Saturday we had another branch Christmas activity for the other Elders branch. We sang Christmas songs and did another Samuel the Lamanite skit to entertain everyone. I have really enjoyed all the Christmas food that has been everywhere we go these last couple of weeks. Some of my favorites are pastels, which are pretty much the same thing as tamales. They only make them around Christmas time though. Around Christmas everybody makes sorrel juice, which is also very delicious.
Larel came to church yesterday and is doing very well. She will be having the interview this week and the baptism should be this Saturday.
Just yesterday we had a spiritual experience. We were teaching a wonderful lady we met a week or so ago on the street. Her name is Dale. She was just walking past the two of us pretty quickly and we felt that we should just kind of yell out to her, after she had kind of already walked past. Before we had even shared anything about the Restoration she was telling us that she wants us to come by her house and talk to her. She is such a humble woman, who has trouble reading since she never went to school when she was younger. Yesterday, the second time that we taught her she told us that she doesn't EVER tell anybody about her reading issue because she's a little embarrassed about it, but she said she felt to trust us. Just two weird American guys that she's talked to for about an hour of total time. How can one have such trust in two strange guys they barely know, unless they are servants of God? She hasn't recognized us as just anybody but as messengers of the truth. She really opened up to us and told us that she has always known that God has something more in store for her, but she is waiting for and praying for it. We testified that this is what she is looking for and that the Restoration is what God has sent her. I'm so thankful that God loves us enough to give us weaknesses so that we can be humble as she is. Humble enough to see our complete dependence on God, It makes me so sad to see so many people that aren't so humble, who shrug off the Restoration, or even revile it. Every day we meet people like that, unfortunately, and so I'm so grateful for the humbling work of weaknesses and equally grateful for the power the Savior has to strengthen those weaknesses if we are willing to not be lifted up in the pride of our hearts. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that he can heal us if we will be humble enough to seek Him. That's what Christmas is about, as well as giving and sharing that knowledge and love with everyone we can.
I hope you all have a very merry Christmas full of joy. Yesterday we had a mission-wide Christmas devotional, so to say. Sister Baird shared some thoughts with us about Joy, which is not the same thing as fun, which is what is often confused in today's world. Jesus Christ is the Joy of the world.
Elder Porritt
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