Our water heater broke about
I hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving Holiday! It is now time to pull out all the Christmas music! My thanksgiving wasn't too different from what I had imagined it would be. I spent it with the Perey family which is a Philippine family that was baptized back in August and whose oldest son I baptized in October. They had lots of family and friends over and there was more food than I've actually ever seen in one place I think. While eating and talking to cousins and uncles and all sorts of people I realized I was the only white person in the room of 35 people for Thanksgiving in California and was hit with a little truth bomb. It was pretty cool though.
Thanksgiving was also awesome because everyone was home! Though no one wanted to schedule us for appointments and lessons we got a hold of some people who have been avoiding us since before I even got here. We built a lot of relationships and gave out a lot of invites and even talked to many many people who were out on the lawn playing some Turkey Bowl Football. We were challenged as a district by our District leader to Tract for a good solid 30 minutes that thanksgiving day. It is NO FUN AT ALL TO TRACT. I hate it cause it usually accomplishes nothing and is extremely awkward. We accepted the challenge though and crashed into families homes having thanksgiving dinner who we had no idea who they were. No amazing stories came out of it other than just some yells of disapproval but we did at least find a potential.
I had also the opportunity this week to go on exchanges with Elder Holmes my Zone Leader. He has been out for just 9 months and is already in such a high leadership position. He is a very kind and thankful Elder and never ever leaves a bad impression with anyone we meet on the street. I learned a lot from him like how it is important that we don't think that there are lessons at all in PMG but just truths people need to understand. We created great lesson plans for people and had an amazing spirit driven study session. We made some good contacts and I am really looking to improve myself especially since I'll most likely loose Elder T in 2 weeks. Elder Holmes had a camera bag that fit his Scriptures perfectly. This morning I went out and bought the same one and am just so happy with it. I now have a small convenient way to carry around things.
I've had some amazing sushi this week with Elder Tetuanui - King of sushi of course being from Tahiti. I will probably miss good sea food like we have here when I go back to Utah.
I'm thankful for the opportunity I have to serve these people in Temecula California. I'm thankful for the great many people who help us in small ways each day. I'm thankful for a loving supporting family at home whom send me letters every week and a patient building companion. I am thankful for a body which is capable of doing so much and a mind that though I think is degrading in spelling, grammar and understanding the world around me is growing continuously in regards to spiritual things. I am thankful for my Heavenly Father's love. For Christ's infinite atonement that allows us to grow and become better people. For his love that I feel every day as I strive to feed his sheep. I am thankful today for the guidance of a living prophet, for the Book of Mormon and for the spirit of truth and promise. It is a marvelous miracle to be on this Earth with so many strong and valiant people who are trying to better themselves and each other and I say so in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, Amen.
It's Christmas Time. I'm going tree hunting.
--Elder Gemperline
p.s. put whatever pictures you want on the blog. I'm just sending back whatever the heck i take.
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