Monday, December 23, 2013

Merry Christmas!

Merry Merry Christmas Everybody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have so loved being here this time of year....its cold yes, but oh so worth it to be out sharing my testimony of Christ and of how much he loves us with everyone I see! This week was really kinda crazy with transfers (I know I say a lot of weeks are crazy but this one was really really crazy!)...So Sis. Jones and I found out officially Monday night that they are closing our area and adding it onto the other sisters. It was rough...and I mean ROUGH, we had warned our investigators that one of us would probably be getting transferred but to have to go back and try and get a hold of everyone and tell them Both of us were leaving was the saddest thing of my life!!!! I can't even describe it! It broke my heart! As we were getting ready to turn our area over to Perry West it felt like our world was crumbling around us! Everything was going wrong and we were so sad that we were not going to be able to be there fix it. But, I know God's hand is in everything and it was neat to see that even though we had to leave the area we loved so much, God will see that those people are taken care of. I am grateful they are in good hands with Sis. Smith and Sis. Frankenberry. And now I can just look back with gratitude on all I have learned and how grateful I am for the time spent in Perry/Painesville:)

Soooooo....transfers...... I am now in the Ashtabula East area. It is the tippiest toppest point of the mission and covers the country towns of Andover, Pierpont, Conneaut, Kingsville and some other super small towns....it is a huge area and has fields and rolling hills and barns and Amish and because its been raining all weekend their are ponds everywhere! lt feels like a swamp sometimes because there is so much water accumulated everywhere!

My Comp is Sis. Stack and I love love love her. She is such a new/wonderful companion and has made me feel so loved and lucky to be here already! This weekend was awesome because I was really able to jump in with the Ashtabula ward Christmas party, a baptism (one of the Elders) and Church. I have done my best all weekend to meet as many people as I could and to memorize as many names as I can cram into my brain and it has helped so much. I already feel welcomed and a part of the ward and as I have sought to lose myself I really have felt so much joy and peace in the knowledge that I am doing my best and God is doing the rest! I know I am going to LOVE it!

So funny thing....but, okay. so everyone has been bugging me that I need to sing more and share my talent...yadayadayda. Well it was hard with Sis. Jones because even though she actually has a really pretty good voice, she is convinced she can't sing and so really never would with me (bless her heart....still love her). Well Sis. Stack...its kinda funny, She kinda can't carry a tune but is more then willing to sing and is always telling everyone...Sis. Newren has a beautiful voice....lets sing a song! So we have been singing Christmas songs all weekend! haha...it feels good!

We also have the sweetest senior couple in our ward....oh so I am actually a satellite sister now which means I live in my area which is about an hour from Kirtland and then we drive down there and stay over night to serve at the sites. I love it! so we live right next door to The Banks (senior couple) and one day they were like "we are kidnapping you for 20 mins" haha then they took us to see the longest covered bridge in the States (there are a lot of covered bridges in my new area!) Its called, Smolen Gouth or something like that! We had a blast. They let us get out on one end so we could run through it and then picked us up on the other end! So fun!

Another adventure....Sis. Stacks coat (which had our car keys in it!) was taken when we were at church! We were sooooo worried! It just was the weirdest situation and all I can say is thank goodness for the Banks....they got us where we needed to go and then drove us 30 mins down to the bottom of our area so we could go pick it up from the family who accidently took it! It ended up turning out great...they even fed us lunch;) but oh boy did we have a crazy few hours there!

For Christmas we have a dinner at the church planned at 2 and then the Bishops wife invited us over in the evening. And the rest of the time we will fill with planning and service and caroling! So fun! I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!!
I love you all so much and am so grateful for you all in my life. I really wouldn't be here and going strong with out each and everyone of you, your examples, your testimonies, your love and your support!!!!! So THANK YOU! Have a very MERRY Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sister Hannah Newren

******** This is a video the church just came out with...we play it at the Visitors center for those people who come to see the Nativity Exhibit. It is an amazing video about Christ's birth...if you haven't seen it yet watch it! If you already have....watch it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! click here The Nativity 
 

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