Feliz Navidad!

Buenas noches mis amigos!  Espero que todos de uds. tenian una buenisimo Navidad :) I had a great Christmas!  It was a little stressful because of the internet situation.  First theres only one person in our ward who had a computer and he was hard to find!  Then on Christmas day everyone that had a computer in the area was trying to use it so I kept calling my family on Skype and the calls kept dropping!  But finally after about 3 stressful hours it worked and I talked with them for a long time!

Talking to my family was absolutely amazing.  Just seeing all their faces for the first time in 4 months was incredible!  I originally called on the telephone Christmas eve night and my mom didn't know but I was just calling to set up a time for the next day to skype.  I won't forget how my mom answered the phone!  She was just so excited to hear my voice and I was too haha. We both were tearing up pretty good just for a short phone call.  But skyping was fantastic. I got some solid gifts...a blow up deer (yes a lifesize deer) for the house with a target and a nerf gun to "keep up my redneck skills" while Im gone.  It was pretty dad gum funny. 

Sam's Christmas selfie sporting his new tie and tie clip.

Christmas night was probably the second worst night of the mission to be honest (after my first night in the field when i was locked out of the house in the freezing rain and yeah y'all know the story).  It was super hard.  But I prayed super hard and again was blessed because I woke up the next morning and felt like normal!  

Me and Elder C went right back to work the next day and I feel like we maybe had our best week teaching wise thus far.  Weve had about 4 investigators that we originally didn't think much of start to really progress and came to church as well!  One in particular is an "antique" investigator that has been through every set of missionaries since about a year and a half ago only to debate and say whats wrong with our church.  We had an amazing talk with him and he finally began reading the Book of Mormon and everything has changed.  He came to church and it was great! 

I gave another talk in church this past week as well which I think went super well.  It was just on simple faith, but it went great.  In Ether 12 (in the BoM) the word faith, I counted, is mentioned 34 times.  Its an amazing chapter .  Verse 4 gives an example: faith is our anchor.   I talked about how our ship is made up of all different types of Christlike attributes and hope and charity and everything!  But our anchor is faith.  And the greater and bigger and stronger our anchor, the less affect the storms and temptations and hardships in our lives have on our ship.  

So my invitation this week is to read Ether 12 because its one of, if not my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon! 

Anyways hoped you all had a great Christmas!  I think my mom made an album on my facebook if you wanna see all my pictures from the mish thus far.  

Texas Forever 

Elder G

Ether 12:4  "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."

Christmas Eve service project

Finally getting Skype to work!!!

Christmas with friends!