There’s A Tree In The Grand Hotel

Merry Christmas!!

I've officially hit 100 days! (Thanks to E. Gabbitas for keeping track). I'm going to sound like a broken record here, but the weeks are just flying by. Day to day is quick, but i feel like I've been in Walla Walla for super long. I feel like I've been here for a few months more than I actually have.

It's the Christmas season! This has given us some great opportunities to share LightTheWorld.org, encouraging people to do some little bits of good to spread the love of Jesus Christ.

The winters here mean a lot of fog and overcast skies. We havent seen the sun for longer than an hour in weeks. I miss the sun. We did get our first snow, though! 

We've seen a bunch of little miracles these last few week. Before every contact we pray and ask God, so one day, Elder Keller named 4 streets we could go to, and at the end of the prayer, we both said out loud "willow" (street). We went to the street and got a few people close the doors on us, but as we were walking to the last house on the street, a car pulled into the driveway, and out walked our friend Frank. He said "Hermanos! Can you help out?" (In spanish) then we helped him put in carseats for his grandkids, because his hand is broken. Right place and time. 
When we were walking away I asked, exasperated, "wait, so all we have to do is learn to listen to the spirit?"
This is my theory. As a missionary, we've got to be receptive to the spirit, and be humble enough to be guided. Everything else falls under that.

Mini anecdotes- 
- We learned that Yoga is a sin from someone we were talking to. Quite interesting. I should probably stop stretching during workouts.
- The ward and branch hosted a Christmas party! There was a lovely flute, clarinet, and alto saxophone piece that some young adults performed. 
- We got to walk with a Light The World parade float! We had to leave early for a lesson, but that was cool!
- I got in an awesome 20 minute bike ride at the gym. I've got to train just in case this becomes a biking mission!
- i had an epiphany, in which I realized that everything everyone does makes sense to them. That really helps me put myself in other people's shoes.


Spiritual thought-
One of my biggest struggles has been wanting to improve, but running into a lot of walls in the process. Like by trying to change too many things at once. I recently had the talk about 1% improvements come to mind. It's impossible and unreasonable to change everything all at once, but I can change little things at a time. Like getting up on time, wearing a smile, praying for specific attributes. Just little things, that can build up to a major improvement over all.

3 Nephi 18:20
If you ask God for anything, and it's righteous, you'll receive it. Not in the way or timeframe you thought you needed it, but you'll receive it.

Pictures:
-first snow
-I called it the "English mega carbo-load burrito muffin with Eggs" 
-temple trip



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