HOME!!!

Heidi is now home! I am living in Chandler, Az with my brother and sister-in-law. It's gonna be a good life from here on out =]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

OK, so sorry for not writing last week but it was Christmas day and I had time to call a few of you, but I didn't have time to email. It wasn't much of a p-day...in fact I haven't really had a p-day in the last 2 weeks. Today is my last one so I am going shopping with the 2 sisters that are going home with me....it'll be interesting. I'll see you all in a week or so, and am excited about this reunion thing. Please don't make me get out all my "trinkets" and talk about my mission...Also, my camera is lost. I think stolen, but it may turn up someday. I'm super bummed because it had the last 6 months of pics on it, but oh well. Not like it really matters....I guess.Mom and dad, I saw a bunch of people from some old wards last night who came to the VC. They were all excited that I am going home and wanted to feed us...I told them I didn't know what your plans are so whenever you come in Friday we'll have to figure that out =]. Also, do you think we can stay till Monday morning??? One of my recent converts is flying back on Sunday evening so I'm wondering if we can eat breakfast with her Monday morning.....???? I really need to see her before I leave. She's having a rough time, and I need to have one last conversation with her while I'm still a missionary. We both need it. Anyway, that's it. I hope all is well everywhere. See ya later! Love ya,

~Sister Witbeck~ lml/

--Don't be lazy, be CRAZY!!!--

----Moroni 8:3----

Temple day

Today turned out to be the best p-day of my life! We went to the temple with all the dying missionaries and Pres and his wife, then as the elders all left the 7 sisters decided to ask the temple Pres. Elder Tingey if we could go to the 7th floor since we were leaving. He gave us permission then we wanted to see the baptistry area and asked him but this time he decided to take us all there himself! we just went everywhere and got to ask him lots of questions. It was AWESOME! Anyways, I'm going to the English program for my last 2 weeks and I have no time to pack so I was up late last night trying to get things together. I'll talk to you all next week! Love ya =]

~Sister Witbeck~ lml/

--Don't be lazy, be CRAZY!!!--

----Moroni 8:3----

Festival of Lights!!!!

It has begun. Life of craziness. I'm running around not knowing what to do next. Eek! Really not much to say because nothing to exciting has happened. Cristhian was confirmed on Sunday. We took one of our investigator's coffee machine away and now it's sitting in the back of our car. She was taught everything by the elders but still was not willing to be baptized. We asked her why and she told us she can't give up coffee. So we taught about why we have commandments, testified then asked if we could take her coffee. She wasn't willing so we told her we'll take her machine instead. She wasn't willing to do that either, but we talked her into it =], and she said she'll quit! YAY! Now the elders can baptize her after we leave. We have one more week in this area then transfers again so I'll have another 2 weeks in the English program before dying.Ambassador's nights were good. Elder Neil L. Anderson of the 70 came, and a whole bunch of other important people that no one knows the names of except the international office. Interesting how that works. The more important they are, the less we know of them. But whatever. Festival itself started and the first night we had well over 2,000 people come, and the next night about the same. Since I'm a trainer I have to run around with a ear piece microphone to communicate with the other trainers and front desk to make sure everything runs smoothly. I feel really stupid. Who has a walkie talkie in a VC??? I DO!!! But I have to admit it's really fun. This week we have 3 hours in our area and next week about 1...maybe 2 if we skip lunch...which we did yesterday. Probably not good for the body, but when you're running around you just forget to eat. Plus we have a HUGE dinner at 4, and I eat on my break around 8:30 so it's almost like 3 meals.....Well, hopefully I'm not completely beat by next week and can still write an email that you can understand. I love you all!

~Sister Witbeck~ lml/

--Don't be lazy, be CRAZY!!!--

----Moroni 8:3----

Happy December!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DECEMBER BABIES! Cristhian Enrique Medrano was baptized Sunday! He's so cute. Of course we took tons of pics and Pres. and Sister Mansell ever showed up (my mission Pres and his wife). Lots of Branch members stayed to support so it was a good day. Cristhian looked so good in his suit pants, white shirt and tie! We found all at Walmart for under 30 dollars. And we bought them a little big so he can grow into them over the next few months since he's aparently grown out of a lot of his clothes lately. We ate thanksgiving dinner at the Pres.'s home. It was intense. He's a really good cook so it was a gourmet meal. We spent the rest of the evening at the VC where hardly anyone came in....but I got some practicing done. S. Hamblin plays the harp, so we are going to play in the bleak midwinter with the harp and cello, but we're writing our own parts to make it sound cool, and I'm really excited about it. Ambassador's nights are tmrw and Friday =]. We got our schedule for next week and we have about 3 hours in our area to teach people out of the whole week. That's insane!!!!! Of course we filled that up right away, and have passed Cristhian over to the elders to continue to teach him because by the time he gets out of school, we are already at the VC, and may not have time when he gets to his break, so it'll be better for the elders to take care of him. We are also passing some of our other investigators to them during December because we do not have time to teach them. The elders work with all the Gallaudet students and since some of our people go to that school they see each other there, so those are the ones we are passing. They can be in their area and still teach our people. I'm so glad we have a way to pass them to other missionaries and not just drop 'em till we have time. That's lame. Anywho, even though festival is crazy busy it's gonna be loads of fun. We have dinner provided every night for us, so I think all I'm going to buy this month are a few cans of soup and cereal and milk =]. can never get enough of that! At the end of everyones mission here they have to give a dying testimony in a few of our meetings (you usually give about 4) and I gave my first one yesterday. It was really weird. I still have a month! I'm not dead yet. =]. Plus the next month is going to be one of the most busy of my life so far. Mom and dad, are you flying here or driving? I need to know so I can figure out if I need to get rid of stuff and send home some boxes or just pack everything up. I think the only plan I have after friday is to go to something at the VC with you. It can be that Friday night or Saturday night...doesn't matter. Also, Friday morning all the sisters have a training meeting together and I think it'd be cool if you could come. It'll probably be at 9am. Usually it's 8-10am but because festival runs so late we only do it from 9-10. anywho plan on that, and I think we will just leave after the meeting. I can show you around the VC, or we can just take off. Completely up to you, as long as you see our exhibit here (unless you saw it in Mesa) it's called Reflections of Christ and it's INCREDIBLE!!!!!! you just have to see it. Anyway, I love and miss you all. Have a good forst week of December!!!

~Sister Witbeck~ lml/

--Don't be lazy, be CRAZY!!!--

----Moroni 8:3----

Happy Thanksgiving!

we're gonna continue teaching her. Festival starts next week though and we will be at the VC every night plus during the days too so we will have VERY little time to do anything in our area. I think the only people we will see are Tako or Cristhian. Speaking of which he's getting baptized on Sunday =]. Him and an investigator of the Elders (Claudine) are getting baptized together. It's gonna be awesome. His family is really poor, so S. Schoney and I are going to buy a white shirt and tie for him. He wants to look like the Elders (He ADORES them!), but the fam can't afford to buy him a suit. We can't either, so we go for the next best thing. Shirt and tie =]. His baptismal interview is Friday =] We taught a deaf family yesterday! They are really cool. He is Chinese and she's Hispanic, and they have the CUTEST kids!!!!!!! She's pregnant, and has 4 y/o twins, and another older girl, so it's a little crazy in their life. They're devout baptists but willing to listen, and sometimes all it takes is a little openness for the spirit to pop His head through and pierce them. Festival starts next week, so as a VC trainer I have a LOT of stuff to do to get everything ready. We have Ambassadors nights (Dec. 4th and 5th) where the VC will be closed to the general public, then Dec. 6th starts the madhouse. It's gonna be crazytown. Niel L. Anderson of the 70 is coming for Ambassador's night on the 4th, so that'll be cool. Maybe I can take a pic for you =]. I'm in the Christmas program again this year =] YAY! Which means practice too. AND the sister in charge (S. Hamblin) looked on my mission record they have and found out that I play cello so she asked around for one and a member is letting us borrow it through the Christmas season, which means I will be playing it for the program. Oh dear! I began practicing the end of last week and for the first couple days my fingers burned. They had definitely lost their Calous's and it hurt so bad. They are finally feeling better and beginning to harden up so I'm praying that by Christmas I can play like a pro...... ;-]. We are also doing musical performances for Zone conf, and I'm playing it in that too. That's Dec. 12th, so not a lot of time to prepare. I think it'll all turn out well though. Mom and dad I hope you are calling those people on the list to make arrangements. We can do last minute things when I call on Christmas. Also, for those of you who need to prepare for my return Jan. 2nd is the official release, but I won't be home till about 10 days later. Details will be worked out later. OH AND festival has now been extended through the weekend after the 2nd mom and dad, so plan on going to something at the VC with me k? =] Love and miss you all!

~Sister Witbeck~ lml/

--Don't be lazy, be CRAZY!!!--

----Moroni 8:3----

HAPPY B-DAY!!!

Happy Birthday to Daniel and Mom...the young and the restless =]. Well, this week has been really good! We are planning for Cristhian's baptism Nov. 30th. He's excited. Also, we gave Tako a b-date and she accepted for Dec. 7th. She doesn't feel ready but we are praying and fasting that she will be ready by that time, so it'll happen. She's cool too! We promised her in the name of the Lord that her son would get better if she read the Book of Mormon, and guess what! It happened. He's better and she's excited to go to church on Sunday =]. I love the power of faith. Also, we took one of my favorite Less Actives to the VC for a tour and he cried! He loved it, and felt the spirit was trying to tell him to share the gospel. I said DO IT! He's 23 and not doing much with his life except going to school, so why not. Of course, he'll need to go to church first =] but it's possible. Sorry this is short, but that's pretty much all that happened. It's a lot of good stuff in a short amount of time. Hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving! We're gonna make cookies for our investigators =]. yay for cookie love. Love ya!

~Sister Witbeck~ lml/

--Don't be lazy, be CRAZY!!!--

----Moroni 8:3----