Merry Christmas from Arizona

 

Hello Family and Friends,

How is everyone doing and how was everyones Christmas?  Well I had a wonderful Christmas here in Phoenix.  We woke up at 6:30 am like always and opened gifts in our living room.  It was so great to be with 5 other missionaries opening our presents and seeing what each other got.  Socks were probably the most received gift that we got along with deodorent, towels, and other necessities that we use.  After we got ready and had our personal study time which I studied and read Luke 2 about Christ's Birth.  Then we had a great Christmas Program in Sunrise Mountain Ward.  Great talks and hymns that were sung by the primary and ward choir.  After we headed home where my companion Elder Geren talked to his family back home.  He said that his family is doing great and cannot wait to see him in April when he goes home.  Then we had a lunch at a members house which was great.  They have a daughter that lives in Oahu and they just went to visit the family a week ago and they had a great time.  Then we had another wonderful spiritually uplifting Christmas program in the Apache Park Ward.  It was so great to see 9 investigators come to church on Christmas Day to remember the Birth of Christ and everything he did for us to make Heavenly Father's plan possible to enjoy this earth with family and friends and return to live with him in eternity.  Then we went home and had a fantastic time talking to my family.  It was so great to hear from the family and hear that everyones doing well.  After we had a lesson with a family of 3 that we are teaching and taught them our Heavenly Fathers Plan of Salvation.  It went really well they felt spirit.  Then we had dinner at a members house where they had a few non-member friends so we shared a message about the Birth of Christ and how we are so blessed.  My Christmas was great with spiritual feelings and I am so glad to be here on my mission serving him and sharing this wonderful gospel with others so they can be blessed and live with their families for eternity.
 
Well that was my first Christmas in the mission field.  My past week was also great.  We met some wonderful people and got a few investigators this week.  Tuesday, we did tracking and visited some less active members.  Wednesday we had a great lesson with Jenna and then we gave her a church tour and read the Book of Mormon with her.  Then we taught a short lesson of the restoration with Emelia.  On Thursday, we had weekly planining, district meeting, and taught the restoration to a member's sister's family.  On Friday, I went on an exchange and we did alot of tracking and had a lesson with Ryan.  On Saturday, we went to a baptism for Bernadette - the sister missionaries investigator which was very spiritual.  I love going to baptisms and witnessing how happy they are after they get baptized.  On Monday, pday we did shopping and had a zone activity that was fun.  Well hope everyone is doing great and hope you all have a Happy New Year till next week take care and love you all.

Love,
Elder Cabral

Aloha Family and Friends,

How's everyone one doing? How's the Christmas Season going back in the Islands? Well for me it has been wonderful here in Arizona.  I had another wonderful week here in the mission field.  On Tuesday, we met with a recent convert Kim to teach her the missionary lessons again.  We tried to teach her the restoration but we ended getting to know her and she talked about how her sister might be interested in the church. So that could be missionary work teaching her sister the gospel.  Then we met with Luis to make sure he was ready to be baptized and answer any questions he had about his baptism.  He was nervous but we told him everything is going to be fine and he would feel good after he is baptized.
 

Wednesday was an amazing spiritual day we had our Christmas Conference.  We met at a stake center with half of the APM missionaries.  We watched some great videos on bicycle safety, Missionary Photos, and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir on the birth of Christ.  We also sang many hymns and listened to some great testimonies by some departing missionaries who are finishing their mission in a few weeks.  It was a very spiritually and uplifting experience.  It was so great to see 4/5 of my MTC District Missionaries that came out to Arizona with me.  I saw 2 elder missionaries that are from the Spanish speaking that came out with me.  I also met a sister missionary from Oahu, Hawaii - Sister Pilimai.  Then we headed to the Mesa Temple and did an endowment session.  I love going to the temple to feel the spirit and the peace that lays in the house of the Lord.  After we walked around the Mesa Temple.  During Christmas time they decorate around the temple with Christmas lights.  It looks so beautiful and many people come out to see it and and listen to the music that they play.
 

On Thursday, we had a great lesson with Jenna an investigator we go referred to by a member.  It went very well as we taught her the plan of salvation and helped her understand about temples and why we do temple work.  The spirit was so strong as we taught her we could tell she felt the Holy Ghost testify to her what we were teaching are true.  We invited her to be baptized and she said that it is the direction she is heading towards but she wants to learn more before she commits.  We are going to meet with her again this week to teach her more.

 

Friday, we went to visit a less active sister to see how she is doing.  A very nice lady that wants to come back to church but is struggling with some health issues.  Then we did some tracking and met a young lady that seemed interested in the church.  We are going to meet with her after the holidays because she is busy right now.  Then I started my 2 day exchange with Elder Vaoga from Samoa.  I went to his area Pleasant Valley, West Wing, and Lake Pleasant.
 

On Saturday, we did some tracking and met some great people but no one was interested but it is still great to share the message so hopefully one day they will feel the spirit.  Then we went to a baptism for my exchange companion investigator Taylor.  It was so wonderful to see her get baptized.  Then we had our investigator baptism for Luis.  His Baptism was also amazing.  He was so happy and it was so funny when he said he did not want to leave the church building and go into the world because it is cruel and he wants to stay clean and pure of sin.  Witnessing their baptism was a wonderful spiritual experience.  That was a great early Christmas gift to see them be baptized.  Then on Sunday,  I went to 3 Sacrament meetings because I was on an exchange and they cover 3 wards.  It was so great to be a part of Taylor's Confirmation of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.  I was so happy to exchange back to my area and get back to riding my bike because I was in a car area because their area is so big.  I rather bike because I meet people on the street and share a message with them plus I get a good exercise.  I love being a missionary it is an incredible spiritually feeling .  Merry Christmas Everyone hope you guys have a great one and remember what Christmas is all about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
 

Merry Christmas,

Elder Cabral