A New Tradition: Hash Brown Flipping

Christmas was the highlight of the week. Christmas eve was a lot of fun too. Our zone leaders came and stayed the night so we could all open packages and presents in the morning together. For Christmas breakfast we started a new tradition: hash brown flipping! Elder Goates was the chef and he was tossing the hash browns in the air to flip them and after daring and challenging his manliness he tried flipping the hash browns flipping them under his leg, over the head, and from one side to the other side which resulted in hash browns finding themselves all over the kitchen!

I had the unique privilege of spending Christmas dinner with my awesome family!! Mom prepared an amazing Turkey dinner and we even did our Family Christmas pageant. My favorite part of the night was taking care packages to a house of recovering drug and alcohol addicts. We got to know some of the women living there who gave my brother Spencer the nickname "Afro-Man".

We had an awesome lesson with B this week! We taught him the law of the fast and had to explain the difference between going without food, and moving quickly. "Fasting". He's still learning English. He said that hopefully fast sunday really is "fast" so it isn't miserable. We told him it should be called slow Sunday and he got a kick out of that! B is still helping us with our Chinese missionary efforts. We met a lady walking down the street a few weeks ago and he's been communicating back and forth with her. After hearing her excuse that she has to stay home with her kids all day every day and can't come to church, B told her that "if all you do is stay home all day, you're never going to have any friends and your life is going to be disgusting." I think the word disgusting wasn't quite the word he used when he was talking to her in Chinese but that's what he translated it into for us.

Sometimes when I need strength I reflect on my testimony and how I gained it. My belief in the gospel is so special to me. It's something I treasure and hold very sacred and personal, although I share it often. My testimony has grown experience by experience over the years. Most of the experiences are small, some leave a greater impression. I do know that I have my own testimony and it gives me courage and motivation. If you are having a difficult time, I would encourage you to think about your testimony and what it means to you.

Love Elder Janis