Hello!
I am just bursting my buttons I am so excited!! (And I can say that with all honesty because I am wearing a sweater with buttons on it. Hahaha) It's Christmas time! I don't have to go home early! AAAAAAAND...*Luh de luh!* We have an investigator who has agreed to be baptized!! Gah!!!!!!!!!
Whew! That was hard work.

This week has been incredible. We had transfers, as you know, and so we are back down to two sisters here in the Cerritos 1st ward. Sister Ding and I are having a blast. We have been finding like crazy. We have a little contest with the elders to see who can hand out the most fliers for our combined ward Christmas service this Sunday. Of course, we are winning so far. We have picked up two new investigators this week. One used to meet with the missionaries but because of lack of commitment, she stopped meeting with them. We stopped by to see how she was doing and she said she was feeling really confused about which was the right church. (Sounds like a perfect question to me!) We offered for her to receive a priesthood blessing for her health. When she received the blessing, we taught her about the Restoration. She ate it up! She really wanted to know how she could feel so good after receiving a blessing and where that priesthood power came from. She accepted that she would be baptized when she found out this message was true. We got a little mixed up with the dates so we are going to discuss that tonight but other than that, she loved the message.

Next is a young girl who's mother has been inactive for some time. She was in a lot of pain and she simply didn't know what to do about it. Again, we offered to invite the elders over to give her a priesthood blessing. In desperation, she said yes. We explained what the priesthood was and how the blessing was going to work, according to her faith. When she had the blessing, we didn't hear from her for about three weeks. Oh man! we thought. We lost her! Sister Ding and I went to contact her yesterday and she said she had just lost our number. She was feeling tons better after the blessing and her daughter wants to be baptized. O.O Isn't that just a dream come true?

With Christmas time right here, the members are understandably busy with their preparations for the festivities. I didn't realize how much time, effort, and money is spent at Christmas! With a better gospel perspective on the whole thing, I realized just how commercial the whole thing can become. We are celebrating the birth of our Savior. While presents and trees and lights are fun, the joy of giving, serving and spending time with those we love needs to be the focus of our celebration. Christ came to this earth to save us. He also came to teach us, serve us, and show us the way back to our Father in Heaven. Sometimes I think we overlook that key part of His life. He did come to pay the price of sin but He did live and continues to live now so that we would have a model to follow.
I had a scripture I wanted to share but now I can't find it. Must not have learned everything I need to from it just yet.

My mission president and I have started this...I'm going to call it a game...where he gives me some scriptures or references and then I answer questions with those references. It's really fun. Did you know that Christ walked on water around sunrise? President told me to look in the Bible Dictionary to find that one.

Well family, I want to let you know that I am so grateful for this gospel. The Light of Christ is everywhere. There are people everywhere being prepared by angels to receive this gospel. No man could be the author of this work, for if it were the work of man, it would fail! Miserably. Crash and burn. Dead. Finished. Done. No more.

Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. Our Father in Heaven loves us so much. The Book of Mormon "contains as does the Bible, the fullness of the everlasting gospel." Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration. President Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's prophet on the earth today. The gospel is restored! Isn't that wonderful? We no longer have to wait for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth! Now is the time for us to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord! What a privilege we have to have this gospel on the earth.

A side note for anyone who is searching for the truth: Read the Book of Mormon. Mark it up. Study it. Devour it. Apply it. Try it on. I guarantee it'll fit. Trust me. If you don't trust me, trust the Lord's promise given through a prophet. Moroni 10:3-5

Oh dear. I got on my preacher's box again. I guess it's becoming a more firm habit. That's good! :D I love you all. I miss you tons. I wish I could have more time, patience, and space to share all the wonderful experiences I am having here. But my language is weak and my fingers are getting tired.
I'll just wrap it up here.

I love you!!

Love,
Sister Fielding