Christmas Week 12/28/2015

This past week was the week of Christmas! It was one of my favorite Christmas's ever. It was also one of my favorite weeks in the mission field so far! The week of Christmas, on Tuesday, we had a mission Christmas party. The Christmas party is one of the most fun parties that the mission puts together during the year! Each zone works on a skit and performs it at the party. Then we have a white elephant gift exchange. I got a bunch of flash cards to learn Portuguese... probably never going to use them. Then we have a gift drawing where names are pulled out of like a hat and we go grab a gift that people donated to the missionaries. The gifts vary from a new pair of boots to even some laundry detergent. I was able to get a new pair of gloves! Yay!! Funny side story about that: about a week earlier I lost my gloves because I left them in an investigator's home and was never able to find them, but luckily my name was drawn and I was able to get some new gloves. God was looking out for me! Then at the end of the party we were able to hear some musical numbers that were performed by some of the missionaries. All in all the Christmas party was a success and a nice break from missionary work.

Then on Wednesday the zone went caroling to a lady named G. in our ward. She has some physical handicaps and is in a wheel chair and we had learned that she would be alone for Christmas this year. So like thirty of us surprised her and went over to her house to sing to her. She was very grateful and it brought so much joy to her to see the missionaries. Then on Friday it was Christmas and I didn't receive nearly as expensive or as many gifts as years before, but I noticed that this Christmas felt a lot more fulfilling than the years before and I know that it is because of the true meaning of Christmas and the joy that it brings.

And to finish off the week we were able to have a baptism for a young man named E.! He has been waiting 6 months to get baptized and his mom agreed to allow him to be baptized on the 27th. His baptism was very well planned and it brought him so much joy. I am so glad that he was able to feel that blessing in his life and I hope his parents can look back and see the changes that it brings his life, and maybe one day his example will bring his parents into the church. I know that this gospel is true and that it brings true change to people's lives, and it is evident in those who choose to follow Christ because the light shines through them.

P.S. I will post some pictures below of the Christmas party and the baptism.

With love,

Elder Bullough