The last couple weeks we've been visiting an inactive family, _____ _____ and usually the second oldest of their daughters doesn't come in and listen while we teach. She has in some instances come inside and walked right past us and up the stairs. Generally it's only part of the family there, this last lesson however they all came to the lesson by degrees: the mother sat with us at the table and talked to us about their family business of making and selling fireworks (which is a common business around here and a big part of the way they celebrate Christmas). We sort of waited until the father came in from the other room to start the lesson... then, throughout the lesson each of their four daughters came in at different intervals until the entire family was there. It made me think of the parable of the hired workers, where all of the workers hired throughout the day were payed the same wage... and though that may have been used by Christ to admonish and teach his first chosen servants, it of course can be applied to us to remember that if we but work the last hour before sunset (though the job was more secure earlier in the day) we will be rewarded. Anyway, their second to oldest daughter came in within the last 5 minutes of the lesson, just in time to hear the testimonies of her parents (to which I hope she listened well) and gave the closing prayer.
In sacrament meeting we sang "Joy to the World". We haven't gotten to sing many Christmas songs in Spanish so far, I am really looking forward to that, it will be nice.
I don't think I ever officially said happy birthday to Krew yet so give him a happy birthday hug for me.
I am sorry for worrying you and cutting you short last week.
Oh, a funny note... my companion asked me if I knew how to play poker I said of course why?... so I ended up explaining to him all of the different hands and how to play Texas hold 'em and now he had a list of what the different hands are called but the names are written in English because I have no idea how to say them in Spanish. So that was funny. Anyway nos vemos. les amo na ustedes muchísimo. Feliz Navidad
P.S. Yes, I get to skype on Christmas Day. I'll know next week the hour, just tell me the skype address to call.
His email to his father:
There are 8 elders and no sisters in our district. The zone leaders are also part of our district and serve in the other area. (Theirs being Centenario 1 and ours Centenario 2) They are Elder Salazar and Elder Norton (from Arizona) both cool and funny guys, so that's good. Their also both really close to finishing their missions. Salazar finishes up this transfer I believe and Norton has two months left. Salazar apparently also trained Norton when he had one transfer in the mission! I guess he at least already new Spanish but still, that's pretty crazy. The district leader is Elder Apablaza from Chile with not quite a year in the mission. His companion is Elder Lunt who has one transfer more than me so he's pretty new as well and the other companionship is Elder Jensen and Elder Sanchez. Elder Jensen is from the same group as Lunt and his companion before Elder Sanchez was Elder Campos our old district leader.
Yes, this city is coveted for being the only area in the mission where it rains, as well as the only one where the sun really comes out (Lima having constant smog cover) It is also known as the most beautiful area with mountains, trees and lakes. Our area spreads from where we actually serve to I about 3 and some hours car-ride from here. Down the main street where not many people live and there are lots of trees. It's funny, the first little while of being here, we were majorly working toward the area further in the city and I saw no grass except a little park and a few trees except on the relatively distant mountain. More recently (and especially since we moved houses) we have started working further up into the mountain where there are some large grass fields and some of the people we teach are tending to their chickens, sheep, cows, and pigs throughout. I even saw a horse and a donkey on one of the main roads. I got a laugh out of my companion over the fact that we call the donkeys where we live "burros" with an American accent. I also asked him why the food burritos are so called since that's the word for a small donkey (thinking of your intimation that burritos might have originally had burro meat) and he said he didn't know and that that is a thing in Mexico, it's not what they'd call the food here. In the same line the family that makes the lunches for Elder Apablaza and Elder Lunt sometimes makes burritos but refers to them as tacos (so I guess you're right to do so as you do every time we have them at home haha). hasta la semana proxima
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