Merry Freakin' Christmas, errybody :)‏

Well, transfers came and went and whaddya know  -I'M SERVING IN THE HISTORIC LIBERTY JAIL. Say What! So many Visitors' Center Sisters never get a chance to serve here, I'm so humbled by this. It's been incredible to sit in the same room as the jail and feel the spirit there. It truly is a prison temple. My new companion's name is Sister Singh (as in "sing a song"), and she's awesome :) she's also from Fiji, so the three inches of snow we got on Sunday were quite awesome. I get to drive while there's snow and ice...I feel like I'm going to be driving a lot in the next few months.

(PS mom, those stockings are the BEST. We bless your name every day - you're a saint.)

Leaving Olathe was so hard. the night before I left, the ward had a little goodbye party and many tears were shed. I'm going to miss those people a lot, but I know the Lord has called me here for a reason. This area, Shoal Creek, is moving a lot slower than it was in Olathe...but Sister Singh and I have some great ideas for pumping this area up. We've met a couple of the members and they're great...but we didn't have church yesterday because of the snow. So I pretty much don't know anyone. Worst. Ever. I knew everyone in Olathe! This is definitely going ot take some work...and some miracles.

This Christmas is going to be a different one than I'm used to, but being in the Liberty Jail on a daily basis has truly helped. Because no matter how lonely or homesick I get, my Christmas experience cannot be any more difficult than December 25th, 1838, when Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Alexander McRae, Caleb Baldwin, and Lyman Wight spent their Christmas in a basement prison behind four-foot thick walls, with the only news from their families being the saints' departure from Missouri, amidst persecution and violence unimaginable.

I wanted to give you a long, meaningful email about this season, but all I feel impressed to do is to bear my testimony that, as one of His servants, Jesus Christ lives. He was truly born in Bethlehem, amidst angels' songs and shepherds' praise  - he came for you and me, to save us from our sins. He loves us. If you feel alone, you are not, because He is aware of you. D&C 50:41&42
"41 Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me;

42 And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost"

I love you all and hope this finds you well :) Merry Christmas

-- 
Sister Annika Rogers

Mary had a little Lamb,
and He became our Shepherd.