Monday December 27, 2010

HO HO HO! Merry Christmas!

Elder Draper on Christmas morning with his stash from the fam

The Elders and the cute Fraire baby. They aren't bad babysitters, they just can't hold babies :(

"La Noche Buena" with the Lopez and Fraire Families

White Christmas repeat! December 26 Nely was baptized by Elder Christensen

Happy New Year!

I hope all of you had an awesome Christmas and were able to enjoy the time together and party it up! I heard all about your Christmas and it sounded fun! We were at a members house this week and the TV was on and I saw the commercial for Gulliver's Travels haha looks so funny! I read the book in 12th grade at Capo so I know the story basically.

Glad you liked all the gifts! I LOVED mine so thank you! The cds are great and Maddie I used the laser pointer in class on Sunday so thank you! Blake thanks for aiding my cause in getting more jacked than you with the protein bars. Yeah I got an email from Lex last week and reading the story freaked me out big time! That is way scary but I am glad she is ok. Tell her to drive safe back to school with that boy and to check her mailbox this week thanks :) I am the safest driver in the world no worries. We are actually getting a truck this week because our car is so old so that will be cool. SO many missionaries get in accidents and tickets, can't imagine how many throughout the world.

Ok so my Christmas was pretty much awesome. I went in to it pretty sad/bummed just because it is my first (but second to last!) Christmas away from home, but it turned out to be really special and meaningful to me. Plus now I just appreciate you all even more if that is even possible. I forget to say on the phone that on the 23rd we ate with a Mexican family and they served us menudo, which is cow stomach!! She served it in something called pasole, which is a soup type thing. Honestly does not have much taste, but the texture is so nasty, like rubber. I can eat it, but not something I will be cooking up during my life haha. Also the day before I got to dedicate the home of Juan Carlos and Alma Fraire. They are Mexican and got baptized last March. They just moved into a new home a few weeks ago and so they asked me to bless the home...really cool experience.

On Christmas Day we opened presents in the morning and called obviously. Then we had a baptism, Cesar, by the North Elders. Then after we went looking to find a place to brunch, but nothing was open! What the heck Canada!! Not one fast food was opened, not even McDonalds, but we found one little sandwich place hole in the wall and that was my Christmas brunch (it was sickning). But anyways then we went to visit the Morenos! We got to see their new baby girl and she is healthy and happy and adorable! Before we left we asked to pray and Manuel offered to say it. He started it and started to choke up because he was so grateful for his baby and everything, so he literally could not speak because his was choking up. All of a sudden Marisol jumped in and finished the prayer for him. Like a tag-team prayer! It was so neat to be there and I gave him a big Ryan hug and thanked him for that. Awesome solid couple that I will be in touch with the rest of my life. Then we had dinner at the Fraire house and ate turkey and chicharon and mashed potatoes. Mexican parties are so much fun! I actually found out about the Laker game then so I already knew they got whooped. We still got the Heat I know it!

Then yesterday was the baptism of Nely Turcios. I honestly never saw this day coming at all. I guess I didn't really have faith haha. She was the most stubborn investigator I have taught, and to see her in white and enter the waters of baptism teared me up. I was able to speak on baptism. She was so happy and just kept saying how she felt good. Her family is heavy baptist so they are upset with her decision, but she received an answer from God and she followed it. She is seriously a better Christian than almost every Mormon I know, so I know she is going to be an awesome member. She signed my quilt and I couldn't believe my eyes when it said "Thank you for having taught me the true gospel". I remember the first few weeks we were teaching her she said our gospel was wrong, now she thinks it is the true one. So incredible. I always knew the church was true, but through my first 7 months I know have my own testimony that it really is. Things like this don't happen with the J Dubs and catholics. Personal Revelation and the gift of the Holy Ghost is only operative in this Church, that I am sure of.

Well I love all of you and appreciate the advice and support you give me. I feel happy with the service I have given Father in Heaven up to this point, and I am excited to know that I am only going to improve in my teaching and in my Spanish and in my love to serve the Lord, not just in missionary work but in any way I can. I wish all of you a very Happy New Year! Just don't party too hard on Friday, WWJD?? Haha just kidding. Have a great week!! Love you all!

Elder Draper