This week has been great, but I am exhausted! So many good things have happened. We invited Marsha to be baptized, but she declined, saying she wanted to be able to stand up in front of the ward and tell them that she knew the Book of Mormon was true, then she would be baptized. Charlene is doing great and she actually read what we asked her to, so she is keeping commitments. Rick was able to get a heart transplant (hooray!) so he is recovering from that surgery. Heidi is in Hawaii right now so we haven't been able to meet with her.
This Wednesday are transfers. We got the text message from our zone leaders (one of which is form Hooper) stating who was transferring out of the Appleton zone, and guess what? I'm not one of them! The only one from our district who is being transferred is Elder Harper-Smith, our district leader. He is becoming one of the Appleton Zone leaders. Elder Cranney is staying in Sheboygan for his fifth transfer, so he will have been here for 7 1/2 months. He was asked by President Cutler to be our district leader, so that means when he has to call the other companionship's to get their numbers for the week, I can SLEEP! I most likely won't though, because I am trying hard to read the entire Bible. I'm in the book of Judges right now, and grateful to be so, because Joshua was good at the beginning but then it goes on to talk about which tribe of Israel inherited what city and there's a bunch of names that just go way over my head.
The temperature is dropping here. When we got into the car yesterday, there was ice on the INSIDE of the windshield! We had the wipers going and were wondering why it wasn't getting rid of any of the ice, then we realized that it was on the inside of the car. I am grateful to have a car though, because I sure don't want to be walking in this despite me having a parka.
I love you all, I miss you, and hope that you can find the Light of Christ amongst all of the tinsel and icicles. This is a special time of year, and I wish it would last throughout the year, but sadly it doesn't. The world forgets how to be generous and kind on Dec 26. This week I learned from my studies that "peace on earth" can be a reality but it will only come if we can find peace within ourselves. Michael Jackson put it well when he said, "I'm starting with the man in the mirror." Let us search for those things that bring us peace and joy and surround ourselves with them. I'll give you a hint for one thing: family. Now it's up to you to discover the other things!
--Elder Riggs