So there are a pretty good amount of things that have happened, and I'm bad at organizing, so this email will probably be really random!
Day To Day:
Music opportunities: Our English class had a Christmas activity. It was really good. We watched a video about the birth of Jesus Christ and then everyone sang "Silent Night" in English together. We were planning to have the activity in the chapel and I would play the opening hymn on my horn and my companion would play piano with me, but we had to move into a different room that didn't have piano, so I had to play the opening hymn all alone. But it was okay. One of the assistants and I played a French Horn/Cello duet. We played an arrangement of "Silent Night" that I wrote. We played at the ward Christmas dinner. We played it and another hymn from the hymnbook as prelude music. After the meeting part, while people were eating, I kept playing my horn. Eventually, a lady who is a daughter of some members in my ward came up to me and said she wanted to play piano with me. So we played together on some primary songs. The bishop walked by and at one point later he asked us to play the prelude music before church the next day, so we did. Also at zone conference, the assistant and I played our duet. I think we did better at the ward. Also at zone conference, my zone sang "Away In A Manger". I sang the first verse in English as a solo, and then everyone came in on the second verse in Portuguese (I didn't know the words so I just hummed) and then I joined in with my horn on the third verse. I´m grateful for the many music opportunities I've been receiving!
The Monkeys: We met a lady who feeds wild monkeys every day. It's really cool. She goes up to specific areas and whistles, and a bunch of little monkeys just appear. It isn't something I have really ever seen before.
VIP Club: I feel like a VIP because my mission president invited me and my companion, the AP´s, and the secretaries to his house on Christmas Eve. I´m really excited to go there.
VIP Club: I feel like a VIP because my mission president invited me and my companion, the AP´s, and the secretaries to his house on Christmas Eve. I´m really excited to go there.
BOM?: A while ago, my companion and I were messing around and we kept saying "Bom?" (which means, "good?") in a really nasally tone. It's like a way people greet each other sometimes. I was outside doing laundry and he startled me through the window right in front of me by popping up and saying, "Bom?". A few minutes later, I noticed one of the bathroom lights turn on. For some reason I assumed it was my companion. So, I went over there, popped up in the window, and said "BOMM??" Imagine my embarrassment when I saw the startled face of one of the assistants, and not my companion, standing there!
Cool and Spiritual Things:
Christmas Zone conference: At the Zone conference, we had some surprises for President and Sister Marsh. At the end, Elder Gochnour got up to bear his testimony and received a phone call (from Elder Gomes, the other assistant) and Gochnour said, "What? A video? Hmm okay." Then he opens a video that has a bunch of the missionaries listing reasons they love President and Sister Marsh. By the way, the conference happened over 2 days. The first day had half the missionaries, and the second day had the other half. I was there on the second day, so President and Sister Marsh already knew about that surprise, but we had others. After the video, Gochnour bore his testimony and while doing so, he said, "We have learned how to have peace in Christ." Then we started a flash mob singing "Peace in Christ." It was really funny, because when Gochnour said "Peace in Christ," Elder Barragan (being from Mexico) let out a classic Mexican cheer/scream (startling President and Sister Marsh) and then got up and played the introduction on his guitar for the song. After the song, we all sat down and another video started. It was a video montage that had pictures of President and Sister Marsh showing how their mission came to be, and it includes a video of them opening their call. Part way through the video, "Called To Serve" started playing. When it finished, we all stood up and sang the third verse (which was written for the Brazil Campinas Mission). They gave all the missionaries a gift. The gift was a wooden box with a burned engraving of the mission logo. Inside the box was a metal keychain of the mission logo. The lunch they gave us was also really good. It really felt like Christmas! The Conference was very spiritual.
I want to invite you all (like I kind of mentioned in my introduction) to make this Christmas special. I know that you can all have an amazing spiritual experience this Christmas. Here are some of my ideas. Read the entire book of Luke. It isn't very long. If you do so, you will feel the Spirit of Christ with you. Pray every day that this Christmas will bring miracles. Have faith and act on it. Grow your faith through prayer and study of the scriptures. Make this Christmas about giving to others. Help others feel the joy that you feel. I promise that as you do these things and as you try to make this Christmas stand out, you will see so many blessings. I love you all and hope you have a great week! Email me some of your ideas on how you will make Christmas special!
Elder Tolen
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