Christmas is coming!

Hello Family!

I am so excited to be able to see you next week! :) I am going to skype at about noon here, so it will be 3:00 pm there. I hope that works with you! I am excited to see you! :)

We had a good week last week! Lots more lessons and lots of people to talk to! It was wonderful as well because there are so many sisters that are willing and want to go out with us! On one day we had 3 different team-ups which was wonderful! We take out several sisters who are preparing for missions, which is great for us and them! We love having people with us and they enjoy it too. :)

Last night was one of my highlights. On Saturday we were out talking to people and we saw a man cleaning the rims of his car. We walked up to him and asked if we could leave a blessing with him and his family. He said that he had recently lost his family and was living with his mom, but we could come over and leave the blessing with him.
So we went over last night and gave a Harvesting Blessing. The Spirit was wonderful and we invited him to be baptized on January 12th. He accepted! We are meeting with him tonight at 7:30. His girlfriend, who was also there, lives in Long Beach and wants the missionaries to come visit her there. It was such a wonderful way to end the week!

We also have Randy, a former investigator that we started meeting with again, on date for January 6th. We are excited for him! Our WML already made out the program for him and we are excited! He is really a great man and we are excited to see him continue to progress.

So funny story of the week: We had the RS Christmas Party on Thursday night. There was a white elephant exchange. One of the first gifts that was picked and opened were these really cute dish towels. I was excited because we really needed dish towels, so I was hoping I could some how get them. Well, they were getting passed all around and finally it was my turn. Well, I was able to pick from anyone and I went straight to Sister Graham, who had them. I took them, sat down, and looked closer. They weren't dish towels! They were Baby Burp Clothes! I was soo bummed, but everyone got a good laugh! (I did end up keeping them since I was towards the end of choosing...)

Well them the next day, Sister Herbert gave us a call and said she had something for us. Well, we stop by and she says, "Heres your Christmas present!" We open it and it is full of dish towels! What I have always wanted! ;)

It was a really good week! We also were able to help out at a community Christmas party at a local high school. We were able to pass out blankets and presents for over 500 children in the area. It was so fun! We had our whole zone there and it was just wonderful!

Well, the work is going well and I love it! Christmas is right around the corner and I can't believe it! I am excited to see you all! I love this work! I am so thankful to be a missionary. I know this is exactly where I am supposed to be. I know that I was called to California, Riverside Mission to meet all the wonderful people I have met! I love it. :)

Sister Fia continues to be amazing! I love her!

I know Jesus Christ lives. I know that He loves us all. He is the reason for this season. I love my Savior, Jesus Christ.

And I love you!

Sister Gretchen Schillemat 

PS. This is the cutest boy I have ever met! Little Marcus! Marcus and his sister made us that welcome sign!

We also were able to help decorate a tree yesterday! It was just like home. :)