This is it!

This is ridiculous. I'm out of time. I'm getting the boot. And it really stinks. I'll get over it eventually and to be honest I don't think it's actually hit me what's going on. It just really....stinks. So instead of getting all down about it and thinking about all of these great people that I'm going to miss, I'm going to write my last e-mail to you as if it wasn't the last e-mail I was ever writing on my mission. Are you ready to pretend with me? ok here we go!
AFFE IS GETTING BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY!!!!!!! WWWWWWWHHHHAAAT?! I know right? IT's nuts! I'll get to actually see her get baptized before I go. She'll get baptized on Saturday, on Sunday she'll be cofirmed and on Monday I'm headed to Halifax. Is this like every missionaries dream or what? Before you get to thinking anything, no I did not talk her into it. I did want to. But I didn't. She just came to church on Sunday and in Relief Society she turned to us and said,"oh actually my friend isn't coming from Toronto so I can get baptized before January 3rd since he won't be here to see it." I was close to freaking out at that point but wasn't sure how soon she wanted to get baptized. She waited a couple of minutes and then turned to us again and said, "And maybe I could get baptized before you leave Sister Crane!" I replied with, "THIS Saturday?" "Or Friday," was her oh-so chill response. That's when the freak out actually happened. I feel bad for the Relief Society teacher, although I think I hid it well enough. After church ended we then hurriedly went with her as she asked each member to give a talk, or baptize or her or say a prayer at the baptism. I'm so excited! Affe has been ready since forever. And I got to teach her pretty much from the her start when I got here. So this has been 5 months now and I'm so pumped! She's so ready. AH!
Our Relief Society Christmas party was on Saturday and it was awesome. Kylie, our investigator came. It was exciting. I ate a lot of sweets and pretty much died from a sugar coma. I also played for them while they sang Christmas carols and after I got done one of the Sisters there says, "oh we're going to miss Sitser Crane aren't we?!" It hillarious because they will all miss me but only because I'm the only one who plays the piano! haha This talent has def. come in handy out here. I also love how this week I've been asked to pray more than ever before. It's kind of ridiculous. Everyone wants me to pray since it's my last time, little do they know how many "last times" I've been having. And their adding up. Oh well. More blessings. Or something.
Oh oh OH so the Elders had a baptism last Saturday and our investigator Vivian came. She's the one that is so incredibly in tune with the Spirit and is from China and is the sweetest thing ever. Ok so she tells us after she watches the baptism that as she saw Eileen go under the water she had this feeling of, "I want to do that!" and her heart was beating really fast! She also said it wasn't like the movies or what she's seen on TV about baptism, but it was more "sacred". Woah. Where did she learn that word?! So amazing! I wish I could be here for her baptism, but she's going back to China for a few months to visit so I'm hoping when she comes back she'll get in contact with missionaries!
The Lord is blessing us greatly. It's incredible. I can never repay Him for what He has done for me by allowing me to serve a mission. I know that I'll be such a better person for it. I'm so grateful for the chance to learn and grow and especially to witness so many amazing tender mercies and miracles. THE CHURCH IS TRUE! What a blessing to serve the Savior. I really don't want to ever take off this name tag. But I am grateful that my service to Him doesn't end when my mission ends. I get to continue to serve Him each day for the rest of my life. How exciting is that?! Someone once told me that in the church you have to learn to say "next." Things are always changing and always moving and you can't live in the past or future you need to live in the present. And as each calling comes you have to learn to say, "next" and be able to move on to the next adventure. So after this week I will say next and take what I've learned here and apply it to my continued life of serving the Savior. I testify that He lives!

Love,
Sister Crane

Don't ever announce over the pulpit that your going home in 2 weeks. Everyone gets all nastalgic and includes you in their testimony and it's down right embarrassing. Blasted nastalga. Sam is one of those that got up and bore her testimony and oh man she is so awesome! She made Fredericton what it is for me and I couldn't be more grateful for her. Naoise (10) was so cute after sacrament meeting she ran up to me and screamed "NO!" she took my hand and told me with tears in her eyes that she didn't want me to leave. I explained that I would come and visit and that this only meant she would get another friend because another sister would come. Naoise is the sweetest. I can't wait for her to get baptized.
So did you know that this is my 2nd to last e-mail home? I'm going to try and make it good but honestly it's all a blur. We got 6 new investigators this week and in case you're wondering if that's good or not IT'S AWESOME! Cosette is one of those. She's Sam's friend from work and she's AMAZING! We started teaching the restoration and she couldn't stop smiling. I stopped talking and asked her what she was smiling at if there was something wrong and she replied with, "It's just so wonderful!" WHA? Where do these people come from?! It's AWESOME! Scott is another new investigator, we met with him once and then he came last night to institute and the Christmas devotional! Seriously how can you go wrong with the 1st presidency? Affe is doing so awesome! She loves coming teaching with us and is so excited to get baptized in January. I feel a lot better about missing it, because the reason she wants to wait is b/c her best friends flying in from Vancouver and he'll see it and maybe he'll decide he wants to get baptized too!
We had our ward Christmas party on Saturday and it was so much fun! Ryan and Jessica came (the ones who live across the hall) and they brought us each a christmas present! I just about died. They are the nicest. (Man do I sound enthusiastic today or what? It's because being a missionary makes you so happy) So at the party we were in charge of the music, we put on a few Christmas classics, frank sinatra, bing crosby, it was a hit. And then I played for everyone while they sang Christmas carols. What is it about Christmas parties that make everyone so cheery and friendly? I don't know but I love it! We even had a ton of our less-actives come to it! It was the best.
Last night Jessica and Ryan had us over for dinner. Ryan said it was the least they could do for us since we've been teaching them. Again, who are these people? SO cool! We committed them to start having family prayer and at the end we all knelt together and Ryan offered the prayer. In it he said, "I pray that one day we'll be with you, Lord, and our family forever." AH! love it.
Vivian's doing awesome! In our lesson on repentance we committed her to repent every day and she replied with, "but what if I don't sin everyday?" I was kind of taken back and then thought, "good!" We then explained how sometimes it's just about being better, not neccessarily the big sins but small things too.
Can you tell we're teaching a lot of people? we are. the most I've ever taught EVER. 23 investigators this week! 23! It's so cool. I love Fredericton. I love my mission! I love it! I am so grateful for a loving Father in Heaven. I recieved exciting news about 2 of my recent converts in Truro who hadn't been going to church and they went to church yesterday! This was such a huge answer to prayer and it made me realize that even when I'm not there God will take care of these people I love so much because He loves them MORE. What a huge blessing, to know they they'll be ok. I love this work. I'm not leaving this place till I give everything I've got!
Love,
Sister Crane