Hey Family,
 
Thank you for all your emails. Sounds like so much good is happening at home and for that I am happy. So glad Cola is home. I kept thinking thats dumb she gets home the day of christmas but, I'm glad she is home. And I am so, so, so, glad to hear that Uncle Rana is on the mend once again. My heart sunk as I heard he was back in Hospital but as Mum said he will be okay and to keep the faith.  I know he will be fine. I cannot believe in less than a week I get to see you all.... I am so excited. I am trying to decide when to call but I will buy a phone card today and during the week and closer to Christmas my companion will call and set a definite time. We have so much on this week and juggling our plans, so I am not sure when I will call but rest assured it will either be your Christmas day or my Christmas day. President Cannon said he doesn't mind which day I call.  What time are you all getting up so I don't call too early? I guess I won't get the answer to that... Oh also I got the package from Uncle TC but my companion made me put it under the tree and not open it until Christmas, and I also got another package which I am guessing is Dad's gift from Ebay which is under the tree, and so the tree is looking quite healthy. We have had a few members in the Wards give us wrapped presents so Christmas will be exciting to say the least. However,  the only down fall is transfers are the day after Christmas. SO, when I call I will be able to tell you everything that is happening at transfers. Everyone keeps saying I might be training but I am not sure yet. We are getting 6 new sister missionaries in the mission so anyone is up for training, but I don't know how I feel about this transfer. We will see what happens. Anyways, onto more exciting news!  PS I didnt get an email from Hina this week.. Hows is my sister doing??? Please email me...
 
So, Monday night we went to teach Kasey. We finished P-day and went to teach Kasey and we taught him about all the commandments and he didn't have a problem with them. When we brought up baptism he said, "I will be baptised on Dec 17th whether his friend can be there or not!" So, we scheduled his baptism for 8:00 pm on Dec 17th. When we walked out of his place we felt so happy knowing he is making the right decision.
 
Tuesday we had interviews with the mission president and the morning was spent visiting Lily, and doing service. We went to the interviews with the President and we told President Cannon about the miracle we have seen in Kasey and he said sorry to rain on your parade but you need to have both his parents permission. Our hearts sank. Kasey lives with his Mum because him and his dad dont get along. His mum wants nothing to do with the church but she said he can be baptised. Well his dad would chase missionaries away and tried to keep Kasey from the church for the longest time so we kept thinking oh goodness..... We saw Kasey Tuesday night and we asked him for his Dads phone number because his dad is currently in Texas. Kasey said he would call his grandma and get it so he did and then he called us back crying because his grandma had just chewed him out for wanting to be baptised. She did not give her support at all but we did get the Dads number. He was feeling very low because no one in his family was happy or supportive of his decision, but we reminded him of the Lord and how he was happy for the decision Kasey was making.
 
Then Wednesday came and we fasted all morning before we called. We did weekly planning on Wednesday and then we headed out to Carey. We spent some time with some LA people and then just before dinner we called Kaseys Dad and we said Kasey wanted to be baptised but we need your permission and he said well what does his mum think and we said she has given her permission and then he said well if she has given her permission then he can be baptised. And that was sweet music to my ears. So that was a huge miracle. Wednesday night we ended up visiting several LA members in Carey and then coming back to Shoshone because we were going to the temple on Thursday.
 
Thursday we got to go to the temple!!!!! We met up with our District in Jerome and our ZLs drove us to the temple. The Twin Falls temple is kinda like the NZ temple and kinda like the hawaiiain Temple yet its its own temple. I so loved being back in the temple, but surprisingly it made me real homesick. All I could think about was coming through the veil into the celestial room seeing my mum and when I walked through and my mum wasnt there it was a weird feeling. I just kept thinking about all the temple sessions Ive been to with you Mum and it made me real homesick, but I got a great sense of peace as well so dont worry I am doing okay. I just didnt realize how much the temple reminded me of my family. I also got to put everyones names of the prayer roll so that was cool.  Then Thursday night we spent the evening working in Richfield and we visited this lady named Debby. We few weeks ago we visited her and the lesson felt like a huge flop. We asked a member to come with us but she brought her 2 kids so Debby was distracted by the 2 kids instead of listening to the lesson so we were unsure of how this lesson was going to go. So we went in there and my goodness Debby was 360 degrees different. She was so excited to have us in her home. She had done her reading assignment and she talked alot about last lesson and what she learned. It was a huge tender mercy that Debby was still progressing and that she still needed love and attention and care. She really wanted us to keep coming back more regularly and she is noticing changes in her life so thats cool.
 
Then Friday we spent the Day in Shoshone. We visited several LA and Kasey had his baptismal interview that day. After the interview we found out he still hadnt gotten a hold of his uncle who he wanted to baptism him. So that was a bit worrisome but we called our WML (Ward Mission Leader) and he was going to take Kasey out to visit his uncle to sort things out. Then we went and did service for this one family. They are remodeling their house and they wanted some help so we went over and they wanted us to rip out their kitchen breakfast bench and my goodness if ever you need some therapy destroy something. They said they werent saving any of it so we went at it with a crow bar and within an hour the whole thing was out of the house. They kept asking if I had ever remodeled a kitchen before and I said no but I know how to destroy something, and they laughed. The night ended good with a lesson with a LA/ PMF family.
 
Then duh duhh Saturday arrived. We had a ward christmas breakfast that we needed to be at in Dietrich early in the morning so we were off to that and the Baptism was that night in Dietrich because Shoshone doesnt have a font. At the breakfast we talked to the guy who coordinates the baptism and we told him we didnt have a key to the building and he assured us the building would be open and the font would be filled. So we didnt worry anymore. We spent the day in Dietrich teaching lessons and visiting people and then that night we were running late from an appointment to get to the chapel. We try and be at the chapel about an hour before the baptism starts so as to avoid any last minute hickups that may arise. Well we got to the chapel at 7.20pm and needless to say Kasey and his uncle were there, and several other people had started arriving and the door was locked. There was no getting into the church. It was a cold night so everyone was standing out in the Cold and we were calling anyone we could to have them come unlock the chapel. 20mins went by and the chapel was finally opened. So because the door was locked we were so worried that the font wouldnt be filled. We ran in and the font had water in it so we didnt think twice, we got Kasey in his whites and then the baptism started. Well when it came time for him to actually be baptised we all walk into the room where the font is and he is in the font with his uncle. His uncle says the pray and then goes to dunk him. Kasey has no idea what to do with his hand that is suppose to hold his nose so instead he places it awkwardly next to his face, then his uncle goes to dunk him only to realize the water only comes to Kaseys knees and he is 6' 3'' so the poor kid literally ends up sitting on his bum and lying down in the foot of water that is in the font. The look on his face was priceless it was like what is going on? But he went under.... so they let him be baptised. My companion and I start laughing because everyone looks at us laughing like what just happened. How did we not realize there wasnt enough water in the font. They had filled it up for an 8 yr olds baptism not a 16 yr olds baptism. So needless to say the night ended well with Kasey baptised but goodness it felt like a fight to the finish. We waited outside the change room to see if he was okay and he was happy as a lark so even though it may have been the most awkward baptism he was completely satisfied. I was just grateful to get home that night and I slept like a log. Satan sure worked hard to do anything to stop the baptism from going ahead.
 
Then Sunday when the confirmation happened it went off without a glich so that was a blessing. But it was a true testament of how special Kasey is and how much the Lord needs him in the church right now. Miracles do happen. Then yesterday we spent all evening in Dietrich again because of Chirstmas Eve we wont get to spend time in Dietrich this coming week so we doubled up last week.
 
Anyways that was my week in a nutshell. Alot has happened and like I am anxious for transfers. I would love to stay with Sister Schoepf but we have no idea what will happen. Anyways I love you all. I hope you have a great Christmas and dont ever forget the reason for the season. Its because of Easter we have a reason to celebrate Christmas. Without the atonement and the sacrifice the Saviour made for us we would not have a reason to celebrate his birth. Someone shared this great analogy yesterday. They said the Saviours atonement is like Jesus Christ paying for piano lessons. We cant pay him back for the piano lessons, he has already paid for them, but we can become the best pianist so that he knows we used the piano lessons he paid for. I thought that was a real cool analogy. Anyways love you family. I will see you soon. I was planning on calling on my Christmas day at my 1pm which is like your 9am, but now that Cola is home and you will be home all Christmas day I will probably try and call on Christmas eve. But like I said my companion will call you during the week to confirm. I love you all. Have a merry christmas. Take care, Sister Chadderton.