Merry Christmas to All!

Hope you all are having a safe and happy Christmas season!

It is crazy! Christmas is in 3 days and it still hasn't phased me. Usually the 25 days of Christmas take forever and you are anxious counting down. I thought yesterday was the 3 of December so this time has gone by really fast!

Things have finally settled down companion wise. Elder O'Brien came in on Tuesday and we have been working non stop ever since. Three days in a row we forgot to schedule dinner because we have so many appointments to run to and we literally have been running from appointments. I have never taught 20+ lessons in a week and we broke that this week and we only had 5 days to teach this week! It has been awesome! We get home at night, exhausted, hit our beds and are out. Then we get to do it again the next day! I LOVE IT!

Anyway, here is information on Elder O'Brien! He is from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Loves music and guess what else...hockey (not trying to stereotype Canadians haha) He goes home in April. He is a very great missionary and we are very very similar in many ways except the great missionary part. I am still trying to get there :) 

This weekend we are going to the temple to take an inactive member who we helped return to activity in the church for the first time. I am so excited for her. Elder Rash actually taught her in his first area two years ago but then her life was a mess and she disappeared after ELder Rash gave her a blessing. I thought it was pretty cool that the last lesson Elder Rash taught was with her and he got to see the fruits of his effort from two years ago. 

Also we have a baptism on Saturday with a boy named Jacob! Oh man he is so ready! I asked him why he wanted to be baptized and he said because he wants to get closer to his Father in Heaven and return to Him one day. It was awesome!

In this months Ensign there is a talk titled " The Reality of Christmas". I encourage you to read it.  https://www.lds.org/liahona/2014/12/the-reality-of-christmas?lang=eng. It is an awesome talk on Christmas and here is a piece of it!

"“It causes us to contemplate our relationship with our Father and the degree of devotion we have for God.

“It prompts us to be more tolerant and giving, more conscious of others, more generous and genuine, more filled with hope and charity and love—all Christlike attributes. No wonder the spirit of Christmas touches the hearts of people the world over. … For at least a time, increased attention and devotion are turned toward our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”2

This Christmas, as the spirit of the season permeates our hearts, let us do something that expresses our feelings in an outward way, showing that we understand that the babe born in Bethlehem is the real Redeemer. President Howard W. Hunter (1907–95) gave some practical advice that helps us do that:

“This Christmas, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again.”3

Without Christ, there would be no Christmas. Without Christ, there can be no fulness of joy. Without His birth and His Atonement, we would have no Intercessor, no Advocate with the Father, and no Mediator who makes it possible for us to return to the presence of our loving Heavenly Father and live together as eternal families."

Love you all. Be Good and keep me updated on your lives,

Love Elder Rush

Elder Rush with his new companion, Elder O'Brien

So proud of my Elder Rush! He is such an example to me!