Welcome to December!!! :O

Greetings from the Land of a Sunny, Warm Christmas!!!  (or as they say here, Navidad)

CHRISTMAS

Wow, this week welcomes in the month of Christmas!!!  But I probably won't be dreaming of a white one.  Ajusco is in the mountains of Mexico City, so it does get colder here than in other parts of the City, but I'm still wearing short sleeves most of the days.  Occasionally a sweater.   The members say that every year they see snow on the peak behind our houses, and every few years they see snow in the village of Ajusco, but from what I can tell, their understanding of snow is really more like frost.  ;) 

Elder Mayoral and I had the idea of making a Christmas tree this year, since we won't be able to buy one or cut one down.  We bought wire and green paper to fashion into branches and my comp wants to use our plunger as the base and trunk.  We'll see how it turns out when we're done with it.  :D   

BRANCH PRIMARY PROGRAM

Yesterday was the Branch Primary Program and I saw more people in the House of Prayer than I have ever seen before!!!  Our branch has about 20 active members that come every week.  Yesterday I counted 78 people during Sacrament Meeting!!!  We had to use 3 different rooms in the house to fit everyone and we put chairs in the hallway as well!!!  Not everyone could see the children, but I feel like they still enjoyed it. :)  Children have a very special Spirit.  And I believe that all the adults can watch them and think of themselves as the little, innocent children they once were and laugh at the funny things tney do and say.  The children bring many more people to the church on Sunday than the missionaries can alone.  :)

WEEKLY RUNDOWN

This week I'll try to summarize each day of the week to give you a run-down:

Tues:  We worked hard all day long and taught 5 lessons.  One of our investigators, Ximena Flores, has seemed to lack a little bit of interest or motivation recently.  So we taught about temples to try and help her.  She showed more interest than I've seen in her in a long time!  She told us that she wants to take her family and go to the Visitors Center to see and learn more!  I know that the Temple is the House of the Lord!

Wed:  We searched all day for less-active members of the branch.  I found many streets I had never visited in my time here.  And we found the houses of some of the members!  A large part of missionary work is working with less-active members as well.  And the greatest way to help them is to give them a friend in the ward/branch.  So go find yourself a friend and go to church with them!  :)

Thurs:  Weekly planning session and more lessons.  We found two new investigators!

Fri: Zone Conference with President Mecham!  I love Zone Conferences!  I always leave feeling so inspired and uplifted to rededicate all of my life to the church!  President has been focusing a lot on that he wants every area in the mission to teach 40 lessons every week, 20 of which to be lessons to an investigator accompanied by a member.   It is vital that we teach this many lessons so that we can really teach Everyone and find those that are ready to receive the gospel in their lives!  It is a large goal, but every week, my area has been improving and I'm determined that we can do it.   We also did an activity where people with blindfolds had to blow up a balloon, pick up a pencil, sharpen it and pop your balloon.  There were people tempting you to walk the wrong way and get you lost, and also people to help you.  I was one of the missionares that was blindfolded.  It represented that to blow up a balloon is to put a baptismal date, but even after this, there is still work to do to pop the balloon and get baptized.  We have to include the members in the work so that our investigators can have more guides to help them.

Sat:  We did an Area Attack in Topilejo.  President Mecham came up with the idea of Area Attacks, when we send the entire zone of missionaries to one area and we all go out with the members and contact as many less-active members as we can in a few hours.  When the zone leader was putting the companionships with members, he told one members, I'm going to put you with the two best missionares, Elder Jarrett and Elder Mayoral, everyone else in the zone was still standing there and heard it and all said, "Heeeyyyy".  Hahaha, it was funny.  And the whole experience was very cool!

Sun:  Primary Program and another Area Attack in San Pedro.  I went on divisions (left my companion and went with members) with the Stake President and his wife!  Again, we were able to find and motivate and help more less-active members and I was able to meet and spend the night teaching with the Stake President!  :)

Well, until next week!  I love you all!

Elder Jarrett