PROSPERO ANO NUEVO!

Feliz Navidad, Thelin Clan, and Prospero Ano Nuevo as well! Ha, you're right, we need to figure out how to use these 40 minute phone calls talking about things other than cashing checks and such, ha, not fair, in the Provo mission they get an hour and a half--we ate dinner with a family waiting for a phone call! Ah well, such is life. Lets see, Christmas, we... left at 10 am with our zone leaders to North Salt Lake (last point in our mission, exits for the Salt Lake Airport..... point of temptation for all missionaries there) and all the Spanish missionaries in the south here ate breakfast with a former mission president from Honduras. Amazing mansion house, it was literally on top of the mountain, amazing how they stack houses up there. Beautiful. Good breakfast, then we all headed over to a stake center and played indoor soccer for a few hours, where I became awesome at soccer (not really - my 4th time) and then came back, stopped by and sang carols with people from the branch, convinced a family to let us over for dinner ( our planned families cancelled, lame!) and played Uno with the branch President - hard to explain Killer Uno in Spanish (tiene que pegar el frente con la mano y luego las tarjetas... btw, when someone calls "uno" and you are actually playing in Spanish, its a lot harder to recognize... just kinda sneaks in...) So yeah, good Christmas! Weird, tradition in the Spanish culture is to have all the family and such over on Noche Buena, or Christmas Eve, and all the parties, and then at midnight everyone opens presents and sits around talking till like 4 am. Christmas Day there aren't so much presents and stuff, just sleeping till 2 and leftovers... I like our tradition, the both days are sweet...


As for the rest of the week... well, Saturday's highlight was getting pulverized at a door. Looking for Spanish people, and we talked to these two American girls, and asked if they'd ever read the Book of Mormon... they came OUTSIDE in the 20 degree artic cold, cornered us on their porch, and began to battle, like in battle stance, for 45 minutes! We just stood there, them pushing their fingers in our faces, attacking - smiling, but creepy smiling - telling us this and that, ("LOOK at you, in your suits, your nice buildings - Jesus walked in rags!") Sheesh. We kept trying to bear testimony and they just kept laughing, saying "that's what all the missionaries say, you're all following a script." Duh, that's what we say, cause its TRUE. Probably the worst contact of my mission, we kept trying to leave, but man, they wouldn't let us. "Why aren't you looking happy? I'm happy. You just look cold and unhappy. That's cause you're telling lies." Ok. Done. Just wanted to vent. We were pretty frustrated after that. That night we went home and read Jeffrey R Holland's talk from conference. Felt the Spirit. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. The Spirit is sent of God - God wants us to trust Him and listen to that Spirit. By it we may be guided into all truth, and know the truth of all things.  I know that it is true, because I've knelt down, and sincerely prayed about it. And in quiet moments, the Spirit of God  has come and peacefully whispered it is true, filled me with comfort and guidance, helped me make the right choices and strengthen me from the wrong. I know it is true, and I'm not just saying it because I'm a missionary following some script! The Spirit of God testifies that Jesus Christ lives, that we must keep His commandments, that God is our Father, the Book of Mormon is in very fact the word of God together with the Holy Bible, that Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet of God, and this Church is the Kingdom of God on the earth with authority, power, and inspiration of God. I know that is true, and even if others can't grasp it, it is true.

Jeffrey, don't split your head open. Forgot to tell you that on the phone... I LOVE the electric blanket, Dad. That is amazing. Once again, Dad is right. Everyone loves the Kalimba! Culpeper ward is amazing, the box was awesome. Magura family, thanks for the Virginia calendar! I've been trying to help people understand what they are missing back east... and the cookies rock! Thank you Farrells! The tie, the cd's (perfect, Joey and Steven, they are both sweet), everything was awesome - thank you!! Thank you all who sent things, I felt the love, and wish you all a merry Christmas!! Well, family, merry Christmas to all! Thank you for everything. I've felt your love a ton - this Sunday in Elders Quorum we talked about our families, and how sadly many people don't tell them they love them often enough - one man broke down crying, his mother passed away recently and he never had told her that he loved her. So, I love you all! Mom and Dad, I'm so appreciative of everything you've done for me, for loving me and trying to guide me in my life, taking time for me and being so awesome. I love you both! Jeffrey, you're a browski. Love ya. Heidi and Holly and Amy, love you all! Ok thats enough. But seriously, we have such a great family, and I'm so glad. Thank you for everything. Happy New Years! Be safe and have fun!

Love, Elder Thelin

PS The gang was entering the iceberg when...