Hey hey hey:
Alright well I need to get through this kinda fast so here we go. Last Monday we went to the airport to see off the big group of departing gringos. (I bet at least some of them may read this, so . . . What's up guys?) It was cool to be there. I got pictures with all of them and a few videos of them walking out the gate and stuff, and of me giving them hugs. It was kinda sad, but life goes on. I have already heard from a few of them. It's cool to hear they are home and doing well, adjusting to post mission life and all that. On the other hand, about 15 new gringos arrived the following day and they are…well they're very new. One of them, Elder Michaelson, lives in my room. He is a good guy, pretty innocent, good kid, really focused, which is awesome.
Christmas was cool. It was much, much easier to get through this year than it was last year. Yeah, for sure, the second Christmas in the mission is easier. Christmas Eve was fun. It's way different here, with fireworks at midnight and stuff, but it was great. We spent Christmas Eve with our pension's family. Christmas was pretty lazy most of the day while everyone was trying to get a hold of their families. So, talking to you guys was pretty awesome, and again, not the trunky feelings I experienced last year. (Well, for the exception of Brad talking about Muse and Mom and Dad asking me about what I want to do at the end of my mission. I have seven months left, c’mon people.) We had a Christmas Conference with President on Christmas Day as well. That went pretty good. We had five zones there and all of them were supposed to have a little song ready to perform. I think we were the only ones that actually practiced something. I used our zone meeting day (earlier in the week) only to practice a song for the Christmas Conference. We sang "Angels We Have Heard on High," and I played the guitar. It pretty much turned out awesome and blew everyone else out of the water. ;-) The best part was that I started playing for a second, stopped, pulled President Chipman's HUGE sunglasses out of my pocket, put them on, and then started again. It was awesome. I have a video . . . you'll see it one day. I met a bunch of the new missionaries that day. Most of them seem pretty shell shocked. They all said it didn’t feel like Christmas. I know the feeling. It was like their second day in the mission field. That must have been interesting. Oh and it was 100 degrees - so it did not have a real Christmassy feel. But, they'll adjust, get focused on the work, and figure out that life marches onward, and that nothing is better than doing the Lord's work.
We have started to get a better teaching pool here. It's coming along. It's tough in this ward but things are moving forward a bit better. It is encouraging to see results. We met a guy named Martin this week who has lived a pretty bad, sinful life, but now wants to change. We have taught him three times and he is completing compromises better than anyone ever does. He is reading, even studying what we give him, praying, and showed up to church all on his own - well dressed and clean shaven. He is a very good guy. Martin put his baptism date a few weeks forward just to give him time to get past his alcohol addiction and stuff. We are helping to strengthen a lot of people in the ward as well. It's just a bit weak and the members need a lot of help. We are trying to help a man named Ricardo, who got baptized about four years ago, but still doesn't actually believe in the Book of Mormon, nor has he read it. It's kinda sad but I hope we can help him because he is really wearing down his family. So, although the work is a bit more difficult/challenging here (the richer, more prosperous part of Piura), I am enjoying it and we are constantly trying to find new ideas for something that might work better to lead people to Christ.
Christmas was great, and I love being a missionary. I bet Crickmore (oh, and yes, I can actually call him that now that he's been released, Dad) wishes that he had seven more months with me - because we would be an awesome companionship. So things are going great. I hope that everyone had a good Christmas, and that the new year is good, too. The Church is true as true can be. Love it. Live it.
Elder "I Sing Christmas Songs With Sunglasses On" Royal
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