Week 10

Hermana Lutze,

We love you and we are so grateful for your missionary service to the Lord. Your package was signed for at the mission office by Latcia on Friday. You should receive it this week. :)

Life here is busy... Of course! I spent about 5 hours this last week shoveling snow. Yes, we received about 1.5-2 feet of snow. It's snowing right now as I'm typing this e-mail. Dad's had a cold and is trying to have a voice for all of his singing so I did the majority of the shoveling. Yes, he's impersonating Elvis at Kaye's party on Tuesday. He even bought a wig!

The choir sang today in our Ward Christmas program among other musical numbers. The Spirit is always so strong when we sing of Christ. I'm so grateful for being able to not only bear testimony through word but through music of my Savior Jesus Christ.

Hannah got her wisdom teeth out on Friday. She only had two wisdom teeth which was good news to us. However, she looks like a chipmunk. The poor girl feels awful. It will pass quickly. We got some good video on her but not quite as funny as yours. They wouldn't let us take any pictures or videos in the office so we had to wait until we were out in the car. Of course, some of the anesthesia had worn off by that point. She did go see Star Wars that night with Yosh and all his friends and then went Jazz Bear shopping the next morning.

We made our pretzels yesterday. I wish we could send you some but Mexico does not allow any homemade treats to enter the country. You probably won't miss them that much anyway since they are covered in caramel. They are especially good this year. :)

Natalie played in her guitar sing along Friday night. They don't call it the "r" word-a recital. We all sang along as the guitar students played! We plan on having her play for our Christmas Eve program. If you remember, ask her to play something when you call. She's sad right now because her music teacher at school is being really mean to her. Dad and I will be setting up an appointment after the Christmas break to speak with her so please keep Natalie in your prayers.

Jakob was set apart last Sunday as the 2nd counselor in the Deacon's Quorum. I love watching him be so responsible!!! We took him, Matt, Jack, and Ben to a BYU Men's basketball game Friday evening. I want to bear testimony that what President Lyman said in your blessing about protecting us while you are gone is true. We were driving down the 'big dip' on 12th east when a huge truck suddenly slid down one of the driveways on the right directly in front of us and made a quick turn to go the other direction almost rolling the truck. Rachael if we had been seconds earlier coming down the dip we would have been T-boned and seriously injured or even killed.

Emily's class was great as usual... We talked about Gideon and how he defeated the Midianites with 300 men. In Judges 7:16 we learn that their only weapons were a trumpet, a lamp, and an empty pitcher. Huh? Each man stood in his place (v.21) around the camp holding these three things and the Midianites, ran, cried, and fled. Rachael these each represent an important item that we need to defeat Satan. The trumpet represents prayer, the lamp - oil and flame which is our testimony and the Spirit, and the empty pitcher which would be filled with the living water represents the scriptures. I keep having it impressed upon my mind that these fundamental practices are the iron rod and we must cling to them in the last days. They are the oil in our lamps that we must have to be ready to meet the Bridegroom when he calls us to the marriage supper. We can't let go. It truly takes constant effort and faithfulness on our part not to fall.

We also spent some time in the following scriptures thinking about Christ...

• Isaiah 7:14 (Immanuel-God is with us, Hermana Lutze write down in your journal the times he has been with you)
• Micah 5:1-2 (Bethlehem-if there had been no birth in Bethlehem there would be no... EVERYTHING! What happened that night was not just the birth of the Christ child but set in motion everything for all blessings!)
• Numbers 24:17 (Star-see Revelations 22:16 Christmas is the bright and morning star... stars give direction and light... this is why the Savior must be our rock)
• Jeremiah 23:5 (Prosper-When has the Lord prospered you? What has He orchestrated in your life this year?)
• Exodus 15:2 (Song-What are your favorite hymns that testify of Christ?)
• Isaiah 9:6 (Wonderful-He is a God of wonders, a God of miracles Counselor-We should seek counsel from Him, Mighty God-He fights for us, Everlasting Father-constantly with us from the beginning, in the middle, and at the end, Prince of Peace-He comforts us

From Gene R. Cook, "May I suggest seven scriptural performances that, if humbly employed, will immediately invite the Spirit into your heart and the hearts of others."

• Prayer
• Scriptures
• Testimony
• Music
• Expression of Love
• Expression of Gratitude
• Sharing of spiritual experiences

Hermana Lutze, think of all the times you've felt the spirit in your life. I bet that in most of them one of these seven performances was involved. I know if you use this with your investigators you will have great success!

Finally remember who we are fighting against in Ephesians 6:12 we read, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." In fact, in Revelation 12: 17 we read, "And the dragon was wroth with the woman and, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." So since it is a war, how do we overcome Satan and his followers? The key is taught by John in Revelation 12:11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony..." Hermana Lutze, we overcome Satan through our use of the Atonement and its powers that we've talked about previously and the word of our testimony. I find this phrase interesting because Jesus Christ is known as 'the word' so the word of our testimony is bearing our testimony of Jesus Christ. I want to bear my testimony this Christmas season of our Savior Jesus Christ. He truly is the reason we have to rejoice, the reason we have every blessing, the reason we have faith, hope, and charity. I love you!

Love,

Mom