Christmas in the WVM

Yes, the email is a day late due to our WVM Christmas gathering which took the whole of p-day to enjoy.  However, we have been approved to send an email today documenting the weeks labors.  As always, ''twas a great week”.  Spent a day in Longview and spent a day in Astoria.  The miracles were many as we invited a few people to baptism.  I'll relate a few stories. Today I have consumed two diet cokes because the lack of sleep from this morning.  12 or so missionaries were sent off towards their homelands.  I also participated in the WVM talent show during the Christmas party.  I strapped a blown up latex glove to my stomach as I acted the part of being a cow and let one of my old companions (who happens to be a cowboy) wrangle me with a rope.  Miracle #1 - the Starkel family.  The Starkel family has been in and out of activity for as far back as I know.  The BEST people you will ever meet, but been difficult to commit to coming to church.  Brother Starkel actually broke his Tibia / Fibia falling down just the other day.  Stinks right?  Actually been a blessing.  His leg was suspended in the air during the lesson as we talked about repentance.  Long story short, Brother Starkel believes his leg being broken has provided his family with the opportunity to come back into activity in the church.  It was an answer to many prayers I suppose... I never prayed to break his leg…. but we have been praying for help in getting the family to church.  I have been serving here four months now and just this Sunday the whole family was sitting together in their Sunday best. :). Brother Starkel said he didn't care how much pain he was in. Miracle #2 - Thursday was a complete snow / ice day here in Vancouver. A little snowfall and the whole city shuts down.  Schools cancelled, people feared for their lives, people slipped on ice and we couldn't drive our cars. We were counseled to walk for the day, but our area is about 45 minutes to an hour away from our home.  It was about 5 o'clock in the evening and walking around aimlessly didn't seem super smart.  We knealt down for a prayer and went to work.   We texted every member we could think of... & two members wanted to drive us around.  One of our lessons was actually with the home teaching family of one of the members.  Most missionaries stayed in... but the goodLlord provided as we tried our best.  We also did not die.  Nor fall on the nice.  Nor did anything but preach the gospel.  Miracle #3 - a few weeks ago we felt prompted to stop by and visit a family.  We had a real strong promoting to stop by the Thornton family.  We did just that, and found a kind lady with some concerns about the church.  We told her how we felt and told her we were there for a reason.  She let us come back.  She came to church.  She hasn't missed church since that day.  She hasn't missed an appointment since that day.  And to top it off, she is allowing us to teach her 17 year old daughter.  She gives us candy every time we knock on the door.  Sounds creepy, but it isn't.  She is awesome.  She read 35 chapters of the BOM and wrote notes on the first 15 to give us a good conversation the next lesson.