The Week Everyone Got Sick and Canceled Their Appointments Because Satan Sucks

Why hello everyone!!!!!!

I've made it through another week. How crazy? I'm already over half way through my first transfer. There's 13 transfers in a Sisters entire mission, and I'm already halfway through the first. WHAT?? 

So my companion's family is the best. They're German, so they sent us gifts to put in our shoes for St Nick! Cutest. Thing. Ever. They also sent us stockings and stocking stuffers! My companion is doing all of it, so I have no idea whats in there, but they are seriously the sweetest. <3

I had a migrane yesterday, but my companion Sister Turner is a rockstar and gave me medicine and tucked me in bed. She's been sick with a virus all week, and I woke up this morning with the same symptoms she has. But no more migrane, so I'll take the sore throat and tired-ness over that any day. ;) I'm drinking lots of peppermint tea with honey, so I'm all good. But care packages are always accepted. ;) Our investigators are all sick too, so almost all of our appointments with them were canceled. #Frustrating

We got to go to the temple this week!!!!!! IT WAS AMAZING. One of our very favorite members, Dodie Pearson, took us. She has us call her Grandma, which is pretty accurate. She's like our grandma and we all love her to pieces. She's the sassiest, sweetest, spunkiest old lady. I want to be like her when I'm old. :) She took us to the temple and to Cafe Rio after. The. Temple. Is. AMAZING. SO in love. I miss being there every week. The peace was incredible. Just what we all needed. :) It's the tiniest little temple, but amazing. Ahhhhh. Love it. Can't wait to go back.

A lot of our time is spent teaching less active members. We recently picked up Valry, who is coming back to church after over 30 years. She has a lot of questions, which we love attempting to answer :) Such a sweetie. I know she's going to probably be a challenging person to work with, but I'm so prepped and ready to work with her. She has a lot of the same issues I used to have, and so I'm really happy to be able to work with her. We're also teaching a few other inactive members, all of who love us so much. And we love them. Maybe I'm on my mission not to convert people, but to reconvert people. Which I'm totally okay with :) We all need to be converted everyday. It's not a one time thing. There's a LOT of Jehovah Witnesses here. The apartment next to us is actually JW. They try to convert us regularly. haha It's kind of like two competing gangs. The Mormons and the JW's. We pass eachother on the street a lot, and instead of shooting eachother, we smile and wave. :) We're nice competing gangs. ;) They always say that they appreciate us spreading the good word. lol One of our less active members is now studying with the JW's... most awkward conversation ever. But she was sweet about telling us to go away.

We also visit active families, show them the A Savior Is Born video, and train them how to be missionaries. It's really fun actually. That video never gets old. It's children from around the world quoting Isiah and it's beautiful. If you haven't watched it, please do. Share it with everyone you know :) Everyone needs to feel the love that the Savior offers to us this Christmas Season. Life is REALLY hard sometimes. Being here in Hemet has taught me that. Some of the people here are struggling with things I've never had to worry about, like where their next meal is coming from, or if they can afford to keep the heat on during the cold nights. But no matter what any of us are dealing with, the Savior can heal us. I'm serious guys. Anything. ANYTHING. He took on ALL of it. Not only our sins, but our infirmities, struggles, fears, sicknesses, etc. Everything. Every bad thing you've ever had to deal with, feel, whatever, He's felt it specifically for you. Lean upon Him, because He's the only person who perfectly understands how you feel. I am SO blessed to have that knowledge. It's seen me through the hardest times of my life when I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Everyone needs that. Everyone needs a perfect foundation upon which to build their life. Everyone needs that support of the ultimate best friend who understands it all. You never know who you can touch. So share the video on social media, with your friend at school, whatever. Just share it okay? Here's the link: https://www.mormon.org/christmas

Our ward had our Christmas party this week, and it went so well. We had a few of the less active families that we've been teaching come to the party. <3 I'm so happy they came! It was fantastic. The little kids all dressed up as angels and performed Christmas songs for us. <3 Lots of food, fun, laughter, and kindness all around. I love the Christmas season. People get nicer, more neighborly, and loving. Remember to keep that Spirit all year long.

If you haven't been writing me letters, please read Alma 60:6. :)

Love you all so much! But not as much as Jesus loves you :)

Your favorite missionary,

Sister Sydney Lynn Roberts