Christmas phone call

December 18, 2012

Christmas phone call.
I'm allowed to call each group of family members for a full 40 minutes or so. So if Josh and Diana aren't going to be with Melissa's family at Christmas let me know. I was going to be allowed to skype Russell, but since he's going to be in the US it has to be a phone call.

I got Mommy's package and also a surprise package from the Baker family full of goodies and presents.

As for this last week. K., the less active that we found last week, came to church and accepted for us to teach her the lessons. She's a fireball and really missionary minded. The best part is that her daughter is in the same class as one of our other less active's kids that has been coming to church for a few months now on and off, and they hit it off SUPER well. I thank the Lord for that one because they both needed a friend at Church.

So L. chickened out of his baptismal date for this last Saturday. He's been taught since June of this year. I fear that he'll be  turning into an eternal investigator if we don't address the iceberg of concerns that he has. We found out a big one on exchanges this last week. L. served in the Marine Corps back in Desert Storm. Essentially he's afraid that he's going to have to answer for the things that he did over there, and he doesn't feel like baptism is going to wash all of that away.  We're going to approach it cautiously and carefully, and we've asked our mission pres for his input on the situation. Any of you that have been on missions- have you encountered something like this before? How did you approach the situation? we're going to watch the Testaments with him sometime soon so that he can feel the Savior's perfect love for him at the end of the movie. At least, that's always what I feel at the end of it.

So Elder Belo is dying on Jan 7. He's going home to Brazil and then moving to Utah SLC area with his family. Apparently his dad lost his job over a year and a half ago and didn't tell him on purpose. I hope he can find his way in life. He's expressed that when he gets back he doesn't want to be a burden on his family, but that he wants to find a job and go to school while supporting himself. Only problem is Elder Belo has never worked in a job a day in his life. I'm sure it will be a struggle for him, but he'll learn quickly... hopefully. After that, I'll get a new companion and I'll still be in wonderful, unique, friendly St Johns. I love this ward. The new bishop is a superhero when it comes to getting down to business and trying to utilize the missionaries to the best of the ward's abilities.

Other than that, we've been working with a less active father and his family of all girls. They've accepted us coming over to have lessons, and the father really appreciates it when we challenge them to do things. The first time we challenged the whole family to read the scriptures together and then pray to know for themselves whether on not the Book of Mormon is true. They did really well at keeping the commitment the first week, but the second week they faltered a little bit because the kids were getting out of school for Christmas. The father is a daredevil. He goes cliff diving and small aircraft flying (it's a pedal glider that he uses to find VW buses and campers so that he can buy them off the owners and fix them up a little and then flip them) The whole family is way cool. We found out the last time we were there that the oldest daughter hasn't really seen the effects of the priesthood in her life. Elder Belo and I are going to try and help her find out it's always been in her life, but she's just used to it and has to actually look for it.

Other than that, miracles never cease. We have a new investigator with a lesson today because she thought we were Jehovah's Witnesses. She thought we couldn't give medicine to kids, and then when Elder Webb and I told her that we've always had medicine she told us to come back on Tuesday at four. It was awesome. Hopefully they clear up the whole JW and Mormon identification thing today. I won't be there. I'm on an exchange again with the Tongan elders today, so I might get some more HORSE!!!! soooo good, horse is!

Anyway, I love you. Thanks for the letters. Congrats Josh and Steven for getting through another semester of college. I hope all went well and that you're acing your classes.

Merry Christmas guys. I love you!