Old Lady and Mistletoe

On Monday, December 21, 2015 12:33 PM, Dustin Thelander <dustin.thelander@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Hello everyone!!!

Merry Christmas!!!! This was a fantastic week. We had lots of opportunities to help people, and to share the spirit of Christmas. Tuesday, we had our district meeting, and President Hobbs sat in. It was great to have him there to share insight and wisdom with us. He even made a baseball analogy in my honor. It was actually pretty good- he talked about goals. If I was to come to bat 8 times, of course, I want 8 hits, but if I get 4 hits in that span that would be hitting .500 and that is, well, that is amazing. So, we need to set goals in our lives that are feasible, but at the same time push us to do better. Later in the day, we had our bimonthly interviews with president where we just talk about missionary work and how we are doing. I was happy to report to him that the area is doing great, and so am I.

Wednesday, we had the chance to get together as missionaries and have a devotional and party. All of the missionaries in the high desert were there. We had a great meal and a great devotional by president and his wife as well as singing and picture taking. It was an awesome day to have some fun and just enjoy being around a bunch of really wonderful people. Also, my Papa had his 79th birthday on Wednesday. He is amazing, and I wish I could have been there for his special day, but I know he was well taken care of. He is a great example and someone who I look up to.

The miracle of the week is when we were able to make contact with a lost member. She is Sandra, and she works crazy hours right now, but we caught her on a good night. We taught her and her son Michael. She is the only member in the family and has 4 kids. The oldest is 13 and is really a neat kid. We have been invited back and will teach all of them. Michael has a great friend who is a member of the ward, so that is a good connection that is already there.

This Sunday was a great day at church. Brother Schmidt and the Heywood family prepared and preformed to perfection a fabulous Christmas program. We had two investigators at church, and they just loved the service. I pray the spirit touched them and that they will continue to progress. Then we had dinner at the Johnson home. It was amazing. They had all of their kids home from college, and the dinner itself was great. They also have a pickle-ball court in their backyard that we got to play on for a bit with them. That is a really fun game.

So for the email title. On Friday, we were doing service at Food Ministries, and this is my third time going. One of the volunteers is an old lady from the community. I talked with her for a while, and she is very nice. At some point she found a bag of some green leaves, and held it over my head, yelled mistletoe, and made me feel quite uncomfortable. Did we kiss? No. People just laughed, and we kept on moving all of the food around. My first thought was, wow- I sure have something to write home about!!

Miracle number two this week. We had 4 of our recent converts attend the temple. Each of them expressed how much they loved the experience. I know that the spirit was working on them, and I know that each of them wants to return as soon as they can. The blessings of the temple are so profound and powerful. I love it there, it is there where I can experience true peace and happiness.

I love you all so very much. Merry Christmas.

Love,

Elder Thelander

My favorite scripture for the week is: Omni 1:26- "And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and after your whole sounds as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved."