No Room at the Inn

Hello Family!!

Well Merry Christmas once again! It was so good to hear all of your voices on Saturday! I thought it would be weird since I haven't heard you all in so long but it was just like normal. Although hearing Dad as "Grandpa" was a little weird, and hearing a little baby in the background was different, I felt like I was back home again for a hour and that was the best Christmas present.

Everything this week was amazing. We had so many wonderful experiences that I will always keep tucked away in my memories.This whole last week I have been praying earnestly to be able to come to know the Savior more. To make this Christmas, as a missionary, a sacred one. The Lord sure opens up ways to answer our prayers. After I got off the phone with all of you, Sister Christensen and I got dressed and went out to visit the members in our ward that we had appointments with. Well we drove into Rochester and everyone that we were going to meet with either didn't answer their door or they called and canceled on us. So, to try and fight back our discouragement we went to a local Nursing Home to sing to all the old people, the only problem was... well... that they're old. All of them were either asleep or they were already with some of their family members. So that was kind of a bust. So we tried to find things to kill time before we were going to meet at the church to watch a Christmas movie with some of the other missionaries. I was so excited, and about a hour before everyone was going to meet our District Leader called and told us that President had approved that we watch a Christmas movie on Christmas day, BUT it had to be with a MEMBER, not with each other. What a bummer! Seriously! The one thing that I had looked forward to all day. We had no idea was to do at that point so we just drove home. I bawled the entire way home, feeling sorry for myself, feeling like it was the worst Christmas ever, feeling like there was no where to go and no one wanted us, when a scripture came to my mind... "and there was no room in the inn". In that one instant I was completely humbled. Over 2000 years ago, on a Christmas night, there was a man and a very pregnant woman who were searching for somewhere to go to bring their baby into the world. No one let them in. No one wanted them. They had no where to go. The baby who came to save all mankind was born in a stable, and placed in a manager. In some fraction of a way we were able to feel a little of what that must have felt like. So we went home, sat down, sang hymns, told stories, read scriptures, and shared our testimonies of the Savior and what He really means to each of us, and you know what? It was one of the best Christmas' I've ever had. Our Heavenly Father truly answers our prayers and He is always ever mindful of us.

I hope that this week goes well for all of you! I hope that you have an amazing New Years! I love the chance we have to reevaluate our year and make goals to become better. The Savior provides a way for us to change and I am so grateful for Him. I love you all! Happy New Year!

Love always, Sister Carter