#lighttheworld

Hey y'all!

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone  I absolutely love this time of year. There is a spirit of joy, peace and love that you can feel everywhere you go. It is seriously the best time to be a missionary. The Spirit is strong as we testify of the Savior during this sacred time where we commemorate His birth, perfect life, and merciful atoning sacrifice. I love it!! 

This week was full of miracles and humbling experiences and I loved every second of it. On Monday, we re sprayed our apartment to make sure there was no chance of bed bug life. I am very excited to announce that we are officially bug free!! We are also very thorough at checking ourselves before we go in so we are all set :) after spraying everything down, we headed to the church because of the chemicals in our house. After PDay was over, we missed our bus that was going to take us to the area we were going to work in that night. So, we headed to the store lined street a few blocks down to get wifi and grabbed another bus at the last sec! Because we took that route instead, we found a boy named Deondrick who we have been texting through the week about the Book of Mormon. He has been reading it and picking out the underlying messages in it. We haven't met with him yet because he is YSA but we have very high hopes :) it was such a miracle and testimony to me though that even though things don't always work out how you plan, they will always work out how they are supposed to if you are living righteously and doing all you can to do what Heavenly Father wants :)

On Tuesday, we did service at Seneca park where we got to plant trees :) it was so much fun and our group really got along well. That night, we had a lesson with William. He is a 13year old that we have been teaching for the last few weeks. Unfortunately, we found out that he won't be able to be baptized until he is 18 :( he is still very interested in the gospel and strengthening his relationship with Jesus Christ so we are going to continue teaching him until it is time for him to be baptized. A member yesterday told us that he is going to be a phenomenal missionary one day because he will know the lessons inside and out. :) like I said before, everything happens for a reason. We are excited to continue to see his testimony grow as we teach him. 

On Wednesday, we had lunch with Abbie. She is doing great! We absolutely love anytime we can spend with her because she truly has changed into a new person. We are spending Christmas with her and her family so we are super excited for that!! That night, we went and had dinner with a member and had a deep gospel discussion on the Atonement. It was a lot for my brain to handle, but it was good :) we got home and went contacting and a super nice guy bought us ice cream!! Then we had a lesson with Lucas over Skype. He really wants to develop a stronger relationship with God and Jesus Christ but he is having trouble committing to one religion. Hopefully he will keep his commitment to read and pray because that is where his testimony must start. The Book of Mormon must be the keystone of our testimonies. If we had a deeply rooted conviction in the Book of Mormon, we will never fall because we will have our foundations built on the Savior. 

On Thursday, we had district meeting. Then we did lots of finding and ended up teaching the entire 1st lesson to like 4 people on the street. Unfortunately, none of them live in our area so we won't be continuing to teach any of them but we were glad that Heavenly Father was able to use us as His instruments to start their conversion process. We send lots of referrals since everyone passes through our area on the bus but we know that everything that our Heavenly Father does is for a glorious, eternal reason. He truly is in the details.

Friday was another miracle day! We did weekly planning and then headed home. We had an hour before dinner and both felt like we needed to go to the Walmart parking lot. Weird right?? Well, we followed the prompting and headed over. We ended up meeting a lady named Barbra who did History tours in upstate New York for a living so she knows a lot about our church. We are meeting with her tonight and we are so excited! She is so sweet :) 

On Saturday, we made so much progress with some of our investigators! We had an empty afternoon so we decided to go check on some of our people. We stopped by Kaylas house. She has been through lots of death in her family lately and has been searching for comfort. She told us that her whole family and her pastor have been telling her not to meet with us but she is going to continue until she knows for sure that it isn't true. We taught her the Restoration because that is where her questions were leading and she ended that lesson intent on finding out if the Book of Mormon is true. She is a little nervous since her whole family has been going to a different church for her whole life but she said that if this is the truth, she will have to follow her heart. We are so excited!

That night, we also had the chance to meet with Miranda and Sarah Jane. Brother Hillam, our assistant Ward mission leader, came and participated in the lesson and it was amazing. We taught her about the Atonement and it looked like it finally clicked for her! She realized that the only way she is ever going to be ready for baptism is if she relies on the Savior and His power. She committed that day to quit smoking for real and has been doing great so far. We moved her date up so she is getting baptized on Christmas Eve and confirmed on Christmas Day. I have seriously been so amazed at the Grim family and the faith that they exercise is our Savior. It has and continues to be such a privilege to teach them and I look forward to the day that they are sealed in the temple for time and all eternity ️

Yesterday, William and his family came to church!! :) they loved it and we are meeting with them again this week. We were also able to watch the Christmas devotional. I am so grateful for technology. Not only was it broadcast worldwide so that us Kentuckians could watch it, but when ours wouldn't pull up we were able to Skype the Elders in the Ward and watch it that way. The Lord is so aware of each of us and our needs. That devotional was an answer to prayers and I am so grateful for all those who spoke and participated to make it possible. 

I know that our Savior lives. I know that He knows firsthand the struggles we go through. He knows exactly what we need, when we need it, and is standing beside us ready to lift and strengthen us. I have come to understand so much more about my Savior and His love for me in my trials than ever before. He has come to my aid time and time again with help and healing in His wings. I love Him and love to serve Him. Being a missionary has opened my eyes to how much our Heavenly Father and Savior feel about us. As missionaries, we don't expect our investigators to be perfect. We love them and cheer for them every time they make steps in the right direction and keep commitments that we know will bless them. Our desire for their welfare pushes us to work harder than we ever have for their benefit. Our hearts break when they don't progress or decide that this gospel just "isn't for them" or that they "don't need this right now". That is exactly how Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ feel about us!!! They don't expect us to obtain perfection in this life. They encourage and cheer us on and are so happy and joyous when we make steps in the right direction, no matter how big or small they may be. They are full of sorrow when we forget them or decide that we can do it all on our own. They know the blessings that this gospel can bring us now and in eternity but they can not force us to receive those. Let us all strive to be golden investigators for our Heavenly Father. As we strive to keep the commandments more exactly and submit more fully to His will, He will cause great things to happen in our lives. We will be able to access the Atonement more fully and our hearts will change. We truly will find joy.

 This Christmas season and forever more, let's be a light in the world and spread the joy that the Savior brings. Visit Mormon.org to participate in the #lighttheworld initiative. It is seriously so cool. :)

I love you all! Have an amazing week. Thank you for all the love, support, and prayers. They mean more than you could ever know. MERRY CHRISTMAS  

Love, 

Sister Dorian

"Behold, they will crucify him; and after he is laid in a sepulchre for the space of three days he shall rise from the dead, with healing in his wings; and all those who shall believe on his name shall be saved in the kingdom of God. Wherefore, my soul delighteth to prophesy concerning him, for I have seen his day, and my heart doth magnify his holy name." 2 Nephi 25:13