Week 30  12/9/2013 From T3

Hey Everyone!!



Our house in T3

My sleeping quarters. I use that keyboard to practice the songs I play on Sundays in church

Thanks for your nice letters and pictures this week. I really liked seeing those pictures of all the snow back home. It hit me that it's actually Christmas time. There is only like 16 days until Christmas! Over here though, it doesn't feel too Christmas-y. I guess it's good though, I would probably miss home more, especially if it snowed here. Looking at those pictures back home and comparing it to here, it feels like I'm in a completely different world. The house looks really nice. You did a good job with the lights. I'm excited to talk to you guys in a couple weeks! We both need to think of things we want to talk about so we don't waste the time we have to talk (I think it's an hour).

I'm glad you guys didn't wait too long to put up the lights and the tree. I like how you put a picture of me on the tree haha. With that and the cello, you have plenty of me with you at home. I was laughing when I read about what Hunter did. I guess it's a Christmas tradition haha! I miss that dumb dog. That's cool what they did for the ward party. Of course you would sit at the table with my picture on it haha.  Jacob, when do you start your Christmas break? Do you like doing that choir, have you had any performances? What do you want for Christmas this year? You haven't mentioned anything about that yet. That's cool that you went sledding too. You guys should all go sledding sometime, or go tubing up at Soldier Hollow, that's a lot of fun. You guys might go to LA? It would be nice for you guys to spend Christmas with more family. It's up to you, but I think it would be fun for you guys.

I hope you guys have a snowy winter. It's true, it wasn't fun walking around in all the cold and snow to get to my classes in the morning, but I wouldn't mind it now haha. It will be a while until I see snow again, since I come back in May 2015. I only get to talk to you guys on Skype a total of 3 times on the mission: This Christmas, mother's day, and then the next Christmas. It's true, I hit 7 months this coming Sunday. It has gone by really fast for me too! Next Monday is transfers. I'm pretty sure I'll be staying here, considering this is my first transfer here. But Elder Bender has been here for 4 transfers, so he might move. We'll see next week. 

A street on our way to church. 

They had the primary program in church this day



This was during This past week was pretty good. Our best investigator family is Alfredo, his wife Laura, and their 3 children. They are a really nice family and are progressing really well. They’ve come to church 3 weeks in a row. And they live very far, so it’s a long walk for them to church. It is great to see their faith in just their effort to make it to church. Back home we have cars and on top of that church is not far at all. This week we will begin working on their documents for marriage. They will probably get married and baptized in the next transfer. Our main goal is to find more families with potential like them. It isn't easy though. We do contacts and teach new people, but most of them do not progress. It's okay though. To find those that are prepared, it's a hard process, that's the way it's supposed to be. So whenever things go wrong, like lessons falling and investigators not progressing, I don't get discouraged. If we did, it would just make the work harder.

Helping Jose, one of the church members 

This Sunday, we had the rehearsal for the Christmas program. I haven't heard anything about the cello. I'm guessing they weren't able to find one for me. Thanks for that link you sent me about it. But they already have the program planned out, and there will not be enough time to rehearse with a cello. The program will be presented next Sunday in Maputo, and then the Sunday after that in Matola. It's being done for members and anyone else who wants to come. President and Sister Kretly are doing a narration and all the missionaries are singing. We will also be watching parts of the First Presidency devotional, which you mentioned.

This week has been a bit rainy, but not too much. It rains like every other day. It hasn't been too hot, thankfully.

I also hope that the package gets here with no problem. It should get here before Christmas. But I'm patient for it-most of the time I forget that there's a package on the way for me.

Wow, how old is grandma now, 85? (Grandma just turned 84) She looks different in that picture. That's amazing that she has so many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She's probably almost a great-great-grandmother!

Anyway, that's about it for this week. I hope you guys have a good week in winter wonderland! I love you all soooo much!! Until next Monday

 Elder Rebollo