It's that time of the year - 12/10/12

Happy Holidays everyone! I'm enjoying my time here in Murrieta. It's a little bit colder here, but it still doesn't feel much like winter. It is actually cold enough for me to wear a sweater or a suit coat without being hot. So that's something, right?

There are so many names to remember and I don't know a third of them. But, as of tomorrow, I will have been a missionary for 8 months. That's a third of my mission gone already. How does that feel? I am a bit shocked to be honest. I still have no idea what I'm doing. But I've been involved in a lot of good teaching and made a lot of good friends.

Speaking of which, I forgot to tell you guys that I had a baptism last week. My very first week in the ward, and we baptized 7 children in a part-member family. How cool is that? This family has been inactive in the church for a long time, until my companion tracted into them and started teaching them. I showed up just in time to get them interviewed and see them a couple times before they got dunked. It was a marvelous service. It was also the first baptism in the Cole Canyon ward since it was organized in March. It was amazing to see it happen. Obviously, it wasn't as special to me, because I hardly knew the family, but it was still great to see it.

I've discovered again how small the LDS world is. Apparently one of David Parry's (friend from home ward in S.C.) home teachers at BYU lives in my ward. The Zone Leaders live at the Perkins' home in the middle of Bear Creek, a super nice gated community with golf courses and multimillion dollar homes in it. Yeah, that's the kind of people that live in my wards. It's a major change of pace.

Also, a missionary that served her mission in South Carolina lives in Murrieta, I heard from another Elder in my zone, and she remembers serving in my ward while I was a ward missionary. That's a bit scary for me because I can't remember what she looks like, and I know I was probably a super slack ward missionary. It's a bit embarrassing especially now that I'm on the other side and I understand how frustrating that can be. (Brooke Beckstrom. Anyone remember her?)

Probably the most shocking is when I made super good friends with a guy and his wife, only to discover that the wife served her mission with my brother in the newly formed New Mexico Farmington mission. Then after we moved out, I discovered that his dad and my dad were childhood friends. I still can't get over that. I'm turning into my Grandma Hansen and how excited she gets over little connections like that. (No, I don't think they went to East High.)

Well I hope all is well with you guys wherever you are! Know that I love you and that I'm going to be just peachy here.

This week I discovered a scripture that covers the same bases as three of my favorite scriptures: D&C 68:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:16, and D&C 122. All covered in the first three verses of D&C 98. Check it out.

Merry Christmas!