HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This Christmas was excellent. Christmas Eve we did some preparation for christmas and had dinner with our Landlord. She is the nicest lady and we had a good time. She prepared us some excellent food and then afterward we sang Christmas songs and read in the Bible about Jesus' Birth. Afterwards we talked about the importance of family. We went to bed after learning that midnight mass started at 8:00, and we missed it. In the Morning we woke up and I opened the things my parents sent me and spent most of the morning cooking. We made pigs in a blanket for the dinner and cookies for our nieghbors and landlord while listening to christmas music. We also wrote a thank you card for our landlord. Afterward we talked to our families and went to Dinner at the Collings. We had a great time together and the food was excellent. Afterwards we went home and had a good nights sleep. The neighbors loved the cookies and came over to see thank you, and Our landlord flipped over the card and said she was going to keep it to remember us by. All in all a really great Christmas.

I love you guys and am glad you enjoyed your presents. I hope you have a happy new year!

Elder Ison

Moves Calls.... where does the time go?

Dear Friends and Family,
So Preparation day is a little early this week because moves are on Monday.  Sorry I forgot to tell you  :)   I won't have another preparation day until Monday 5 January 2009.  Madness.
So, last Monday evening was the Ward Christmas Party.  It was good fun.  Toto came with all her children and they seemed to enjoy it, so that was really good  :)   Also, Elizabeth came and we were able to teach her beforehand so that was extra good  :) 
Tuesday morning I woke up and I couldn't hear properly out of my right ear. We were supposed to see Jane and Denzil first thing, but they weren't home, so we ran to Boots and bought some ear wax softening stuff, and then went to District meeting.  When we got there, we were locked out of the building, so we put the drops in my ear and I stood with my head all sideways for 5 minutes, and let it soften my earwax, but it worked! Haha, so I could hear again.  Then after district meeting we went to visit a less active named Maryam.  She's from Iran, and she is so cute.  When she decided to be baptised it basically meant that she'd never be able to go back home again, so it was a huge decision for her, but she said that she's never regretted it.  We hope to work with her a little more.  Then we went caroling with the ward to a retirement home and the Terceno's.  It was really fun.  We sang a song called "In the Bleak Midwinter".  It's really pretty, I like it a lot!
Wednesday morning I woke up deaf in my right ear again.  It's completely fidelity rubbish.  I used my ear wax stuff again, but it didn't work.  So Sister Strunk had to spend the whole day making sure she was on my left side so that I could hear her  :)   First, we went to see Jason.  We taught him the Word of Wisdom, and we each drew a little picture of a person and drew all the stuff that we were supposed to eat inside of our bodies and all the stuff that we weren't supposed to eat outside of our bodies.  It was fun.  Then we went to see Edward.  I love Edward.  When we got there he was looking at the Church Website and reading about how we have callings in the church.  He asked us a few questions.  We taught him about the Sabbath day, and he said that someday after he was baptised he would have a calling.   :)   We like that idea.  He's gong on Holiday, but he said that he should be able to come to church when he gets back, which has been our main stumbling block, so we're exicted about that.  Then we went to see Tony.  We talked about praying specifically with him, and he gave us each a huge present!  He's so nice.  After that we went to see Johanna and the family.  Johanna seemed to be in a much better mood than the last time we saw her so that was really good.  Then we saw Art.  He's been chatting online with anti's so that's not exciting, but it doesn't seem to discourage him too much.  Then we spent our Christmas Eve with the Terceno family.  It was really nice.  I enjoyed it.
Thursday morning I woke up and I was still deaf in my right ear.  We opened up our presents throughout the morning, and I just can't say Thank-you enough to everyone who gave us gifts.  It was fun.  Also "Father Christmas" (aka the Parish's) left us each a stocking full of goodies.  It was so sweet.  We spent all of Christmas day just Caroling to different houses.  It was extra fun because there are absolutley no buses on Christmas day.  The streets were soooo quiet.  We first went to Arthur Lezemore's house and delivered him some cards as well.  He's still quite sick.  Then we went to Hayley's.  We caroled a bit with them, and they showed us all their presents so that was fun.  Then we went to see Agnes.  We caught her just before she went out to a friend, and we sang a bit with them.  It was really good.  Then we went to see the Berridges, but we didn't stay long because poor Sister Berridge is quite ill.  Then we went to visit the Berry family.  They showed us all their presents as well, and we had a nice chat with them.  Then we went to see Jane, Denzil and Christine.  We sang a lot of songs with them, so that was really good.  Then we went for lunch/dinner at the Sackey-Mensah's.  It was good fun.  I always love visiting their family.  Then we finished off the evening at the Donyinas.  They're house was full of gifts for little baby Lisa, so that was nice.  Then we came home and had some Turkey Sandwiches with the Parish's and chatted with them until our phone calls home.  So all in all it was a wonderful Christmas.  It was great to talk to the Family  :)   Plus, I ate enough sweets to feed a small army, haha, because almost every house we caroled to gave us sweets.
Friday morning I woke up and instead of not being able to hear out of my right ear I could hear out of neither of my ears.  So we called Sister Foulger to see what she might suggest.  She told us that we should go to the A&E, and have them look at it.  So we went to a walk-in center at North Middlesex Hospital and spent alllllll morning just waiting there.  Sister Strunk had to be my interpreter, haha, because actually I could hear a little bit but everything is quieter and muffled, and because my ears are plugged, I can't tell how loud I'm talking, and noises from within my own body (like chewing, breathing, talking) are extra loud, and make it hard to hear other people.  Well after waiting for 2 hours I got in to see a doctor who told me my ears were plugged with wax (which I knew already), and that they would need to be syringed, and that they couldn't do that there.  It was pretty ridiculous.  So she told me I would have to get some olive oil and put drops in my ear 3 times a day for a week, and then go to a GP and get them syringed.  So we left, and we went to see Milena.  Again Sister Strunk had to be my interpreter because Milena has a very quiet voice.  Then we went to Sister Stella's for a big Boxing day party.  It was good.  Everyone was dancing to African Music (I love it!  I need to get some before I come home).  Then I got to talk to Sister Donyina, because she's a nurse.  She said that if I did the Olive Oil drops for a week that she would syringe them!  I was so excited, because registering with a GP sounds like a hassle.  So, unfortunately for Sister Strunk, she has a deaf companion until next week!  Haha.  Then after that we went to see Lydia, because it had been far too long since we had seen her.  She has a new keyboard/box thing that she can type into and it talks for her!  It is sooo cool.  It was nice to have an actual conversation with her.  We sang some Christmas Carols with her as well.  It was a good evening.  Then we went out on a hunt for a dropper and some olive oil.  Sounds simple right?  Not, because apparently every store has to be closed on boxing day.  We found Olive Oil at a little supermarket, no problem, but we never did find a dropper, so we bought a box of Capri Sun's so that we could use one of the little straws as a dropper.  It's actually working quite well, and Sister Strunk has become my nurse, haha.  Oh, and we got moves calls.  Sister Strunk and I are both staying......*phew*  I was soooo nervous, but I'm so glad to be staying.
But despite all the ear troubles and the fact that I'm still deaf, it has been an amazing week. I love it.  I love Christmastime soooo much.  Thank-you again to everyone who made Christmas sooo amazing.

Thank-you!  And Merry Christmas AND a Happy New Year!!!!!!

Love,
Sister Ison

Me, I want a hula hoop!

Hey guys!
I am so blessed to have such great family and friends. you guys are the best! I did recieve my package, and all the other Elders are jealous. You guys are too much! I'm glad my package got there alright. What condition was it in? Elder Snow's family sent him pictures of his, and it was pretty beat up. Anyways, I hope your holiday season is going really good! We had a good week this week. Elder Snow and I decided towards the end of the week to visit a new area and had some success there, so we are planning on going back. We had a branch activity this week for Christmas, but it started late and we had to go home right after it started, but there was a few friends that came. Elder Snow and I are still doing great, and are really excited for Christmas. I have been studying in Helaman this week, and the faith of Nephi was amazing. This Sunday, President Gamiette came to visit our branch and taught one of the best lessons I've ever heard in a Sunday School. He is going to be a great Mission President.I don't know if I told you that, but our ex-District President just got called to be a mission president! That guy is a spiritual Giant! He is only 37 or something like that and still has a lot of young kids. We won't know which mission until March though. Thats about it for right now though. I will probably tell you more thursday!  I hope you have a great Christmas and I will talk to you in a few days!

I love you guys!
Elder Ison