Sister Kate LeBaron~ Bentonville Arkansas Mission: Merry Christmas!!

HOWDY YALLL!! Wowza the past 2 weeks have been bonkers lol. Me and Sister Ritchie were on our death beds for most of it lol so I did not write an email last week. 5 MONTHS AS A MISSIONARY!!! Time flies man! Being a missionary is the best and funniest thing ever but also the hardest, but even in the hard times become funny eventually lol. Now when anything crazy happens I'm just like we'll it'll make my weekly more interesting

Tbh last week was a blur so this emails gonna be confusing sry

Highlights from last week:

- WES GOT BAPTIZED!!! Ahhh it was the best, most stressful day of my life 65 people came to Wes's baptism! I had no clue what I was doing but everything went pretty smooth! They had to dunk him a few times though because we didn't fill the font quite high enough for him... sorry Wes he made it all the way under eventually after a few tries! The spirit was SOOO STRONG in that room!! We had him bear his testimony at the end and he made me cry. he talked the still small voice and how his answer wasn't big but it was just as impact full as if it had been.

- for a service project we got to cut out lots of fabric, it was so fun!!

- we helped a member make molds for his work, it was one of the funnest service projects ever!

This week:

Monday- Wednesday = on our death beds lol! Jk jk we just had some weird cold/ flu thing! Let me tell you nothing makes you appreciate being able to breathe more than being sick lol!

Thursday: We had a BOMB lesson with a new convert! And then we decided to go know some Apts the elders told us to knock. To spice it up we decided to use a penny to know what door to knock on ( heads= up / right. tails = down/ left.) The first door the magic penny took us to was this super cool guy, he said we could come back and share a message with him and his girlfriend! So that was super cool! AND THEN!! Our friend who dropped off the face of the earth randomly called us!! He gave us his address and we were able to get him a ride to the activity we had that night! He's a stud! He has a some disabilities and is super close to the spirit! Afterwards he said "I feel Jesus in my heart"

Friday: SERVICE!!! we got to decorate Christmas trees for the branch president's wife! BEST SERVICE EVER! She's SOO NICE, we helped her make lots of treats/ tried to help lol don't know how much of a help we were my cooking skills are lacking but it was wayy fun! Did make me miss my fam tho I LOVE YALL SO MUCH AND MISS ALL OF YOU!! then we had a couple FIRE lessons! It was a way fun day!

Saturday:

We went around and gave all the workers at the mall candy canes w/ a passalong card! It was wayy fun, it was cool to see how something so small made people so happy! It really doesn't take much to brighten someone's day! We had a lesson after and it was super good!

Saturday was also a very hard day because it was the 2 year anniversary of my cousin Maddie's death. Those who knew her knew she emulated the savior. I looked up to her so much, words don't begin to describe how much I miss her light in my life. But I know that I will be able to see her again. I felt so close to Maddie that day. I know she's doing an important work on the other side, I'm honored that we get to be missionaries together! I found joy even when in pain at being able to help others see that they will see their loved ones again as well! mosiah 16:7 "And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection. But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ. He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death."

There truly are so many angels around us both on this side of the veil and the other! I'm so grateful for all the angels in my life.

Sunday:

We decided that we need to go through our teaching pool, lots of them are not interested so now we're on the finding grind so send us prayers and ideas por favor! CHURCH WAS SOOO GOOD! There were some fire talks. And I've decided that I don't care how hard ysa is I never want to leave! I love these people sooo much, I'm so lucky I've been able to spend the past 3 transfers with them!

Challenge:

MAKE SOMEONE SMILE!

Super easy super simple! Share the light of christ with people. It can be as simple as a wave of a compliment. It could be offering service, forgiving someone, sharing the gospel with someone... the possibilities are endless! Pray for inspiration and act of the ideas that come. I promise that as you focus on others instead of yourself you will find true joy, you will have a deeper relationship with the savior as you do what he would do.

LOVE YOU ALL!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!