Dear Family,
It was great to see and talk to you on Christmas and I have to say I am MINDBLOWN by how much everyone has grown. So congrats of growing. I'm really impressed :)
We did a lot of contacting this week for Christmas, and it was really cool because you could feel the Christmas spirit. Everyone's just happier.
We also ate a lot. And I had this weird thing happen where after one meal I couldn't eat another one! OH NO I'M DOOMED HOW WILL I EVER EAT FOUR MEALS IN A ROW IF I FILL UP AFTER ONE. For that reason Christmas was a little painful :)
I read Alma 5 this week. HOLY MOLY that's a call to repentance :) Read it, it's a good New Year's goals chapter.
Other highlights:
~Getting jukes twice on Christmas ;? (What? You have plans with your family? Why??)
~Ellis Island again :)
~Getting hugged and besito'd by a hilarious Dominican guy...you just can't stop 'em :) He's the owner of a store and we stop by ever once in a while. He said he's going to invite us over to dinner with his wife! New investigator/morir so ñando (sounds weird but it's a dominican drink :)  ) HERE I COME
~Our Honduran investigator made us homemade baleadas! Those things are so good.
Love you! Choose the right and know what you stand for! Happy New Years! Hope you all have fun staying up to the wee hours of the morning cuz I'm going to bed at 10:30 jeje
Con cariño,
Hermana Reed

Look at these intense Christmas decorations!!

This is Maria Jose :) She's the little daughter of our cute Honduran family.

Last Week in Morristown

This week was crazy!!! And cold! My companion has this strange problem where she doesn't need a coat or tights--and then I'm like well I don't need them either! Well, I learned my lesson. I'm going to wear a coat now.
I have no idea how to approach telling about my week...so bullet point time!!!!
~Had "Traditions with the Taggarts". It was great. Involved a lot of bad bell ringing and also food. The Christmastime mission stuff has begun.
~Had the Christmas Fireside! Aka all missionaries perform with really bad acting!!! But it was great because EVERYONE I LOVE CAME!!! Meaning Nicolas and everyone from Newark and from Morristown and Short Hills and it was so great. We were shepherds and I had a stick and Sister Brown had a turban.
~Had the best MLC ever!!! A Sevently came and told us about the "faith ladder", among other things.

It was awesome. And it was my last MLC because this is my last transfer of being a Sister Training Leader. And I am TIRED!

~I'm training!

~Also I have been transferred. ONE AND DONE! Again!! Baaah! Literally the worst. Also I will be doubled into my next area...for the second time in a row. Luckily I think this will be the last time!!!

~Trainer's meeting! What was funny was all of their companions went to our area. So we had four missionaries following Sister Brown out the door. She was a full-blown mother with all of those missionaries in tow :) It was great.

It has been a crazy week. I really am going to miss this area. We have worked hard here. And so much is happening--people preparing for baptism, the Garcia family, Christmas, and lots of finding.

Love you all! Remember to choose the right and know what you stand for :)

Sister Reed

Nicolas and Hno Montoya!

Christmas time!!!

Dear Family,
I am so excited because it is finally Christmas time!!!
Reasons why I love Christmas:
~Everyone is happy and nice
~You get to sing Christmas songs
~Santa Claus times
~the Christmas Initiative the Church has going
~Hot cocoa and treats
~Everyone has work and school off and are at home
~You think of Christ all the time
So we contact with these great Christmas cards and it's basically the bomb .com.
On Wednesday, we had our first snowfall of the year. Thus was ordered the first no driving day of the year. As our area is ridiculously large with zero buses, this is a bigger problem than it was last year in Bayonne. So my dear companion called people all day until we were able to find someone to take us to an appointment we had. Success!
I also had my second Turkey Bowl of my mission. I think this one was more successful than last year because now I actually know how to play football! Go me!
Only one Thanksgiving dinner this year but we came out just as full. I honestly have no idea what has happened to my eating abilities-I used to be able to eat 4 meals in a row back in Kearny and now one knocks me out! WHAT KIND OF MISSIONARY AM I???
Also I met Santa Claus on exchange this week :)

Highlight of the Week: Nelson came to church for the third Sunday in a row!!

We had a really spiritual lesson last night with a part-member family. They were really mad with each other--why won't you go to church--I'm going to move out--it's my salvation not yours--what do you consider failure...it was pretty heated. The whole lesson everyone was angry and yelling and finally at the end I bore a very personal testimony to the family. And with that experience, the whole spirit in the room changed. For the first time I felt peace. That's how you know God is there: peace. The dad offered the closing prayer and he prayed for me and my family :) It just about melted my heart.

This is why I love being a missionary!!

Remember to choose the right and know what you stand for! Love you all!!!

Sister Reed