Feliz Navidad!

Hey,

So I think I told you everything yesterday...but I'll still recount the last few days.

This entire week has been a party. On Friday we had the mission Christmas conference thing which was fun. President spoke about how well the mission has been doing lately. Like we're averaging something like 13 baptisms every week, and sometimes more. And in the White Elephant exchange, I won a surprise visit from the assistentes at 6:30 am, some morning.

Christmas Eve we were running around all morning looking for keys to the church to fill the font for the baptism. There were no buses so we could only take taxis but we eventually got it filled and listo. When we went to pick up the Familia Rodriguez, Melissa had like cut her foot the night before and could hardly walk on it...I swear something always happens...but we still made the baptism happen and it went super well.

We tried teaching some lessons but everyone was busy and partying early so we went to the one place we were sure there wouldn't be any music or craziness, the pueblito La Colorada up the mountain. The place was basically empty but we found two people to teach and it was really cool. Super humble people who were happy to talk to us.

In the noche we ate with the Familia Rodriguez. The ward helped out a lot and visited them this week and brought them food so we didn't have to bring much.

There were fireworks all night. Legit the entire sky was lit up from like 12 - 3 in the morning. And when we got up in the morning there was still music blasting from every house. People never stop partying here...haha. But we opened our presents, then went to church. It was kinda empty but we got the confirmations done and everything was listo listo.

Our Christmas tree and gifts.

Making tamales for Christmas lunch.

There was legit zero lessons to be had but we went out and visited everyone we knew then went to call y'all.

For a spiritual thought this week I guess I shall bear my testimony. Specifically from the past few weeks of knowing the Familia Rodriguez, I've seen how much the gospel blesses families. After the first baptisms, their life got super hard, especially finding out Edil had cancer, but the ward helped them a lot and everyone has been their friends to support them. Edil's husband, who works a lot and hasn't been able to come to church, told us how grateful he was for bringing his family into the gospel even though he hasn't been able to experience it personally yet. I know this church is true, and I know that in our personal attempts to be more like Christ it will bless others and ourselves.

Love y'all!

Elder Green