching a wonderful lesson on the Plan of Salvation and gave her comfort beside the fact of her mother's death, which she revealed to us through the conversation. The Lord's promptings are still promptings...we just can't be still, we have to act. 

 

Liz had a lesson the other day with us. We were so excited as it has been a long time. As we were preparing for her lesson, we had no specific ideas come to mind to teach, and so we prepared our lesson on Obey, Pray, Study, but were also open to being Spirit led. As we come to the lesson, it lasts quite a while, but the Spirit was very strong. We asked her questions and asked her to offer the prayer to calm her fears about talking with her mother about baptism. As she prayed, her face changed, and I asked her how she was feeling. She looked up and asked us if we had talked with Erica (her friend who introduced us to her) and we blatantly told her no. She sat for a while and said, "With all that you have been asking me and telling me, I was SURE you had spoken to Erica. But now, knowing that you haven't, I know that this was an answer to my prayers. I had some serious doubts this past week, but I know that I have to keep going forward because everything that you both said, was exactly what I needed to hear. After the prayer, I felt something...and it felt good." AN ANSWER!!!!!!!!!!!!! The church is true. Punto. :)