Light Will Rise: We have that answer!

To all who sent me Christmas letters: THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

I so enjoyed everyone of them! I spent most of Christmas morning reading them. Some of them really touched me, and I can't express how thankful I am to have friends and family like you! Thank you for you're prayers and support.

To my family whom I love so much: Thanks for all you do! I love you! Bye!

Singing on Christmas Eve. Cool picture, huh?

J/K, I'll type more. So this week has been good. We have two people on date. Gabby, who is a blessing. Elder Gates and Thomas taught her a couple months ago (before I got here) and she was ready to be baptized, when...I already told you this. But yeah, she's getting baptized on the 8th.

Then Jose, oh man he's awesome. He was a member referral. He's an older Spanish guy with only one leg. He's been reading the Book of Mormon and wanted to get baptized, so we heard. So we went over and the member that was with us completely took over the lesson. So in the next lesson we took another member. A Spanish convert. He, Roberto, and Jose clicked. It was so cool to see. Anything that Jose didn't understand, Roberto explained. He came to church on Sunday and asked Sister Chen when he could get baptized. Yeah, cool huh? So his date is January 22. Except the building is only available at 10 am. I don't understand why people can't just let us have the primary room for one hour of the stinking day. It's a baptism...a SAVING ORDINANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let us come for just one hour!!!! Yeah, that gets me when they make us reschedule because of a party, or something like that. It's happened to other missionaries.

Then there's Bill. We're meeting with him tonight. Also his roommate Richard. He wants to get baptized too. We met both of them tracting. Lexi wants to get baptized. She's 13 and really smart. She's like Jefferson, except more humble ;) And she's not a sporty person. She's the best drawer in her school though, and an honors student. She understands EVERYTHING we teach her. And she accepts it. Her step-mom is a member, but her dad isn't. Her dad finally let her start going to church, and on the first lesson we asked her if she wanted to get baptized, and she said yes. The problem is meeting with her. Her mom is really busy, but I think she's going to take some time off work so we can meet with her and Lexi. We like it when her mom is there. And she knows how important this is.

And Frank is doing good. He came to church AGAIN, and he drove himself! I really didn't think he'd come again, because he wasn't feeling good. But he did! He likes to come because of the friends he has at church. So far he knows two people, the Kings, and Brother Burdickt. (sp?) Now we just need him to realize the importance of going to church. He's funny though, and Sister Chen has really connected with him. She has so much hope for him. Those are all in the Wheaton Ward.

Naper 6 ward is dead. But we're tyring to get it up! We tracted most of the day yesterday in Naper 6. We have one return appointment It was cool because he had just gotten out of his car and we explained a bit about the Book of Mormon, and he invited us back. We handed him a pass-along card with the church address on it. The first thing you read on that card is, "What is the purpose to this life?" And he said, "'What is the purpose to this life?' I have asked myself that question so many times. I've even asked my pastor, and he said, 'Once you figure it out come tell me.'"

"We have that answer! It's in the Book of Mormon!" We said. So hopefully now that he knows the answer is just inches away he will be there when we go see him next!

Sister Chen is good. Working with her has been hard, but I've learned a lot. By this next transfer this will be her 7th month in Wheaton/Naper 6, so I think she's moving. But that's 5 weeks away. That means I only have 5 more weeks of learning with her! That's crazy! We do have our hard times like every companionship, but we get through them and are stronger because of it. This morning after comp study we cleaned the apartment. And I mean cleaned it. We took down the tree, vacuumed, organized, threw stuff away. It looks much better. and when I get back I'm organizing the boxes that were in the car. We always keep 10000000 pass along cards, pamphlets, etc. in the car, and we haven't really organized them since I've been here, so they're kind of in 10 different boxes . . . okay, make that 4. But still it's not very organized. So that's what I'm doing while Sister Chen will attempt to make cheesy broccoli soup. We got this cookbook from Wheaton ward and Sister Chen said she wants to make me something since I always cook for her. And I could decide what. I decided on this one because she LOVES this kind of soup. She gets it all the time at Panera. She thinks she's doing me a favor, but really I want her to do this so she will know how to make it when she gets home. Cuz I doubt they have a Panera in Taiwan. But who knows!

cuz I put it on at 10 in the morning and I literally don't take it off til 8:30 at night) and I'm always moving around in it. So yeah, I was thinking of sending it home and buying another one here that's a little more durable. I have a gift certificate to sears. I know that the gift certificate won't cover the whole cost, but it'll cover some. What do you think?

The clothes fit fine. Thanks for everything you gave me! Although I lost one of the earrings down the drain, and when I took the drain apart, I couldn't find it. There was too much crud in there. We need to get Drano big time!!! Next week, since I'm outta money this week! And Sister Chen loves her presents too! It was her first Christmas, and she loves them!

Some Pictures: