White Santa!

December 22, 2014

Well, I guess I'll write something even though we'll talk on Christmas.  Que cargoso!  [What a pain!]  Anyway, speaking of Christmas, let’s get serious for a second.  The Skype thing is at 2 o’clock my time, so just double check that for gringo time.  But not güero time, because that term started from Mexico, Spencer.  Or maybe beck.  We got half an hour, and we were given instructions to not Skype any girlfriends, so just saying!  Sorry, ladies, but talk to the hand, en serio [seriously]!

I didn’t get as much time as I would have liked to proselyte this week.  We had a multi-zone Christmas conference, and I won’t complain about that.  That was pretty fun.  President showed a great perspective on how great the condescension of Jesus Christ really was.  Our district also got second place on our gingerbread house, even though I ate most of our raw materials.

Then we had to do some last-minute stuff on the rooms opening up in the mission, so I was, excuse my language, a little grumpy that day.  That is until the ward Christmas party that same night, when Bill showed up with his family, and, as promised, came in a Santa suit!  He honestly made the night.  Everyone, the kids and adults, all wanted their picture with white Santa that didn’t speak any Spanish.  In fact, I had to be his translator.  Pretty funny.  So, I have a picture with white Santa and the Covida missionaries.

We finally got the chance to teach Bill and his family a short lesson on Sunday and leave a Book of Mormon.  The language and religious barrier between the two of them (he’s a Baptist, she’s obviously a catholic) has left a strange kind of receptiveness in that house, so they will be coming to church next week!  The only difficulty will be having time to teach, but good stuff!

This week, we will be going with all of the members in our area to go caroling at their neighbors’ houses.  It’s strange, because although it really works well with a member present, it’s a new thing in this culture.  We have to explain what we want to do before we start singing.  It’s gonna be a great week!  Merry Christmas!

Elder Johnson