Nothing like Rain, Humidity, and 70 Degree Weather for Christmas

This week has been pretty exciting and full of adventure. At the start of the week, we got into an accident, well not really. A member went with us to an appointment and she had to leave early. When she was backing up from the driveway she hit our car. It left a nasty dent on the driver side of our car. Every time we open that door it makes a loud cracking sound. I'll add pictures of the dent later. Tips for the future don't park across a driveway. 

On Wednesday, we were answers to someone's prayer. We had Brody, a young man from the ward, come out with us in the afternoon. While we were tracting, Brody found a key in the bushes. We looked around to find a car that the key would work on and it was the Chevy Impala that was right next to us. We were tempted to take the car for a spin, but we instead tried to find the owner. We knocked about two doors and on that second door the owner came out and said "Oh My Gosh!." She started crying and telling us that she had been looking for the key for three days! She was so thankful for us finding it. She asked us what church we from and how old we were. She was really surprised and wanted to know more about our church. So we started talking about the Restoration and got a return appointment with her. It was pretty awesome.

Later that night, we went caroling as a district. We didn't sing too well, but thankfully the heavy rain drowned out our voices and made it sound good. Everyone we sang to really enjoyed our singing. The neighbors of the people we sang to opened their doors and listened to our caroling too! It was really fun.

Christmas day was really fun. We opened all of our presents. Most of our presents were ties, cookies, and chocolates. Lol. We went to a member's house for breakfast and played some pool. Never really played pool before, but I did pretty good. We later Skyped with our families and it was really nice to know how everyone was doing. My family performed an awesome nativity for me! Later on we caroled as a district again, but this time it didn't rain until we were finished. It started pouring down once we left the last house. We then went to another member's house for dinner. They made us a old country boil(hot sausages, corn, potatoes, seafood). It was pretty good. It rained for the rest of the night. This was the warmest Christmas I had ever had. 

We had a really awesome lesson with this one family Sunday night. We taught them the Restoration this time and they all understood it! They all wanted to read the Book of Mormon and come to church. We currently have them on date for baptism in January! 

Missionary work can be hard sometimes, but when you see the joy in the faces of people you work with, it really brings great joy to you. 

I really like these verses in Alma 32(The whole chapter is good):

41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life. 

42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.

Faith in the gospel is not something learned. It is something that requires action. At first it may not be apparent or it may be forgotten, but you will know it's true because it will always bring the greatest joy as you make the choice to live the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Private Earthquakes

Had the awesome opportunity to hear an apostle of the Lord this weekend. Elder Jeffery R. Holland spoke to all of the missionaries in the Georgia Atlanta mission and the Georgia Atlanta north mission. He emphasized the point of speaking with power and authority. He compared the story of when the angel spoke to Alma to how we're suppose to teach. When the angel spoke, it was very powerful, but it wasn't felt by everyone just to those that were around the angel. The same thing has to happen when we as missionaries are teaching.


I've been leading out in most of our discussions with investigators this week. It has been a great learning experience and I can certainly improved from the first week I was out here. I can certainly feel the Spirit help me to speak with that power and authority especially during this past week. We had an investigator we met a few weeks ago and haven't been able to contact him until last Friday. We were in the area and decided to stop by. Surprisingly, he was there and had time for us to teach him. He still remembered what we taught last time and understood everything we taught that day. He knew what he had to do to know for himself if the Gospel was true. He said it himself that he had to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. It was really cool.


The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ will bless our lives as we live by Christ's teachings. I have certainly felt these blessings in my life.

Chúng tôi được có cơ hội tuyệt vời để nghe một vị tông đồ của Chúa vào cuối tuần này. Elder Jeffery R. Holland nói chuyện với tất cả các nhà truyền giáo trong các sứ mệnh Georgia Atlanta và các nhiệm vụ bắc Georgia Atlanta. Ông nhấn mạnh quan điểm nói chuyện với quyền lực và quyền hành. Ông so sánh những câu chuyện của các thiên thần khi nói chuyện với Alma với cách chúng tôi đang giả sử để dạy. Khi các thiên thần nói, họ nói rất mạnh, nhưng mọi người gần đó không phải ai cũng được cảm nhận chỉ có những người ở xung quanh các thiên thần thôi. Điều tương tự cũng có thể xảy ra khi chúng ta đi truyền giáo.

Mấy lâu nay tôi là người dẫn đầu trong hầu hết các cuộc thảo luận của chúng tôi trong tuần này. Đó là một kinh nghiệm học tập tuyệt vời và tôi chắc chắn có phần khá hơn tuần đầu tiên tôi tới đây. Tôi chắc chắn cảm nhận được Chúa Thánh Thần giúp đỡ tôi để nói chuyện với quyền lực và quyền hạn đặc biệt trong tuần vừa qua. Chúng tôi được gặp một người vài tuần trước và không ̣được liên lạc với ông cho đến thứ sáu tuần trước. Chúng tôi ở trong khu vực và quyết định dừng lại  Đáng ngạc nhiên, anh ta có ở đó và có thời gian cho chúng tôi dạy cho anh ta. Anh ta vẫn còn nhớ những gì chúng tôi đã dạy thời gian qua và hiểu tất cả mọi thứ chúng tôi đã dạy ngày hôm đó. Ông biết phải lảm những gì để biết nếu Tin Mừng là sự thật. Ông ta biết mình phải đọc Sách Mặc Môn và cầu nguyện về điều đó. Đó thực sự vui cho tôi. 

Tin Mừng phục hồi của Chúa Giêsu Kitô sẽ ban phước cho cuộc sống của chúng ta khi chúng ta sống theo giáo huấn của Chúa Kitô. Tôi đã cảm thấy những phước lành trong cuộc sống của tôi.