Hey Loved Ones,
Merry Christmas! I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday spent with loved ones. Sister Forseth and I have had a great time. We keep getting closer and find more and more in common! We found out we have the same PIN number. The chances for that are one in 10,000. That means there are 7 missionaries in the world with that PIN, and two of them happen to be best friends and companions! And for those of you who knew me when I was 12 and got my electronic FurReal cat 
named Angel Princess, 
she got the exact same toy for Christmas the same year!
The 'Fourth Floor, Last Door' approach has worked wonders this week. I'm learning to rely more on the arm of God rather than man's understanding. We had plans this week to go visit a member of the congregation who is less-active, who we both love. But we both got the prompting to tract a street near her. We were conflicted, because we would rather have seen the Sister, and we worried it would be less effective. We made a goal to tract the street until we talked to five people, and if all five of them rejected us without teaching, we would leave. The fifth person who answered was a minister's son. The Spirit lead us on kind of a strange tangent of conversation, and we uncovered that he had never understood the second coming of Christ. It was amazing to uncover a spiritual thirst like that. Then ext door, we had another family become new investigators when we told the story of the Restoration of the Gospel, and the father said, "You know, I think we are on exactly the same page with these beliefs."
There are also a lot of Spanish people in Columbus! I'm getting a little practice but also realizing how little I know. We are teaching Yrben and Jessica's family. They are so spiritually attune. They were really rocked when Isaiah's testimony started to crumble, as they are neighbors, but they have made a strong bond with our Ward Mission Leader, who saved the day with his testimony...he also helps us translate. It's amazing to see their faces light up when they read a passage of the Book of Mormon in Spanish.
We also teach the Flores family. They fed us last night, and we got to eat cactus and homemade corn tortillas. Yummy! Their cousins were there too, and expressed how they had heard good things about of church from the Flores', and wanted their son to start coming!
Family is so important. I've struggled to find complete families to teach my whole mission, but here in Columbus that prayer has been answered. This week I was touched as we got to know the Thomas family in the congregation, who pointed out that Jesus fulfilled all righteousness, and could have come to earth in any manner, but came in a family, just like the rest of us. This passage from Luke 2, just past the Nativity Story, stood out to me:
"And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company...found him not [and] they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, and they were both hearing him, and asking him questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?"
When we go "about our Father's business," we draw closer together as a family. Our bonds are strengthened, trials diminish or become easier to bear, and we are blessed with the Spirit in our home. I've been so blessed to have a family that has taught me in this way. I know it's possible for each of us.
Love you, but Jesus loves. you. best!
Sister Pugmire
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