It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Hey everybody!

 

 

I hope everyone is submersed in the wonderful spirit of this season. What's the weather like? I'm lovin the weather over here on the west coast during the winter! We are still wearing T-shirts every day when we're doing work haha California is radical. 

 

 

So this week has been pretty hectic. Early Wednesday morning, I dropped my beloved companion and trainer off at the mission office. He is home now and is trying to figure out what he has. Most likely he has MS. So everyone please include him in your prayers.

 

 

For the past 5 days, I have been with the two English elders here in Hollister. We have been co-covering our areas together, English and Spanish. It has been crazy!! We have been super busy. It has been really cool seeing what the English program is like and it was SUPER weird being in an actual ward yesterday. I'm so used to being in a small branch in the primary room where we have sacrament. Half the time my companion and I have to prepare and bless the sacrament which I LOVE doing. It reminds me of the young men's days. 

 

 

Javier is getting baptized this Saturday!!! He is so prepared. He has enormous faith in Jesus Christ and will do anything for our Heavenly Father. He takes an hour break from work every Sunday to come to sacrament. He has accepted all the lessons so well and with enormous gratitude. We have so much fun teaching and visiting him, we see him every day! I can honestly say he is one of my best buds. The Lord has a lot in store for him.

 

 

So one of our other investigators, Gus, is progressing slowly. His girlfriend, Mayra, is a recent convert. They live together so it has been difficult to figure out what to do. BUT, last week, they agreed to get married after the new year!! That way Gus can finally get baptized!!! I have loved watching him grow and become a new and better person. The light of Christ is evident in his eyes. He wants to be better and move on. He has had a rough past and has had some troubles with the law, but that is all behind him now. 

 

 

Another is Jaquin, he's our 9 year old who acts like an adult. He's insane!! He calls us and says "hey I want to meet at the church tomorrow, will you guys teach me?". He wants to learn so much and is really intrigued about the restoration. 

 

 

So that's our focus 3 right now!! Hopefully we can find more people just like them.

 

 

I got a new companion on Tuesday, he will continue my training here in Hollister! I'm so relieved that I get to stay here. I love it way too much to leave. It will be tough though because I am still learning the area and still trying to find out who everybody is and where they live. My new companion is coming from another area and has never served in Hollister. So we will definitely have to rely on The Lord a whole lot. I have faith that we will be strengthened and uplifted. The work of God cannot be ceased no matter how hard the adversary tries. THE WORK GOES ON!

One of my most cherished times of the day is in the morning, when we have the opportunity to study the words of Christ. This week I have pondered about the birth and life of the savior. I was intrigued when I studied how Christ was the only one possible to make an infinite atonement. He was born of a mortal mother and of an immortal father, making him an immortal being. Making him the ONLY one. Before time, our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ had a plan. They were together from the beginning and were one in their desires and love. Heavenly Father loved us so much they He gave His only begotten son to redeem the world. Through Him we will receive exaltation. Jesus knew he was going to have a difficult life, full of rejection and ridicule. Yet, he lived a perfect life.

 

 

This Christmas season, may we all truly study and ponder the birth and life of Christ and really come to know who he was, and who he is. Get to know him better. Follow him. Become like him. As we do so, we will experience joy that is out of this world. We will come to know what true happiness is all about.

 

 

I love you all so much. Have a blessed week.

 

 

Elder Felt

 

 

-This was a beautiful sunset on the way to the mission office

-Dropping my trainer off

-Caroling with the zone!