Tis the Season to Just Do It!

Hello you amazing people you!

What another great week it was here in the Great Ohio Columbus Mission. I hope you all had a chance to watch the video "He Is The Gift." It has been so neat to be able to share that video with others and to pass out cards so they can go home and find access to it. I tell you the church is genius. We had our ward Christmas party on Saturday night and we had the privilege of watching the video with the whole ward and with our investigator. The video started and if you have seen it, it begins with the commercialism of Christmas. People were talking and kids were bouncing off the walls, but when the tone of the movie switched to the birth of our Savior there was a reverenced awe throughout the whole building. There was complete silence and the spirit came into the room so strong. No one could deny the special spirit that the short clip brought. The children were silent, and I firmly believe everyone who was in attendance felt the warmth of the spirit.

A couple of non-spiritual items. Let's just put it out there on the record that when I was a freshman or maybe a sophomore in high school I was madly obsessed as were all the other young women with David Archuleta. Well, I grew older and was over that obsession, but recently as a returned missionary he came out with a new song cover called Glorious. As a missionary your musical selection is very limited so we were so excited to hear this new song. My companion and I listen to it on average about 5 times a day. I think that obsession is coming back. My heart is absolutely locked but you cannot deny the voice of an angel. He must have inspired me to become a better singer because as a missionary I have sung at more things than I ever have in my whole life put together. That's one thing I love about a mission. It forces you to go out of your comfort zone and try new things. As many of you know my family is pretty musically talented...I must have skipped out on that gene, but I am working to grow that talent. I loved before my mission working at Nike because the saying at Nike is to "just do it." That is the same saying I use as a missionary, sometimes I may be scared, I may feel inadequate, I may be tired, the list can go on and on but we just have to go and do it! The Lord has such high expectations for us, and we cannot let Him down! No task is to great, or too challenging when you have the help of the Lord.

Awkward Family Photo

I love this work. I have such a love for my Savior. He is the gift that we are to discover, embrace, and share this Christmas season. This week I have been studying more of the role of Mary. She is an incredibly strong woman. How scared she must have been when the angel appeared to her and relayed the message that she was to be the mother of the Son of God. How humbled she must have been by the responsibility of  protecting and nurturing the baby Jesus. She truly understood what is meant to discover, embrace, and ultimately share her precious and beloved gift. I love this time of year and as I have been thinking about Mary I often think of the song "Mary Did You Know." One of my favorite lines in that song expresses "Mary did you know, the child that you delivered will soon deliver you?"

With Sister Wagstaff

" I testify that the Savior and His atonement has the enabling power to deliver us all. He lives. I know He lives, how grateful I am to share Him with others especially this Christmas season.

#Heisthegift

I love you all so very very much! Sister Mathis