Christmas Transfers :)

Date: Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009

Hallo Familie!

Mom before I forget, I finally got your package with the Nu Skin stuff in it and the wedding announcements. Thank you so much for sending that. It fills me with joy to hear from you, all of you. Also it sounds like life is pretty busy for everyone. You are all doing such wonderful things.
Chris´s Eagle project sounds awesome. That will probably help the different religions be more unified, and feel more a part of the community. Way to go Chris. Jason and Crozier are probably pretty busy too. Wahoo.
Candace thanks for your email. I am glad to hear that life is going so well in ARizona. I am so happy for you.

Life is going pretty well here to. This is the best week we´ve had in a while. WE got some new investigators, and a lot more contacts. And that has been wonderful. We also got transfer calls. And I will stay in Mainz, but my companion Sister Ley will go to Frankfurt. My new companion will be Sister Cutler from New Mexico. It´s funny because she is in Frankfurt now, so her and Sister Ley are just trading spots. I look forward to serving with her. Sister Ley has been a great companion though. I have learned a lot from her.

I love this Christmas season. It fills me with hope and faith and energy to keep making the most of this "probationary time" we have here on earth. I know that Christ´s birth is so important because of the life he lived and his sacrafice at the end. He went through so much out of complete love for us. I know that as we make little sacrifices to follow him we are blessed. I think I told you last week the little thought advent calendar my mission president made for all of us. Yesterday the thought was serving and sacrificing and the song we had to sing was A poor wayfaring man of grief. I never noticed before how every time this man gave up something he was blessed for it. v. 2 He didn´t have very much food, but he saw this man in need to he gave what he had, and then when he looked down he had an "angels portion". v. 3 he gave a thirsty man what he had and again was blessed with water enough for him. v. 4 "I warmed and clothed and cheered my guest And laid him on my couch to rest, Then made the earth my bed and seemed In Eden’s garden while I dreamed." I love that! v. 6 I think is my favorite "My friendship’s utmost zeal to try, He asked if I for him would die.
The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill, But my free spirit cried, “I will!”" Sometimes we feel like that. Our flesh is weak, but as we find the strength from within, our spirit cries "I will" do what you ask me to do. And when we do we are blessed.

Yesterday we were talking with a girl that was about to put in her mission papers and she asked us about our missions. And as I was talking with her I realized how much my mission meant to me. I am just so grateful for this opportunity I have to learn the gospel at a level I have never discovered before, and to share it with others. It means so much to me to be here in Germany right now. I cannot describe how much my mission has blessed my life thus far, and how grateful I am for all the precious lessons I have learned since being here. As much as I try to give, Heavenly Father gives an hundred fold back. I know that to be true.

Family I just love you so much. I look forward to talking with you next week. It will probably be one of my favorite Christmas´s ever.

Thank you for your love and prayers.

Love,
Sister Fitzgerald