I...BORE POWERFUL TESTIMONY THAT REINDEER REALLY DO FLY...

Well Feliz Navidad to all!! I hope everyone had the best Christmas ever. It was so sweet being able to skype you guys and see your beautiful faces and hear your sweet voices...awkward. It definitely made my Christmas. I'm writing today cuz President Risso changed Pday to Tuesday for the New Year. Well this Christmas didn't feel too much like Christmas when it comes to the lights, the music, the trees and all the good atmosphere that Christmas brings. Peru celebrates Christmas a lot differently, Christmas Eve is really the big day for them. They have a big party Christmas Eve and at 12 they set off fire works, eat their big Christmas dinner with turkey, hot chocolate and fruitcake and exchange gifts. The kids don't even believe in Santa Clause. They know the story and who he is but don't believe he's a real person. So I spent all this week preaching of Santa Clause and his little elves, and bore powerful testimony that reindeer really do fly.

haha but seriously.. What impressed me was that not every home had a Christmas tree but the majority had their own homemade nativity. There are many good people here who understand the meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ and his purpose on the Earth. It was a priveledge to focus on the birth of Jesus Christ this week and testify of His life and sacrifice for us. My companion and I also liked to focus on the signs, like the star. The star that led the shepherds and the kings to Christ. In this life there are many people searching for truth, many who want to know Christ and have His gospel in their life but don't know where to find it. As members of His Church, we are like this star, as we strive to share the Gospel with our friends or even just live every day trying to be more like the saviour, people will know Christ through us and we will have the opportunity to bring them this joy. 

Well Thursday we had a great experience with Aurelia. We brought a member and he bore powerful testimony about baptism and how her daughter (who has a mental handicap) does not need baptism cuz she is innocent. After conversing with her for an hour and a half and bearing testimony she told us she wanted to be baptized this Saturday. The spirit was strong and I was so excited that she had finally made this decision in her life, but her interview came Friday and we found out that there are still a few things she needs to work on before she is baptized. She has a decision to make but she tells us that she still has a strong desire to be baptized. We have many other investigators that are progressing and could potentially be baptized this January! Unfortunately, I might not be able to see them cuz changes are coming up and I think I'm out of here. 

Well I better get going but thanks everybody for the love support, letters and candy that you give me haha. keep it coming.. my Spanish skills are decreasing but I'm already pro at the harmonica.

Love,

Elder Harper