12/17/12

Hello everyone!

It's been a really busy great week. There has been a lot going on.

Monday Evening we did a Family Home Evening with Steve, Naomi and
there family and Bishop Pattenden and their family. It was a huge
success. There families are perfect for each other. each with 4 kids
around the same age. Steve and Naomi continue to be the greatest
miracle i've seen so far on my mission.

They're both still solid for the 29th and there oldest son macauly has
decided that he wants to be baptized with mom and dad instead of
waiting. When we teach them sometimes I forget that they haven't been
members all their lives. They just act like Mormons! They took a trip
to the temple by themselves this last week just to see what it was
like! We're planning on taking them up there tuesday or wednesday for
a proper tour. It's pretty exciting. We're getting down to crunch time
with them.We have less than two weeks(plus the hollidays) and we still
need to teach them loads of stuff. Pray that our schedules work out!

We had our zone Christmas party at the mission home friday. We had to
wake up super early to catch our train. It was almost three hours
total travel to get there. It was pretty fun though. We had a big
christmas meal(Sister Preston is an amazing cook) and we watched a
movie(The Emma Smith story). We also did so lame skits. haha. damaged
my pride a bit but it was good for me I guess. We did a White Elephant
gift exchange as well. I ended up with an old, beaten up foreign
dictionary. Pretty lame. I can't complain though because whoever ended
up with the gift I brought got a dog toy. haha.

At the Christmas party there were a few of the missionaries who were
going home. They were all missionaries I knew very well. It was pretty
sad. It also freaked me out because they are only a year ahead of me.
They came out January 2011. Time is flying.

I'm looking forward to Christmas coming up. we're planning on spending
most of it with members. We won't be proselyting the 24,25, or the 26
of december. Also new years eve and new years day. I'll be skyping
Christmas eve at 7 in the evening, english time. Hopefully everyone
can make it. It's hard to believe it was 6 months ago since we last
talked.

I was able to learn some great things from my study this week. I want
to share it. I was studying about Pre-earth life and the war in
heaven. I read this in Revelation 12.

 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against
the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the
Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out
into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

 10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation,
and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ:
for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them
before our God day and night.

There were only two sides. You were either for god our against him.
Each of us chose to be on God's side. The battle on earth has already
been decided. We all know who is going to win. Why do so many of us
spend so much time trying to decide which jersey to put on. it goes on
to say this in the next verse.

 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of
their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Everyone at one point had a testimony. Everyone once fought for
Christ. It's our job to rediscover it in ourselves and to help others
do the same.

Love you all so much. See You next week!

Love Elder Ford