It's almost Christmas time!! Who's excited? I LOVE Christmas. The Christmas Spirit has started to shine a little bit around here. The gatekeeper of our apartment put out a tree in front. It made us really happy this morning. Our little tree is still thriving. Anz. Sexton has been writing the 25 poems of Christmas, so every night we hear a reading. Sometimes they're inspiring, sometimes they're a bit cynical, but overall they make for a good laugh.
We had our Christmas zone conference on Monday. President and Sister Dibb made Christmas dinner for all of the missionaries. There was ham, potatoes, marshmallow salad, vegetables, and apple bread! Yummm. It was a great meal and a great conference. Afterward we all sang some Christmas carols. One of the sisters in my district did a musical number, so I played for her. I didn't do all that fantastic, but I enjoyed playing something outside of the hymnbook. I usually get recruited to play the piano at missionary meetings. I thought everyone was joking when they said I'd be using my music skills on my mission.
Speaking of Christmas (I'm in the Christmas Spirit lately as you can tell) the missionaries in my district along with some of the Young Adults in our ward have been going caroling. It turns out that's SO much more effective than just stopping people on the street. Now, they stop for us and all we have to do is smile and sing. I feel like that can define my life since freshman year of high school. Smile and sing. We've been able to spread a lot of Christmas cheer and even find some people to teach!
We've been having several experiences lately where we've been able to water a few seeds planted by others. It seems like many of the people we've been contacting lately have had contact with the church in the past. One man we talked to in the park knows a member of our ward and he has taking lessons from missionaries in the past. Two Sundays ago, someone walked in off the street and stayed for all three hours of church. He knew a member family in Bergamo and they always invited him, but he never went. When he moved here a few weeks ago, he saw the church and felt guilty for never going, so he came Sunday morning! The most fruitful experience was a man we talked to on the Metro. I had been talking with someone else, and I saw him out of the corner of my eye listening in. After that man got off, I sat down next to this second man. Before I even tried to say anything, he said to me "My father is a Mormon." His parents, siblings, and relatives are all members, and his father was a branch president in Peru. He said that he just never got baptized, but he told us "maybe one day I'll get baptized..." We of course were glad to help him with that goal and we took his number. Tomorrow we have an appointment at his house with him and his wife!
And to wrap it all up, how about a Christmas scripture today? "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:10). I'll assume that most of us have heard this. Christmas is a time of rejoicing! Why are you sad?? Christ was born, lived, died, was resurrected, and lives now all to grant you eternal life! It's yours for the taking if you come unto Him! Rejoice and be glad for Jesus Christ lives and loves you.
Love, Anziano Simcox.
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