Hey Mom and Dad!!! How are you all doing? We are doing well here in Tepalcingo. Everything has been going really well! Okay, first things first. I am going to be with an hermano named Pablo on Christmas. You're gonna have to call on Christmas day. I can't on Christmas Eve. Sorry, but we can do the speaker phone thing. Okay, the number is: 017351310373. You can call at 2:00 Mexico time on Friday December 25th. It's gonna be the same as when you called me on Mother's day. I don't know if you need a card or anything like that.
We just had an activity on Saturday night. It was a nativity/dinner. It was really successful actually. A lot of members participated and it turned out to be a really spiritual. About 25 people who aren't members came to the activity.
An investigator called Josefina was baptized yesterday. She is so awesome and has made so many changes in the life. Her baptism was the most spiritual I've ever seen. She has had such a hard life, partly her fault, partly not. She struggles with depression and has been angry with God the majority of her life. She's finally made peace with herself and with God. She said in her baptism, "I've been able to see now that God has never left me alone. He was always with me." She was crying when she said that, along with a lot of other members, and her daughters, that are not members. We confirmed her at the baptismal service.
Church was really special yesterday. I sang the song Oh Holy Night as a solo. It was really spiritual yesterday. Heavenly father is blessing Tepalcingo so much!
In gospel doctrine for investigators, we watched a conference talk by Elder Holland that he gave in April about the Savior and how He walked the path of the Atonement completely alone. So many people like it!
Laura is doing well. Her family if completely against her going to church. She is really faithful and wants the best for her life. She needs your prayers too. She's a single mom that is always smiling. She's so awesome!
We had a zone conference on Thursday. It was so great to see four of my old companions in my MTC district. Elder Ence was there. I also saw Elder Matthew and Elder Barnes. They are so great!
President Spannaus interviewed Josefina for her baptism. It was great to spend a little time with him. Josefina arrived a little late to her interview, so we got to talk a little to him. He is such a great person.
I am doing well. We want to have another activity with the members helping them to see the importance of missionary work. Seriously, Mom and Dad, I feel really good. It just seems like I had a down period for a little while. I feel like I'm making my way back to normality. My relationship with Heavenly Father is really strengthening. Today I was in the bus going to Cuautla, and I felt like I could preach a sermon to the people on the bus. And the cool thing here in Mexico, is that they would listen. They want to be closer to God. They are ready to have really faith. Instead of preaching a sermon, I just talked with someone named Jose Luis. In this mission they tell us that we need to contact the people in the street and wherever we are, in less than 30 seconds. REALLY FAST! But it has had results. I talked to him about the church and gave him a Book of Mormon. Missionary work is so easy once you get the hang of it! You guys should talk to everyone too! Seriously, thinking about it there is nothing more important. Look for the elect, or in Spanish, Los escogidos. The elect are those that listen to the voice of the Lord and don't harden their hearts.
I 'm going to follow the West tradition of Secret Santa here in Mexico. I just changed the dollars that I had to pesos, so I've got about 640 pesos now. There is a family that is really needful. The mom is single, and has 4 kids. The oldest is named Luis and is handicapped. He thinks and talks fine, but his little body is mis-shapen. He's twelve and sometimes passes the sacrament. The other ones are rowdy little boys. The last is a time little baby that was born in November. The mom's name is Mayra. I was thinking about buying toys and baby stuff for her. You guys should put the names of the people in this letter on the temple toll. It'll help!
Things are going well. I love you all! Tell everyone "HI" for me. Love, Russell
Elder West
