DC Week 44!-- December 9, 2013

DC Week 44!—December 9, 2013

Festival is upon us!! Oh it is SO much fun, and super draining. I think my body is a tad confused. Not quite sure how I feel haha! You just go! Go! Go!... And then pretty much crash at the end of the night. Best feeling in the world. To feel all used up :)

Well, yesterday, we had our first snowfall of the season! Oh it is so beautiful here! I love when the world is coated in white. Everything just looks fresh and clean. It's my favorite. I would always rather be cold than hot--plus it gives you the excuse to bundle up and drink a steaming mug of "Abuelita's" (the best hot chocolate in the world). Well, because of the humidity out here, it does weird things to the roads when you throw ice into the mix, and it doesn't take that much to start fish-tailing. That's why the schools all close if there's even half an inch of snow. I thought it was a little pansy-ish, but they just want to be safe I guess. Well, for that same reason, we got the call out from President to return home after Sacrament meeting yesterday and spend the night in our apartments. So Sister Clement and I obediently went home, and made cookies and sang, and watched whatever LDS Christmas movies we could find in our tiny apartment. It was so wonderful.

Well, family, I believe it's about that time. Sure hope you are all enjoying this wonderful season of giving. You are all so awesome. More next week!

Hermana Graff
Helaman 3:35 ~Just came across this in my reading last night. I find it interesting that the "sanctification of [our] hearts, [...] cometh [from] yielding [our] hearts unto God."

Pictures:

1. After Ambassador Night with Sister Clement.

2. Lights!

3. Cheeburger Cheeburger, haha. (Plan B for lunch actually ending up being not so bad).

4. Mason jars! It was this cute little 50's diner. Complete with classic model cars lining the walls, shakes and malts, fluorescent lights, and music that just made you want to boogie.

5. Surprise visit from Kady Kortu!! She brought Susu and Dalton! It had been more than half a years since I had seen them! Sister Nakatsuka and I were in heaven.

6. "I wanna wash my hands, my hair, and face with snooow!" 

Pictures from DC Week 43!

DC Week 43!

DC Week 43!-- Dec 2, 2013

 Happy Birthday Daddy!!!!

I am sending you out a card today so be looking for it this week :)

So family, is anyone getting excited for Christmas?? Can you believe it's already December? I certainly can't. I find it super weird that everything is beginning to look exactly how it did when I came out...no leaves...Jack Frost nippin' at your nose...stuff like that... :)

Well I wanted to send off some pictures, but the computer here at this little library was being ridiculously slow, so that took up the majority of my time, darn it.

In short news, tonight is Ambassador Night at the VC, which means that it is the only night of the year when it is closed to public. Ambassadors come from all over the world with their families for a banquet, and all sorts of other festivities such as kicking off the lighting ceremony for Festival which lasts until the first of January. The honored guest this year is the ambassador from Switzerland (where Elder Eyring served his mission). And the apostle who will be in attendance is Elder Christofferson.  I will send pictures next week, promise! Wish me luck! Don't want to trip or anything. I totally would, haha.

Until next week!

Hermana Graff

Alma 30:8

Pictures:

1. Saying goodbye to one of our Visa waiters, Sister Jorgenson. She has been with us since the summer waiting to go to Brazil. Finally got the green light. It was so cruel. They let us get attached and then send her on her way! She will touch so many lives down in South America :)

2. Goodbye Elder Messerole (Our District/Thanksgiving/"Death" picture)

3. Our little three-foot tree :) Found it in a box on our balcony. I set it up one night while Sister Clement was in bed sick. So. Much. Dust. I am still sneezing haha.

4. Just made me laugh. Reminded me of that time we got those lobster grams. Oh, the horror....

5. We also found a strand of lights. You never know what kinds of fun things you can find in a missionaries apartment. So I strung them in our study room. Don't ask me what it's supposed to look like. I actually have no idea what I was going for. Looks a tad like something from Whoville.

      

Washington DC- Week 42! November 25, 2013

DC- Week 42!  November 25, 2013

Okay, let's see...

Recently, I think the Lord has been giving me many opportunities to humble myself haha. Just sweetly reminding me that in fact, NO, I don't know everything, and that I really can't stand my own ground without Him right there as my "training wheels", if you will.

This week, I went on exchange to Gaithersburg (Wednesday to Friday) with Hermana Carcamo (from Chile). It was so much fun! Some of the sisters who have worked there have referred to it on occasion as "La Ciudad de Enoch" because it is just near that perfect! And what a cool opportunity to work on my Spanish even more.

Well had a sweet encounter with a little viejito named Oscar. He is about 70 years old and from Peru. Recent convert as of...June, I think? Sweetest man on earth. I have met him on a number of occasions when he's come into the VC. We had stopped by unannounced to say hello, and neglected to bring another member with us. And so, after arriving to his apartment and realizing we needed a third female to enter, we decided we would just bundle up, and sit on his back porch. (It was so freezing by the way). Anyway, we greeted each other, and began discussing some of his most recent concerns and obstacles.  I began to open up about some personal experiences of my own, and must have rambled on in Spanish for...oh...about a good 4 and a half minutes. Upon finishing my testimony, he stared into my eyes for a second, and then leaned on the edge of his seat a tad closer to me (so our noses were about half a foot away) and simply said, "No intendi NADA." Sister Carcamo and I looked at each other, and then just both started laughing and laughing over my shattered ego! It actually was pretty funny, and we ended up patching up the conversation and leaving on a good note.

I had a similar blow to my pride just the other day at the VC when I invited a member to be baptized. Yep. True story. Oh, it was on accident, for sure. But there were like TWELVE people on our tour, and between the number of fellow-shippers, and the number of investigators (who all had different needs, and commitments) I successfully managed to drop the ball in a major way. Plus the language barrier was not exactly a help either haha.  Ehh...they won't go less active over it. Needless to say, after a heaping scoop of awkward silence, and a dash of giggles, sprinkled with some very confused looks, the anxious Elders (who had woken up from their lethargic, slug-like state and now moved to the edge of their seats) redirected me to the mujer who was in fact, supposed to be invited to accept a baptismal commitment. I extended the invitation. She accepted. I re-bore testimony. And we called it good.

Humility? Check. Thanks, Heavenly Father!

Well, that about sums up things for now. Hope you all know I am so NOT perfect, but still keep trying every single day :)

Love you to the Mayflower and back.

Hermana Graff

Alma 26:12 ~Rang loud and clear to me this week :) Remember it.

PS--Happy Thanksgiving on Thursday!! Go eat some pavo.
(We'll be doing it Peruvian style at Hermana Ranjbar's ;) The only real way to celebrate.)