Christmas and More

Hello,

I would first like to apologize for the lack of letters in the last couple of weeks. We were not given time to email home before Christmas and I used the next opportunity I had to talk to my family back at home. I hope you can forgive me! I will try to cover as much as I can in this little amount of time, but I wont be able to cover it all. I bet it was colder for Christmas where you are than where I am! I think this is the first time I have been relentlessly sweaty during the most wonderful time of the year! Since I last wrote you, I have spent 11 days with an 18 year old from the State of Sao Paulo. His name is Malcom and he´s got a part of Brasil and a part of America in him. He was born in the US when he was zero :P and then he moved to Brasil when he was 6. His dad is from Brasil and his mom is from the US. They speak English in the house and Portuguese outside it. SO hes pretty much both. He likes video games, Magic cards, eating, and scripture mastery. Pretty much a perfect match for me!

He had a really hard time talking to people originally and did not know the lessons so I tried to train him while finishing my original training! It was exciting and fun and we worked hard. For Chirstmas, we had a preparation day and ate at a member´s house who had done a foreign exchange program in the US. And she knows how to cook! We had turkey, ham, and roast beef and it was delicious. After that, we just hung out in our house and ate candy and opened our Chirstmas packages. It was relaxing, but really enjoyable.

Elder Zach went home at the end of the transfer and my current companion is now Elder Corbitt. I am 3 for 3 on American companions :) Every companion I have had thus far have been specifically sent to teach and help me with some part of the work. I grew so much with Elder Bybee and Elder Zach and I am really excited to work with Elder Corbitt as well. Elder Bybee showed me how to work hard and what one needs to do to have success as a missionary and a leader. Elder Zach taught me how to help someone else and how to be atonomous. Elder Corbitt is a great missionary because he really cares about the people and wants to teach exactly what will help and investigatpr instead of just going through the routine. He wants them to be converted which is great! He is from Arizona and only has three months left. I guess I will become the missionary serial killer (to kill is to be someone´s companion when they end their mission). He wants to work hard and his style is diffent from those who I have worked with in the past so I should learn alot.

New Years Eve may have been the worst of my life. It was a slow day because ever one in the street was either under the influence or a child, and things got a little crazier later at night so we had to go inside `o´ We still have to go to bed on time, but I set an alarm for 11:58 and then went to bed at 12:01. I whispered ´´Happy New Years´´ to myself and gently tapped one pot against another. I then went back to sleep. YEAH!

When I was finishing my first week with Elder Zach and we were heading back home, I had a really special experience. We were less than one minute away and we needed one more contact to reach our goal for that week. I remember so vividly just silently praying with all the earnesty of my heart that we could just find an elect, that we could just find someone who would listen to our message, who needed to listen to our message. I finished this quite plee and just as I finished we were about to cross the street when we ran into a man at the corner. We explained who we are and why we are here and asked if we could pray with him and meet with him later to talk more about our message. He later related to us that he had never walked down that street before in his life, that he had just felt to try it. He told us that he was searching for a way to change his life, that he was looking for guidance. He has read more of the Book of Mormon in a short period of time than any other person I have ever thus taught and is now preparing for baptism. He has more to go and more to do, but he was an immediate answer to my ferverent prayer. Ask and recieve, knock and it will be opened unto you. Hope you guys have set some good goals and work to reach them and have a great week.

Come on really,
Elder Healy