¡Halo!
This week was pretty awesome. I got to call my family, we had a lot of opportunities to talk to people in the street, and I've also never had a week where more appointments fell through!
A recent convert family has a friend who lives in the same house. Her name is Erika, and she is eager to learn about the Church. I think we will be able to set a baptismal date for her for the 14th. She's already came to Church twice, and she is in a great environment to learn more and comply with our compromises.
We had a few members want to give us food, so that was awesome. The family Bustos we are working with so that we can reactive their two sons, and also just to try and build enough relationship with any members that they'll be willing to help us. They all speak English, Portugués, Spanish, and one speaks Italian. Really cool family.
A family that I really love, is the family of Diego Gonzalez. He has a ton of family, and his Mom runs a nail salon, where only Christian people come. Every time we swing by there is always new people to teach, and they normally accept to have (ANOTHA ONE). They also give us food, and we spent all of today playing soccer with them. Family of six, plus the other people like twenty.
This week was obviously pretty unique in that I was able to witness my first Colombian Christmas, and also my first away from my family! All of the poor people make a huge fire in each street and cook meat and drink beer, and the richer people are inside their houses sleeping. They really celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve, from like 6 pm to 12 am. They party and dance, and at Midnight they eat dinner, and then dance some more til like 3 in the morning. There's also some fireworks, but not much, since it's Illegal in Bogotá.
We also had a six zone Christmas dinner! Salitre, Duitama, Granada, Bogotá, and Dorado all came to a suppppeeeerrr rich area of Bogotá to have a dinner, secret Santa, and all of us performed a skit. Our zone's was super bad, and really embarrassing to be a part of. We had a good time though. I got to see Blair, Karren, and Mooney from my CCM Group, which was awesome.
This week, my testimony is over CHRISTMAS! And more specifically, the way people change in this time, to be more giving, charitable, and more able to feel the spirit of God, and give thanks to Him. The people in Colombia don't have that same spirit as we do in the states, and I just want to give thanks for the 17 Christmas's I had with that spirit. In Moses 7:18, it talks about the people of god, Zion. They have no poor among them, and they dwell in righteousness, with one heart, and one mind. I think that we get the closest as possible to this state during the time before Christmas, and it is a wonderful way to express love and gratitude for our Savior. But what we should do more, is to keep that spirit, and try to apply it to every situation we are in, that we might be able to edify others and warm their hearts, whether the temperature is hot or cold. I'm so happy to be in Colombia serving the Lord, and trying to bring that spirit to his children here.
I hope that all of you have something to write me about, because everybody has stopped emailing me! Three months down, twenty-one left to go. I hope you all have a good week, and set some goals to improve your life, and become closer to the Savior. For me, one of my new year´s goals is to read the Bible, and Book of Mormon in Spanish. We should all read them once again (or for the first time, in English).
I love you all, and I hope that the Lord blesses all of you in your righteous endeavors and goals. See ya in the 2017!
Love,
Elder Connor Tracy
Colombia Bogota North Mission
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