The Holidays Have Begun
*Dad, said you received no email for last week…here it is..don’t know how you didn’t get it*
Ho Ho Ho….the holidays have begun! For some reason…as a missionary…and I guess with most everyone, Christmas is the favorite holiday. It has even expanded that Christmas is just not celebrated for 1 day but for the whole month of December, even starting sometimes before Thanksgiving! But I love Christmas just because usually it is a very happy time with family, with the people you love and a time to reflect and help other people. Before the mission, it was primeraly a time to receive lots of sweet stuff…but, last Christmas, as a missionary, I learned you don’t have to get lots of stuff to enjoy Christmas…mainly by changing the focus to Christ. Anyways, I’m excited for that and we also had a decent good week.
On Monday, we set up all of the Christmas stuff in the apartment (mainly just the tree and some lights) and we also had dinner with the sweetest members…the Owens, who do everything for us (and she also cooks way good). Tuesday, we taught 8 lessons, 4 of them with Brother Owens, doing medias. On Wednesday, we had exchanges with the Burlington Elders….and I went to Burlington. Well, since the other Spanish Elders had the car and I can’t ride a bike, the other Elder I was with just sat around in the apartment complaining and making phone calls. It kind of sucked…oh well, it’s not my area. Anyways, back in Henderson, Alfreda didn’t show up for the baptismal interview (kind of saw it coming), she was baby-sitting some kids. She is a kind, sweet lady and wants to be baptized but I don’t think she really realizes the importance of it. It will be postponed for a few more weeks. Also, in the evening, Elder Ferons went over to the Garcias and they told him they wanted to be baptized before New Years. So, we have 2 on the 16th (Cleo Lee and Anastacia) and the 2 more before the end of the year, the Garcia Parents. It should be a very good month.
On Thursday, we had our ZDM in Durham. It was my first time ever in Durham…didn’t see much..just from the highway. I saw a little bit of the Duke campus and also where the Durham Bulls play (a minor league baseball team). But the meeting was good and I had a really good interview with President Wallis. Henderson is just going so sweet right now, I love it. We also had a good day and taught the Lopez Family..(the Dad, Juan, is not a member). We really taught a sweet lesson about baptism, but Juan wouldn’t budge, saying he hasn’t recieved an answer yet…ahhh. Anyways, we are having tons of success with part-member families…even on the english side…Saturday, we taught Lenny, the husband of Sister Riggans. He told us he would read and pray and he had never really accepted the missionaries over before. So, we are excited about him.
Let’s see…what else…on Saturday, we helped Bob (the member who buys us tons of things), we moved his brothers stuff out of his house (his brother had tons of antiques and junk and everything stuffed into a little portion of the house). We also spent Sunday with Bob, visiting a referel we recieved in the John Umstead Hospital in Butner (where?). He was named Edwin Duque, actually was from Ecuador, and was in the physciatric ward. I guess he almost got baptized in the Charlotte mission and then had to go to the hospital because he had been diagnosed with Borderline personality and before was diagnosed Bi-Polar. But, he was a really cool kid and I’m glad I had the chance to go. With Bob also, we had a sweet meal and also made a bondfire in his backyard before going to the Christmas devotional, which I enjoyed very much.
It got really rainy and cold last night and today it is hovering in the mid 40’s. It has really been nice lately for November and December, but I think it is going to stay cold this time..(although the it is supposed to be 50 or 60 in the next few days). Well, I am doing well, this afternoon the Owens are going to be getting us a “real” christmas tree..so, it’s going to be great.
Ok. I hope everyone enjoys the holiday season and gets everything they want (I want an Ipod for christmas, but I am waiting until June to buy one, cause they will be a lot fancier and better…hahahaha!!)
Con Amor,
Elder Hardy