Lima Navidad - Dec 24

Hola Familiiiiia!

Feliz Navidad! That´s so crazy that it´s coming around again! The weird part being that I get so sweaty everyday. But I´m so happy to have the opportunity to serve during this Christmas season. It´s a joy to be able to think of the Savior in such a special way during this time. We started off the week this week having a special Christmas conference with President Godfrey - my favourite part was the soft serve ice cream on demand. That was the greatest Christmas gift I could have received haha. But it was really good, with President Godfrey normally in zone conference all the missionaries who are going home bear their testimony in zone conference. This zone conference I heard the testimony of my first trainer Elder Mendoza - he goes home in January.

During the week we have been working hard, including we have been working with a family who lives in the hill. It is a Mom and her 3 children. Her name is Ana - she has been listening intently with her children and has been to church a few times, we´re probably going to invite her to be baptized this week. As well I got a chance to visit Elder Powell this week and we talked with his investigator Kelly who accepted a baptismal date for the 29th. She had been struggling for a while with recognizing the feelings that come from the Holy Ghost, but she just finished reading Moroni in the Book of Mormon and we explained that baptism is the next step. I interviewed her on Sunday and she is going to be baptised on Saturday.

This week we have also been in a circle of ´´Paneton´´ we have eaten so much of it because it´s a Christmas tradition here - it´s pretty tasty now that I´ve gotten used to it. On Friday we went to the temple with Luis who recently got baptized. He was really excited and a little nervous - we went with him and he ended up baptizing in the temple! A crazy experience for him I´m sure but we really felt the Spirit there. Afterward we got the chance to accompany one of Elder Mendez´ old converts as she took out her endowments for the first time! She is leaving on the mission in January.

On Sunday we went to pick up investigators in the morning before going to 1-hour meeting. We went to knock the door of an investigator that we had lost contact with this week with a hope that she would come with her daughter. Her name is Patricia - she has two sons who are less active members. She recently got seperated from her partner and she and her daughter are starting to get to know the church again. We went in the morning and the Mom didn´t want to come out. So we told the daughter ´´ok we´ll see you at church then!´´ and went to sacrament meeting. About 30 mins into church they both walk into church - it was very much to our surprise but a pleasant surprise at that.

Anyways, Merry Christmas you guys! Love you! 

Elder Thompson

- Thanks Young women

- Elder Powell in full tribal mode

- We don´t know this couple but they wanted to take a photo with us

-A temple trip with Luis who recently got baptized, Sebastian, another recent convert, and Paulo who is leaving on a mission in January