It's Christmas Time!

Dear Family,

It has been a fantastic week and it will be an even better week this week! So much to look forward too! I don't even know where to begin. I guess I will try to go in chronological order. So this week we went to go and visit Krista. She came to church 2 weeks ago and we haven't really seen her since. Apparently it's a busy time of year. The sisters have been going to her house since May and we haven't really been able to teach her much because she never lets us in and she is always "busy". This week she let us in! And her kids were there too! They are so cute! They are 8 and 9, Chris and Destiny. So cute. Chris he gave us batteries for Christmas and Destiny took a Papa Tom's Christmas card and altered it so it was to us from her. We taught Krista where the Book of Mormon came from and how it can help her, she said she is now excited to read it! When we were leaving Destiny said "Thank you for your company!" I don't know what 9 year old says that but it was dang cute!

Thursday we gathered with some ward members in Clinton ( a small town we cover) and went caroling at a nursing home. We sang in the cafeteria 2 songs then walked down the halls and sang. After a couple minutes the people were asking us to come back to the cafeteria and this old lady hauled us back there. Elsy, the old lady, then asked what key we were singing in and she sat down at the piano and busted a tune! Holy cow! It was incredible! We preceded to sing every Christmas hymn, she was so incredibly good. So after I asked her how she knew piano so well. She used to play professionally at churches! She knew the piano like the back of her hand! I felt like I ran into Bach or something. After I went up to an old man who had been singing along and had just loved the whole thing. I shook his hand and wished him a Merry Christmas, then he saw my name tag. "Oh! I know your church! I love your church! I have been investigating it for 30 years!" What?? He then tells me all about how he was going to the Beloit ward and loved the Madison stake and went to conference there and just busting out all this church lingo. It was crazy! I asked him if he still had a Book of Mormon and he has read the whole thing and loves it. We are going back there. A Christmas miracle! After caroling we went and had a "bonfire" and roasted some s'mores. It was a great time. 

Saturday we went out tracting with very little success. The Packers weren't playing but apparently there was a game that was vital to there salvation. So most people won't answer the door. So after a very cold 1 and a half we finally found someone! His name is Rob and he was all nonchalant until we started talking about where the Book of Mormon came from. He said he totally believes Christ visited others. He said he would probably read the whole thing this week. We will see how that goes! We then went to a less actives and found a pretty awesome nativity. They had Micky and Minnie as Joseph and Mary, Boo from Monster's Inc. as the baby, Green Lantern, Batman and Superman as the 3 wise men. It was sweet. 

Now for the big Kahuna awesome day! Sunday! No one came to church but I just love Christmas Sundays! But after church we had a big fiesta with the Nielson clan. It was 4 families. One of them had bragged that he can make better Cafe Rio than Cafe Rio does. Oh boy it was good! I would say it perhaps was better than Cafe Rio if my taste buds haven't been deprived of Cafe Rio for the last 9 months. But we gladly took the leftovers home with us. I also made a delicious creation! At the dinner before when Brother Nielson had bragged about his cooking skills we dreamt up a really good brownie. For some reason we called it a tootsie roll brownie even though it has nothing to do with that besides the shape. We imagined a brownie in the shape of a tootsie roll with chocolate chips dipped in caramel then dipped in chocolate. I thought I would be funny and make it for our party. So I couldn't really figure out how to do that. So I made it like cake pops. I crumbled the brownies into a bowl and mixed it with caramel, rolled it into balls and dipped it into milk chocolate. They were good. Really good. The best part was seeing people reactions eating them, the wide eyes and the praise escaping from their lips. I felt pretty proud of myself! Anyways, sorry if you are drooling now. I will get back to what we did. We were also able to see a recent convert who we haven't seen in 2 months. That was a miracle. Her new boyfriend might actually be the one dragging her to church, so kind of a good thing.

That night we went back to someone we had done a survey with, Michelle. We were almost starting to believe she was a figment of our imagination because there has been no life in that house for 3 weeks, not that we did tons of drive-bys or anything. We are not creepy. But last night there was life! And she opened the door! She had read a little of the Book of Mormon and said it seems pretty good so far. We asked if there was a time we could come back and tell her more. She told us now would be good and to come in. We both sat down deer in headlight mode. I think it was just kind of shocking to both of us. It isn't good when you keep turning to your comp because you don't know what to say then she looks at you because she doesn't know what to say. It was rather funny, that will be an embarrassing moment to watch up in heaven! So after a very choppy we-have-no-idea-what-we-are-doing-but-we-will-do-our-best-to-open-our-mouths moment we transitioned into the Plan of Salvation and from there it went great! The Spirit took over! And by the end she was crying and we invited her to be baptized if she got an answer if it was true. Then she sat there deer in headlights mode and said "what?" Sister Plante repeated the invite. She then asked if she needed to be baptized again, we said yes. I was totally waiting more an MTC prepped horror moment, hard question with high likelihoods of offense but she said yes! So we will go back and set a date after Christmas. The only bad part about Christmas, waiting. So that was a HUGE miracle. Yeah!

Anyways other exciting news this week! Tomorrow we finish the Book of Mormon! Wahoo! Thank you for doing that with me mom. it means a lot. Thank you for reading too dad. I have an awesome red and green reference book to the atonement. I had no idea the Book of Mormon was so full of the atonement. Everything really does revolve around that wonderful gift! We get to go to a Christmas Zone Training Meeting tomorrow to discuss what we have learned, eat cookies and laugh! That will be fun! Oh and tonight for dinner we are going to the Botanical gardens for a light show and to see live reindeer! I am PUMPED! We didn't know this place existed until one night we were out driving in the middle of nowhere when BAM! This magical place appeared in front of us! So pictures to come. Then of course Christmas Eve and Christmas! I get to hangout with you guys! See your beautiful faces! I will be doing it about 12 my time, you do the math! That way there will be no confusion. Also dad, it was your favorite day of the year yesterday. Shortest day and from here it only gets better. Then on Friday, drum roll please, I get to go to the temple!!! First time in 8 months! I am stoked! So basically it will be the best week. We are going caroling with the Elders and just basking in the Christmas Spirit! Thank you for all the cards and gifts everyone has sent! i am just feeling the love! I love all of you SO much!

I love you more than all the Christmas presents in the world!

Anne