🎄Christmas and cows🐮

Oh my oh my there is just so much I want to tell all of you that I just don't even know where to begin!
Monday we had a lesson with Paul, Tyler and Charlene where we talked about the Holy Ghost. Then we had dinner with Sister Price. Sister Price is such an angel and she brings us dinner every Sunday! She pranced around the whole chapel last Sunday and was just giving everyone gifts. She reminds be of a little happy Santa fairy. We are so lucky to have her in our ward. All night Monday there was freezing rain. Right when the rain would hit the ground it would freeze instantly into this little bead of ice. It was the oddest thing, but pretty cool.


Then on Tuesday we taught a lesson to some less actives and her kids. They were running around like mad so I am not to sure how much they got out of our Christmas message but we tried! Then we had a lesson with our new investigators Alan and Sherri. They are such sweet people and they have been through a lot. It's so awesome being able to see the Gospel bring peace and comfort into their lives. Then after that we went to sweet Sister Call's home for lunch. Sister Call is 88 I think and she lives all by her lonesome. She is the sweetest little lady and I love her so so much! She fed us the yummiest home made sweet and sour Chinese food. Then she had pineapple pie for dessert. Then we went over to our Recent Convert Danielle's home and I cut her hair. All I did was trim her layers and frame around her face and trimmed her bangs, but she loved it! The Elders told us that when they saw her she just kept talking about how much she loved her new hair cut. Then after that we went to the church and did some top secret missionary soul saving work. Then headed to the Atwaters for dinner. The Atwaters are a HUGE family. 9 kids aging from 20 to 7. They were a hoot! I don't think I have ever seen so much food on one table in my life! Needless to say we were STUFFED full. Sister Jensen and I wobbled our way back to the car like little rollie pollies and headed to our investigators Waltor and Judy where they gave us a Christmas present. Which was a cute homemade snowman apron! I love them so much! They are so sweet.


Wednesday we had another lesson with Tyler and Charlene while Paul was at work and we practiced being baptized and talked about the Sabbath day. Then after that Sister Jensen had a really bad tummy ache from all the food we ate the day before, so we went back to the barn and I made apple pies for people while she rested with the rice bag Grandma and Grandpa Dickson sent me for Christmas - which I LOVE by the way, thank you! Then we went and had a lesson with John and then Robert who are both less actives. Then we had dinner with Sister Small - who by the way is going to Utah next week so I'll give her your info family so you guys can meet! She is an angel and she feeds us every week! She gave us a Christmas present too. She gave us the cutest reversible apron and hot pad with yummy good smelling stuff in it. I love her dearly. Then we had a lesson with the Wests, who are less active, but oh my goodness they are awesome. Only God knows why they don't come to church, because they have the strongest testimony of the Book of Mormon. But they are like my 4th set of grandparents-after my biological ones and The Wrights from Berwick. (Love you Minus and Donna!!)


Thursday we had District meeting which was so spiritual. I love being able to have all these awesome spiritual experiences all the time! It's so cool. Then we went and helped our Branch Mission Leader, Brother Bissell, on his cow farm again. I never thought in a million years I would be working on a cow farm on Christmas Eve. It was pretty cute when we got there Brother Bissell looked at us and told us we needed to put on our uniforms. Then he gave each of us a Santa Hat and we listened to country Christmas music. We feed all the baby cows and I helped put the milking machines on the cows. It was a pretty fun night, a Christmas Eve that I will always remember.


Friday, Christmas. The day every missionary just can't wait for. I remember Sister Bee telling me about her first Christmas in the mission and she told me she wished she would have made it more special. So that's what Sister Jensen and I decided to do. We woke up early and made hot chocolate and opened our presents. By the way, thank you to everyone who thought of me this Christmas and sent me something. It was so special!! We bought bacon and eggs and egg nog a few day before and made cinnamon French toast with homemade bread that Sister Small gave us. We ate our yummy festive breakfast while we listened to the Mercy River Christmas CD. Then we snuggled up in our blankies on the couch and had a really good Christmas companionship study together. Our Landlords family invited us over for lunch and we had all the works. Then we went to Sister Gushue's house and skyped our families. I was kind of freaking out at first because for some reason the skype wasn't working and was glitching a lot. But it all worked out because we got to FaceTime on our iPads instead. I am grateful for the blessing of being able to video chat with my family 💗 After that we went over to the Picott's for dinner and had cheeseburger soup. I LOVE CHEESEBURGER SOUP! It was an awesome Christmas!


Then on Saturday we made some chicken pineapple salad and a chocolate cake for the potluck that was on Sunday, then headed to Paul, Tyler, and Charlene's home for their last lesson before their baptism! Then we had lunch with Sister Sternal, the Branch Presidents wife, and helped her clean the chapel. Then we went and had dinner with the Clukey's. The Clukey's are legit like the coolest family ever! They asked us what we wanted for dinner and we told them something healthy. So we had the best dang chicken tossed salad I have ever had! Brother Clukey told us some cool stories back from when he was a missionary in Colorado.


On Sunday the whole state of Maine shut down because it snowed like 3 inches. It's was nuts. I thought the people here were supposed to be used to snow but no. I am not even exaggerating a little bit. Everything shut down. *cough.. wimps.. cough cough* So we went to church to find out that they canceled the last two hours of church because of the "snow storm". That didn't stop Paul and Charlene and Tyler from being baptized though! About 20 people came to church and we had the baptism right after Sacrament Meeting. It was perfect! The Spirit was so strong! Brother Clukey baptized them all and then we had the potluck after and there was just the right amount of food for everyone. Sister Jensen and I taught Paul and Tyler from the beginning. Charlene was taught before I got here and then she brought Paul and Tyler to church. I never thought I would be able to say that I taught and baptized someone from the start. Let alone baptizing an actual family - But it happened! It was so cool to see the happiness the gospel has brought into their lives. It was hard for me not to tear up when they bore their testimonies of how happy they have been since the church has been brought into their lives. God is so good for blessing me to be able to witness something so beautiful.


So I guess it's that time for a spiritual thought. Heavenly Father has really been helping me learn more about the Atonement while I have been on my mission. I know I have mentioned the enabling power of the Atonement before. It's so cool to have the Atonement there to not only save us from sin but to strengthen us as well. While I have been learning so much about how awesome it is and all of facts about the Savior I thought to myself, well that's so cool and great but how did I access that enabling power? Then at Zone Conference last week my question was answered!


President Stoker talked about the 6 P's of accessing and applying the Atonement:


Pray. Distinguish sin from Weakness. Ask for help
Ponder. Scripture study and listening to the Spirit. Ponder in our hearts.
Plan. Set goals. More than a desire and discipline.
Prioritize. Decide what is most important now. One thing at a time.
Patterns. Establish holy habits and righteous routines.
Patience. Keep trying. Don't give up. Be humble.


Pretty simple huh? I love how simple the gospel is. We get all these wonderful blessings and miracles from God and they are so simple to access! Once again God has answered my question -and I hope this helps you as well. I have a strong testimony that life is hard. But we don't have to go through it alone. All because of the wonderful Jesus Christ.


I hope you all have a wonderful week!
God loves you
And so do I😀💗😘
Love,
Sister Dickson


Oh hey, I am back! You probably want to know what's happening with transfers huh?
Well Saturday night we didn't get a your safe text. Usually if you don't get a text by 9:40ish that means you are getting a transfer call.
9:40 came -no text
10:00 still no text at this point Sister Jensen and I were depressed with the fact that we were going to get a transfer call. We tried to hold back the tears when...
10:15 came and again nothing
10:30 nada
So at 10:45 we texted the assistants and told them we never got a text or call


Where they told us that Sister Jensen and I are staying together for another transfer!
Woot woot!!!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉💁🏼
Alright bye now love bugs🐞🐜🐛🐝