Woohoo it's Christmas-time! I hope you all are enjoying the snow....I'm somewhat jealous. It's been raining non-stop for a couple of days here which I have enjoyed. One of the ward members said, "Look Sister Stringer, its snowing!" I ran outside and it was raining really hard and I looked at him sadly and said "That's not snow!" He said "Yes it is! Look more carefully!" I was so excited but then he started laughing and he said "It's liquid snow hahaha." So rude. I totally fell for it. Have a merry WHITE Christmas!!
So I left a cliffhanger email a couple of weeks ago. When I was up at the VC during the Temple Open House, I met a family...the Taylors....and was able to give them a tour of the VC. There was a very special spirit in that short amount of time and we became good friends! They wanted to learn more about eternal families so I sent the referral to the missionaries so that they could be taught. A week later, the Taylors came back up to Laie to see the temple again and they ran into me in the Reception Tent. We took pictures and they told me that they had been contacted by the sister missionaries in their area. They waited for 3 hours for me to finish my Open House shift so that I could teach them more in the Visitors' Center again! They introduced me to their extended family and it was just so fun to see them! I love the Taylor family.
So anyway, long story short, they live in the Pearlridge Ward and so I am able to see them often and teach them the lessons! They make time for us because they feel like I'm part of the family and it has been such a special experience for me. Saturday night we went over and taught them about eternal families and the spirit in their living room was just as strong as anything I had felt. Kalani, the father, said the closing prayer and it felt like we were in the Celestial Room of the temple. It brought us all to tears! I love that family as if they were my own and I am grateful to be a part of their conversion! A big happy baptism is on its way :)
I am so grateful for the witness of the Holy Ghost. There is no other way to know of truth except by the power of the Holy Ghost and I have been so blessed to have that witness myself and to help others to feel of it as well. I was reading Elder Bednar's conference talk yesterday and he was saying that the reason we do all that we do....read, pray, go to church, keep the commandments....is not just because we should, but because those things are CRITICAL to invite the Holy Ghost into our lives. How much happier is life when you have a member of the Godhead with you always!!!!
I love you all and I am so thankful for your prayers!
Sister Stringer
