Sister Clarissa Gillins : BAPTISM!

This week was AMAZING! So many fun and amazing things have happened this week! :)

First, it has been snowy! Really snowy! And I love it! It is giving me a pretty good work out walking in the snow! It’s not good packing snow though.. so no snowballs :( But it is a lot of fun to play in! We were early to district meeting this week and there was a huge pile of snow over in the corner of the church parking lot. So I climbed it :) All the way to the tippy top! Then Elders came and we all climbed to the top. Some spots weren’t to stable though. It was like quick sand! If you stepped one step out of line you would sink right in! Haha it was a blast! The elders were to lazy to climb back down so they decided to slide down on the backs and bellies and man were they soaked! Sister Leeson and I didn’t really have that choice because of our skirts.. #SisterMissionaryProblems. But all in all it was good fun! :)

Then we got to take a ride on a ferry to Wolf Island to have dinner with the Branch President. The ferry is the only way to get to the island, and man was it fun! I probably took billions of pictures and videos. Everyone who goes on it everyday probably thought I was crazy but I was having the time of my life! How cool is it to be in your car and on a boat at the same time?! Super cool! :) The water was frozen so they cleared a path so that the ferry could make it across the lake. It reminded me of the Titanic cause it was so cold and if you fell in the water you would probably die!! Burr!!

We also did some service this week and learned a new sport in the process... its called throwing snow balls at icicles so they don’t fall and kill someone! We spent a good half hour helping people on the street do that! :) And they were so grateful! They said we can come back in a few days when they form again and help out some more ;) Oh the joys of winter!!

Also there is a new work out called trying to get frozen rain off of everyone’s car!! During church on Sunday there was frozen rain! So we were all out scraping cars for about an hour! The elders were silly and didn’t put on there winter gear.. There ears started to get white!! D: FROST BITE! So dangerous! They wouldn’t listen to us and get in the car.. but they sure did listen to Sister Whitehead! :) I love her so much!! I think she probably saved their ears!

Don’t worry everyone I am staying very warm!! I layer up like its no ones business!

Yifan also got baptized on Sunday!! Woot woot! It was an amazing baptism though. We are trying to make the baptismal service shorter and I love doing that. I feel like it makes the baptism more about the person and less about the speakers and the spirit is so much stronger! He was so excited for his baptism the whole time during church! He always laughs at me cause I give a billion high-fives but he humored me yesterday and just kept giving them to me! After he was baptized he had the opportunity to bear his testimony and it was amazing! He still remembers the day we met him. It was the day it was -30 out and he thought we were just asking him for directions.. turns out we were giving him some ;) It has only been a short month since then and he has loved the changes he has made. He loves the church and he loves that everyone tries to remember his name even when they pronounce it wrong (you pronounce it as E-fine) He was able to bear such a strong testimony of the truthfulness of this gospel! He is going to be such a strong member when he returns to China! He will definately help build up the church there :)

Miracles do happen when we do talk to everyone. God puts people in our paths for reasons. I am so grateful that I took the opportunity to stop and talk with everyone that very cold windy day or we would have never met Yifan. Pray with faith and God will answer. I know that this gospel brings happiness and that our Heavenly Father loves us!!

Love,

Sister Gillins