Christmas in the Desert

Hey thanks for all the packages again! It was good to hear from everyone. I got some stuff to send out, some pictures and thank you cards and everything. Christmas was really good out here. it was fun, hope christmas and the holidays are going good for everyone where ever you are.

Shoot so i am not too sure what to say now. it feels like only yesterday since i talked with you, so i dont know whats new.. oh well this sunday we had like the christmas program for church and so all the missionaries got to sing in the choir. it felt like i was back home for a second singing like how we would in the stake choir at the tab, but something felt different.. then i realized that i didnt have dad right by me singing off key. haha nah i am just kidding. it was funny though cause someone didnt know bass really so he would just sing the melody way low. and that was pretty much how we sounded.at least all of us missionaries haha. i am pretty sure all the sisters sitting by us were getting headaches because of it or maybe they were just tired, because everytime i looked they had their foreheads in their hands haha. So thats what happened in church.

Um ... oh on monday we had a meeting with all the missionaries out here in the desert. it was way good. we talked about alot of stuff and we learned a ton. it was sweet! but we were talking about how we can share personal experience and stuff, so i got a story that happened in a lesson with someone we were teaching. i think i already told you Mom, but it was cool so I'll just tell it again. So you remember in the MTC when i used that story about the mokulua island? Yeah so the other day when we were teaching, it just popped in my mind again, kus i psh forgot that story. So i shared it again and just gave my little testimony. I mean it wasn't anything mindblowing or anything, but it just changed the whole setting. i mean it wasnt me but it was the testimonies of my companion and i. Simple but true testimony something based on experience, things that we actually knew to be true. Before that i have been thinking you know how can i help show the truth of the message or help them want to figure out the truth. Because I mean with each day that goes by, my testimony grows stronger. it seems like more and more i see that yeah you know what? God does love us and he knows us and is helping us in our lives every day and that he really did restore his church again to lead us, guide us and teach us . And i mean the best part of it all too, is that we know our families can be forever. So everyday i just want people to know what i know and feel what i do. it was pretty cool because that one time last week when we were giving our testimonies, for one second it looked like the person could feel that power of truth. it was a sweet experience because she was thinking really deeply and you could tell she understood. so anyways i just wanted to share that beucase i know we can make a difference in someone's life just by sharing our testimonies, not like we are better or anything. but just that we want to share with them something that has blessed us alot and has given us happiness. So pretty much everyday we could help by just sharing a few words of truth.

Oh cool thing that happened to us yesterday was that we had someone that we were trying to visit for weeks already, but she hasnt been home and just yesterday we were able to meet with her. she just got back from san diego because her son was in the hospital and they just got out and came back home. her name is monica. and the way we met her was through a member. and she is awesome. she is such a nice lady, and she was saying that she loves Jesus Christ and everything, you could tell she had a huge belief and so we are stoked to go by and talk with her some more and so that was a cool blessing we got yesterday. but anyways that's all that happened, plus i got to start with those thank you cards and stuff.

THANKS AGAIN for all the cards and gifts.

I love you and hope you guys have a good week

Elder Thomas

Feliz Navidad!

Hey Everybody!

Merry Christmas. shoot i still cant believe that its christmas in a few days. still trying to find a cactus that we could go get and decorate, no luck yet. it was pretty fun this past week because we had all the church parties celebrating christmas. it was sweet too becuase we got to go to two of um becuase we cover spanish and english. But i not gona lie, the Spanish party was way fun haha. i swear they know how to have the fiestas. in the party the branch president turned to us and was like haha could you imagine if they were drinking tequila. man i dont know, but it would be pretty intense if they were. Oh it was pretty cool too becuase his daughter just got back from BYUH. and so we were talking about food and the beach and everything, finally someone knew what i was talking about. someone finally knew what a musubi is. but its lame becuase out here in the desert theres no L&L. we would eat there sometimes back in my old areas. so no hawaiian food.. no wait i lied. there is this one lady in the english ward that is from hawaii haha oh man she is hilarious, she reminds me of grandma. Bishop introduced me to her and i saw her before and said hi and everything but didnt know she was the sister from hawaii. so i was just standing there and she comes behind me and wacks me in the back, then she was ike, eh you bettah watch out, i didnt know you were from hawaii. it was funny. so we talked a little bit, shes from mililani side. oh yeah there is actually a bunch of people out here who knew hawaii, becuase they have been there before. no matter what though, no body knows where hawaii kai is, jeez i mean we got to talk to these map people over here. tell um to put hawaii kai on the maps in big bold letters.

Oh man i dont know how i forgot this but last week we had a baptism. his name is Jesse. he's 10 years ols. i got some pictures no worries, il send them out as soon as i can. It was a nice baptism. it was funny though kus at first when we were filling up the font we turned all the valves to make it go faster and we head back in to check it after about 30 mintues and we walk in there and its a SUANA. is that how you spell it? im pretty sure thats wrong. SAUNA, i blame it on the spanish learning. but the font was steaming and we thought it was gonna be bad but nothinghappened.it turned out that the water was normal. dont ask me how but it was. so now we at least found out our new workout routine:

1. run around the block

2 Run to the church

3. sit in the font

4 soak up the steam

So next week ill let you know how its going. But good news too. Janelle, not sure if i told you guys about her. but its one of the people we are visiting and teaching. shes doing really good. she was able to come to the baptism. and so that was really good for her, she has her baptismal date for the 7th of january and so far so good. we are stoked! we hope everything goes well.

um lets see what else..

oh spiritual thought, something i was thinking about the other day.. We all know the Gospel changes lives for the better, i mean it helps us out so much, and like as missionaries we tell that to people while we are teaching and so of course they are like yeah i want that i want it. But many people think that it comes as long as we believe and go to church and pray and read scriptures. its true those things help. but i mean its not all. we obtain the blessings of the gospel, like peace and happiness from obeying the commandments becoming more like Christ and obtaining those attributes that he has, love patience and charity, selfless. and when we try to change ourselves to be more like him and when we really live the commandments thats how we experience the blessings. That was just something i was thinking about. but i better head out and play some sports before they head out without me. I love you all and miss you. hope everyone has a good christmas.

Elder Thomas

Sand, sand and more sand

Alright Some Really sweet news! (this will explain the subject)

So i got transferred out to the desert!! about 120 miles from San Diego haha. The town i am in is called Brawley. But yup so this is where i'll be for Christmas, decorating some cactus christmas trees out here. Its so different. it took about 2 hours to get out here in the car. It was a long, long, long drive (see the picture). it was funny becuase you get to the end of santee the last city and then you drive for about 1 hour and something more haha.. There is like nothing out here, it's a cool place. Funny thing though is that we cover a spanish branch and a English ward, but we are only on bikes so we can't go to the others places because there are outer towns, so the other elders cover it kus they got the car. And guess what... they drive a mini van. i was stoked, kus as everyone knows, i drove that beautiful red surfer mini van back home, but i dont get to drive it yet, maybe i'll get switched to that area one day, so i can teach um how to really drive a van. So anyways, right now i am pretty much an english elder, which is way fun. something different, i can actually talk without thinking first in my head.. .alright haha that didn't sound that good but yeah i like it. My new companion is from New Jersey. eastern states, another comapnion opposite coasts baby! His name is Elder Avalos. his parents i think are from Guatemala. but he doesn't know alot of spanish surprisingly, still more than me, but different from a full on native speaker. He is a pretty huge guy. He weighs more then you dad, he is about 250. he is super nice too. people told me before that he is a really quiet guy, but ever since i got here, its not that true. he is a little but not that much. but no complaints from me. So i am glad kus at first i was like shoot, i won't have anyone to talk to, l will have to make up some imaginary friends. but everything is good haha.

So lets see ... what else. We got a baptism coming up this next week, his name is Jesse. he is ten years old. and he's excited for his baptism. cool kid. his whole family are members and they just moved down here from washington. oh and then we are teaching this muchacha, her name is janelle. she loves the church, she was invited by her friend who is a member, and we are going to stop by her house tonight and teach her some more and hopefully set her up with a date pretty soon. She's awesome, she has been reading and praying and attending church activies and institute so she's going pretty quick, so we hope she gets baptized. lets see, oh i got my resource for the latest updates to the eagles. its this brother from the ward. we went to go visit them and i saw the little eagles license plate, BAM instant friend right there, really cool brother. we helped them put up some lights and we are going to go teach his friend hopefully this week.

Oh yeah another reason why Christmas is the best! People need help putting up lights. easy service opportunity. its so sweet. we can just help people and be able to get to know them and build some trust with them, so they know we aren't just robots or anything. this one lady, she is hilarious she is an investigator of the other elders. She goes all out. i got to send you picture of this stuff. super crazy. and she said her inspiration for putting up lights and decorations this year was from genesis 1:29. She puts trees up and everything. but we read the scripture thinking it would have something to do with light. but it wasnt. i read it like 10 times trying to figure out what it meant haha but still have no idea maybe you guys will know but anyways i got to head out. I love you all. hasta la vista!

Elder Thomas