Wow nice to see you all back home! Sounds like you´re all doing well. Next time less questions about me and the mission, and more questions about you guys. I realized how much I miss you all, and especially going to Jonathan´s basketball games and seeing him own everybody. Keep practicing buddy! I really have an amazing family.
Merry Christmas! On the 24th we spent the night passing from house to house. Everyone offered us tamales. By the end of the night I had eaten 4 and had taken home a ton as well. The last family we visited was Jesus and Abraham. They had invited us 3 weeks earlier and were waiting in anticipation when we arrived. They had prepared...yep...tamales! But more then that, they had prepared a meal with chicken, chips, and salsa. We ate, and ate, and ate, and had fun and shared a message. I wouldn´t have wanted to have the night anywhere else.
Our zone wasn´t able to do a zone Christmas party. To make up for it, the zone leaders spent the night with us.
They have a tradition here to shoot off fireworks at 12 o´clock the night of the 24th. So at midnight we woke up for the display of fireworks that would appear. Sure enough, at the stroke of midnight the sky was bright with light. Not long after the sky was filled with smoke from all the fireworks. It was amazing.
Christmas morning we woke up and got to open the packages our family´s sent us. (thanks for always sending my companion a package as well) One very specially wrapped box from my parents to me was saved to be opened last. When I unwrapped it we couldn´t believe what we saw. Bacon scented products!
What a great joke. We were so excited. But you got us. We were disappointed to find it was a prank box and not what was actually inside. Thanks guys! Still I loved all the gifts and Christmas cards. You guys are the best! Hope you all had a merry merry Christmas.
This Christmas season has given Elder Golledge and I many opportunities to serve and share the gospel. We love it. The ¨He is the Gift¨ initiative has been especially helpful. For example, this past Friday we were asked to stop by a potential investigator´s house. We had met him and his family many times through another investigator but never had taught them. They gladly accepted our invitation and invited us in with open arms when we arrived. After talking for a little bit we felt we should share the He is the Gift video even though Christmas had passed a few days earlier. When we were done we asked everyone to share their feelings about the video. The mother of the family had listened to the missionaries previously when she had lived in the capital. She said they had confused her a little but after seeing the video it became clear that we believe and worship Jesus Christ. All asked more questions about the church and about the Book of Mormon. They accepted an invitation to come to church as well. We were overjoyed to see their whole family come to church yesterday. This is truly a special time of year to see miracles and to remember the gift our Heavenly Father has given us. Let us give Him a gift by remembering and following His son Jesus Christ, this year and all the following years.
Estefany and Lisangela are set to be baptized the 10th of January.
Best wishes to all and a have a happy new year!
Elder Hicken
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