Dear mom, 

I am finally getting into the Christmas spirit. I haven't been feeling it as much this year because I don't get the chance to blare Christmas carols everyday, and we only have the church songbooks ones anyways.. Also we're not too decorated for Christmas besides the small tree we put up in November and what we made at the relief society activity. But this week has definitely helped me get more into it. 😊 I got to be part of some really awesome service opportunities this week and it was just awesome. 

The first one is that we were meeting a less active member who had been clearing out some of her Christmas decorations and she asked us if there was anyone we knew who could use them... And so we took them and hiked across Wombourne with them, and visited with another sister who has been taking care of her husband after his surgery. And while we were there we got to play Christmas elves a little and help her wrap presents for the primary kids. (And we very gratefully accepted a ride home with our new Christmas treasures) then we also helped put up the decorations for the ward Christmas party, and on Friday finally got to deliver them. We gave them to Diana's family because we just knew that she would love them, and she did! It was so awesome to do so much service this week I loved it. And the Christmas party was a success. We got to meet a lot of less active members who we'd never seen before, and even a few non members came to it. And Diana's son Luca was the cutest! She had dressed him up as a little donkey and he just ran around in circles because that's what he saw the big kids doing (they were playing tag) it was adorable and nice to see Diana out of here flat and being with other people. 😊 

I have not gotten my package yet, but hopefully it will get here before Christmas. Natty a play looks like it was fun to watch. They do Christmas plays here too! And even if benson's team isn't doing the best, it's still fun to watch. I'm sorry you hit a deer. At least the car still works. Mostly..🙂 

It still hasn't snowed yet, it rains some still, sometimes it's cold, sometimes it's not. And transfers are this week.  That's about it. 

Oh, and the most interesting thing I ate this week was curry and pasta together. And I bought a gingerbread cookie and very much enjoyed every bite. 😊 that's about it this week. I'm finished training this transfer and sister Lee might be leaving me. 😕 

Love, 

Sister Wadsworth 😊 

Sent from my iPad

On 14 Dec 2015, at 05:41, kelly wadsworth <mkwads@yahoo.com> wrote:

Dear Rachel,

Can you believe that it is almost Christmas?  Do you know when you get to skype or call home yet?  I should probably practice settingskype up so it will work when we need it.  

Did you get our package yet?  The one you sent us is sitting in the post office right now.  We got the notice too late to get it on Friday.  

I'm trying to remember what has happened this week.  Mostly we have passed around a lot of germs.  We just can't seem to get rid of this cold.  It just passes back and forth.

Natty's play was on Tuesday.  It was the best 6th grade Christmas play I've seen.  Short, cute, and Natty was in it!  I will send a picture of it.

The 6th graders have been in DC so Natty has had a pretty easy week at school.  Four of the kids from LC got to participate in the wreath ceremony for the tomb of the unknown soldier.  

Chelsey has been having fun at school.  She is waiting for a letter from China so she can buy her plane ticket.  

Ally and Jacques are between things right now.  It's nice to have them come home after school.

Benson's team didn't do too well with games.  They lost to Lake Mead and Mountain View.  (It was pretty bad).

He didn't play much the first game, but the Saturday game, he played more.  He did really well when he did play. He fell and smacked his head and elbow really hard.  It sounded awful, but he got back up and kept playing.  

On Wednesday I hit a deer.  It took out the headlight and front fender, but the car is still drivable.  It's been a few years since I've hit one, so I guess it was my turn.  

It has been "flat tire season" here.  We finally borrowed Grandpa Frehner's tire patch kit, and learned to fix them ourselves.  We are going to have to buy him a new kit cuz we've used it so much.  But it sure has save us some money.  It is snowing again tonight.  I love it, but I think most people want to kick me for wanting it to snow.  Sister Hammond (Alyson) got mad at me in primary today for singing a snowy song.  

Toys for Tots was yesterday.  I love helping with it.  This might be the last year, though.  We'll see.  

Things are winding down for the night.  Dad left for work, he took Chelsey to Panaca, then headed North.  Natty has gone to bed, and so has Ally.  I need to start chasing the boys to bed now.

We love to hear all about what you are doing, so tell us all about it.  Keep safe. And warm.  

Love you!!!!!!

Dear mom,

It sounds like you had a really fun week. And that's really exciting to have a Christmas tree! I forgot that we have to always tie it to the ceiling so it will stay up. 😊🌲

This week was really good and we didn't have to waste a whole day doing nothing but going places so it feels like we were able to get a lot more done. 

We've started having a sort of family home evening with Diana on Monday night, but it's usually just singing a couple of primary songs because Luca is only about 2 and Oscar is four months. Her husband who is a member, requested to have a change of shift where he works so he can come to church on Sunday (and he did!) but now that he has Sunday off, another problem happened and he needs a weekday off to go to the office and sort it out, but he just changed shifts! Diana was so frustrated with it. I think anyone would be. But she is such an amazing person, sister Lee and I just love her and are always excited to go talk with her. 😊 

Tuesday we had a pretty great lesson with a new investigator. The bishop taught with us at the church so it was really good. Our bishop is really awesome at working with us and sister Lee has to keep telling me that it's not usually like this and just how awesome bishop conlan is. Our relief society president is amazing too. I love sister batt. She's really good at working with us too. She is definitely an incredible person. 

Wednesday we went to harbourne for a district meeting with the president... Our poor district leader didn't get the message that president Leppard wanted to do some training until AFTER... So we all felt so bad for him. And we met with Bobby afterwards. He has a huge problem too, but completely the opposite of Diana's. But he's so focused on that, that it's hard to help him, because we're not supposed to give that sort of advice, and even if we could, I wouldn't know what to do anyways. *Some people's problems.*

Thursday we met with a recent convert from the elders ( now our) area and her friend. McDonald's is not a good place to have a lesson, but they're both teenagers so it's where we usually do no up. So we have gotten a couple of new investigators!😊 

Friday we got to teach another really amazing person. We've been kind of doorstep friends for a while, and we finally got to go inside and teach her a lesson. She's been through some pretty hard things recently and hopefully we can teach her again. 

Saturday was another good day. We met with a less active and she's one of the people we just love. And we were able to meet with Diana again Saturday too. 

Sunday we didn't forget to fast this week, and we were going to go to the stake Christmas carol concert, but we could because we didn't have an investigator to come with us. 😩 

That was this week. Christmas in England is not what you'd expect, I guess because it's still pretty warm for December. And I'm a missionary so I'm already so focused on Christ that it doesn't feel too different from what I'm already thinking about every day. But now we do get to use the Christmas video, and the ward party is this Saturday, and they've really encouraged the members to try and invite a friend to it. Hopefully it will be a success. 😊 

Love, 

Rachel

Sent from my iPad

On 7 Dec 2015, at 06:05, kelly wadsworth <mkwads@yahoo.com> wrote:

Dear Rachel,

Another crazy week has come and gone.  I can't believe that it is almost Christmas.  Your package is in the mail, so I hope it gets there before Christmas.  I just put Sister Lee's in with yours, so open the box and get it out for her.  Everything is wrapped, so it is safe to open.  There is a little square present that you can open early, I think it is the smallest wrapped one in there.

Ally's play was really good.  She makes a good snotty girl.  We went Monday and Wednesday, and Grandma went on Tuesday.  It will be good to have a week off before the next play practice starts.

Benson was gone all weekend for a basketball tournament in Vegas.  The won one and lost three.  It will be a rough year for them because they are a whole new team.  Only one player came back from the varsity team last year.  They play at home this weekend.  It will be fun to watch.  

Jacques isn't playing sports, but he still doesn't come home much.  He either stays down to lift weights, or goes to Camden's house.  I told him he does have to come home a couple of days to help me.

Natty's play is this week.  Can you believe she is a 6th grader?  This will be our last year of elementary school plays!  Of course that means we move into band concerts, so it is a trade off.

Natty was practicing her trumpet today, and I recognized the song.  She is starting to sound better.

Thursday was the ward Christmas party.  It was fun.  The primary kids sang a couple of songs, and then everybody sang a few carols.  The food was really good.  And no dishes.  That is probably the best part.

Friday night, Jacques had a thing (?) in Alamo, so it was just us girls here at home.  Then Saturday we girls went and got our tree.  We really missed the boys when it was time to chop it down and load it in the car, but we did it.  It was actually easier to get into the smaller van because the seats fold down.  We got it set up and decorated and it kept threatening to fall, so about 11:00 at night, Ally and I tied it to the wall to a screw.  So it is attached to the hook in the ceiling and to the wall .  I hope it stays up.

Fast Sunday was really good at church today, a lot of good testimonies.  Primary was crazy because I forgot all my posters with the words to the Christmas songs.  Grandma and I were frantically writing behind the piano to get a new set ready for singing.  And in the end, I don't think the kids cared.  They just had fun putting the ornaments on the little tree I brought.  

Well, that about sums it up this week.   Tell us how and what you are doing.  Are you staying warm?  Just tell us all the little things that happen, cuz it's the little things (along with the big ones) that are fun to hear about.

We love you!!

Stay safe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mom

 Costa! Don't worry, it's hot chocolate :)