Feliz Navidad Indeed

What a cold and wintery week! It has been pretty cold and icy. There are a few stories about ice, that's for sure. It didn't get below 20 degrees Fahrenheit while we were out and about, which was surprising. It probably got to 8 or 10 degrees while we were sleeping though.

 

 

On the 23rd, the roads froze over with a thick layer of ice! The public ones were slushy, but apartment parking was frozen badly. We accidentally hit three cars as we went to park--even with the brakes being pushed to the max! I freaked out, but we had a good laugh. Thank goodness there was no damage to those cars. We walked around on the frozen water and had fun too.

 

 

We had a temple trip with all the missionaries in the mission on Thursday, and it was so special. I love it every time.

 

 

Later that day, we had the mission's first Christmas conference; it had numerous Christmas musical numbers, speakers, and--of course--food. It gave me a new perspective on how Christmas feels as a missionary--about others and the Savior, not me. I loved how that's what I felt about all of it! 

 

 

On Friday (same day as the icy chaos), we had another new missionary training. I learned a lot of new tips for helping my companion and how to find solid people more effectively. I sure enjoyed it.

 

 

On Christmas Eve, we made cookies so that we could give them to various friends. I'm glad that we have a great group of missionaries in Renton because we get along pretty well. 

 

 

On Christmas Day, we sang Christmas songs in Spanish for our ward choir during church. I felt the Holy Ghost testify of Christ's real life. I was happy to see two of our investigators there at church listening to the message of peace from Him. After church, I opened presents with my family over video call and had a great celebration. I had a great time when we ate dinner with a member. We had a really good dish called posole, with spicy hot sauce and all. We shared a message about the Holiday and we felt our Navidad was well spent. 

 

 

I know Christmas is special because of the way the world was changed forever when Jesus selflessly gave Himself for us--in the eternal sense. I feel His love, and I hope you all do too. Let us strive to be more like Him as we start a new year. 

 

 

I love you all, just like I love my mission experiences!!

Elder Talmage Jones 

 

 

Photos of the week:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/L1zXfg4Lf6nmMYrt7
























Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bothell Stake Conference

Image
My highlight of the week was our Bothell Stake Conference! We had an amazing speaker named Elder Schmitt. I loved it! For our Sunday session, my companion and I translated into Spanish. It was hard but fun! This week was hard. We are doing a lot of finding, and we are hoping to find those who are ready to receive Jesus Christ and commit to Him. Please pray for Eli, Josue, Jorge, Maria, Fabiola, and Yormi. They have potential for coming to church and being open to baptism. That's about it for now. Adiós! Elder Jones
Read more

Enumclaw Is Way Too Cool!

Image
Not sure how many of you know how thrilled I am to be serving in this area called Enumclaw, but now you do! It's a small town, and I am soaking up each day. Old trucks and a nice view of Mount Rainier are so amazing to me. I got to explore more this week when I went on "exchanges" (24 hours with another missionary). I went to Buckley on Wednesday, and then Orting on Friday. I loved these areas too! Our branch is so close-knit! It makes a difference for us as missionaries. I'm glad we've gotten to know leaders in our branch so that they know we care. We had an activity in our church parking lot involving food and water activities, including stuff with water balloons. It was a great opportunity to see members and nonmembers. We are finally getting to teach some people, which is exciting. These people are named Alex and Miriam. The trickiest part is always working around busy work schedules. We are praying that these people will make time for God by ultimately meetin...
Read more

We Work Hard Here In Bothell

Image
Wow. I feel a lot of gratitude. This week has also been spectacular! For each new area that I enter, I don't think I can love it as much as the previous one I served in. I am really enjoying Bothell! Auburn still has a special place in my heart--don't get me wrong. It isn't the place that makes me happy, however. It's the people I'm with and the work I put forth that magnify my testimony and appreciation of God. These marvelous experiences just happen to be in Bothell right now. The title is pretty self-explanatory. Elder Thompson and I work super hard each day, and it brings us happiness and unity. We love our friends and are doing everything we can to guide them to the Savior. I hope you all feel the magnitude of the incredible experiences I'm having as you read them below. Eli is so fun! He is eight years old. His parents are members, but he isn't yet. This family is so kind! When they asked what our favorite snacks were, Griselda, the mother, bought a bo...
Read more