Dinner at VIP´s with Dad and Mom and Elder Mortensen, the Zone Leader
The Zone at dinner before they opened their gifts.
Dad and Mom with Elder Farnworth, our other Zone Leader.
This is the Zone´s official Christmas Card to all of our families and friends. It was taken 12/24/07.
The Zone as it was in August, 2007. Elder Rubio (front center, blue tie) and Elder Prestwich (top left) were the Zone Leaders.
President and Sister Castillo during their visit to our home in November, 2007.It was great talking to all our children, and we apologize to the grandchildren for not talking with you also. Please know that you are all in our hearts and very near and dear to us. We thought the holidays would be a long drawn out gloomy time in the mission field, but it was actually very pleasant. We have managed to find many people who love and appreciate us, and who we also love very dearly. We were invited to more parties and “Cena Navidads” than we had time or room (in our stomachs) to accommodate.
We participated with the elders in some fun activities and service, and we received much hugs, kisses, and many small gifts which touched our hearts. We shared the Christmas Spirit and message with many people, and we have many fond memories tucked away to call up on less happy days to warm us and comfort our souls when we need comforting.
Our camera is out of commission at the moment, but here are a few photos that the Elders and the Mission President shared with us.
We participated with the elders in some fun activities and service, and we received much hugs, kisses, and many small gifts which touched our hearts. We shared the Christmas Spirit and message with many people, and we have many fond memories tucked away to call up on less happy days to warm us and comfort our souls when we need comforting.
Our camera is out of commission at the moment, but here are a few photos that the Elders and the Mission President shared with us.
We love you all. The gospel of Jesus Christ is true, and families are forever. We love this work, the people of Mexico are awesome, and the time is going far too quickly.
Saludos a todos para un feliz ano nuevo con mucho éxito. Nosotros amo todos de ustedes en nuestras familias. Gracias por sus supo y oraciones por nosotros.
All our Love
Dad and Mom
Grandpa and Grandma
1 comment:
Mom and Dad
Thanks for the pictures. You both look great. And of course the young men look great to. There is something about clean cut young Men serving in the mission field.
Im glad you were able to find people in the mission field that mad Christmas nice for you. Everyone here had a nice Christmas. I had a great Christmas myself. I got one of those rare gifts that you love. Corinne bought me a Lie Nelson Wood Plane. A Jack plane to be specific. A really nice one. So now Im going to start working on furnature.
The highlight of Christmas was having all of the kids around. Everone but Andrew was here and we had a wonderful time. Andrew called but not until late in the evening and his poor mom was fit to be tied all day. I felt so bad for her. But you have never seen a happier Mom than when Andrew did call. He was suppose to send us an email telling us when to call or expect a call but he sent it to a bad email address. He had forgotten our address and couldnt remember his that they gave him at the MTC. I eventually called the mission home and got his number. We called a few times during the day with no success. He called at about 8 our time and said to call now. So we spoke and all of the kids spoke with him and he is clearly very happy on his mission. He misses he family but he clearly loves his mission. He spoke of several people in his ward and of the families they are working with and they are important to him.
His area is one of the more affluent in PA and the members are very good to him and his Comp. He said his area is about 20 square miles. His training is also the District leader.
He said the thing that suprises him the most is that they are not spending time teaching. In the MTC all of the training is geared towards teaching but they spend most of their time trying to find people who will listen. At the moment they have no investigators so they spend a lot of time looking. He said the days go byk fast because they are so busy and work so hard. He admitted as if it were a guilty pleasure that "I king of like tracting!" He has not had a door slam yet but he said a lot of people have been "rude." Shopping for food is weird for his because all of the food brands are different. (I bet that sound familiar) The days are pretty cold but not unbearable yet. He did ask us to send another set of thermal bottoms however. His companion is from phoeniz Az and Names Elder Hill. He told Sean while he spoke with Sean (not knowing the phone was on speaker) that Elder Hill was robbed at gun point while in one of the rougher areas of Pitt. Sean asked what his compainion did while Elder Hill was being robber and Andrew said "He was being robbed to." and he laughed.
He said they have a man in their ward who is an Elder who was converted a few years ago who was a practicing Jew who still wears his little hat to church and still follows the Jewish rituals but still believes in the church too. It was a compromise he made with himself He had joined and became inactive, because of the pull of his Jewish faith. So no he practices both. Andrew also told us that they taught a selp proclaimed HOBo. A very nice man who has a simple apartment now that its winter but when spring comes he will abandon the apartment and work his way around the country during the warm months. He is not from PA just happened to be in PA when it got cold enough to want to hole up for the winter. Andrew said he is kind of a simple man. Not able to handle complex thinking or issues but still a very nice man. They taught him a first on their first door approach and he looks forward to getting to know him and teach him more.
Andrew mentioned several times after someone asked a question. "No thats against the rules so we dont do it." For example Sam asked why he didnt just log onto his Yahoo account and get our email addresses to email us his Christmas schedule. Im very proud of him. I think he is going to be a great missionary.
The Bushes got a Bird for Christmas, and a Cat for Christmas. Thats going to be exciting. And I guess, according to Ruthie, and Ive always found her to be reliable, someone unknown to them, hid two megaphones that alter the sounds of the users, under the tree and addressed them to Jacob and Isaac. Apparently the boys really love those things. Then for some reason Ruthie threatened to get some for Corinne but then realized that Corinne dosent have any little boys. Weird Huh.
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