Friday, January 2, 2015

FELIZ NAVIDAD A LA MEJOR FAMILIA DEL MUNDO!!! Dec. 22, 2014

FELIZ NAVIDAD A LA MEJOR FAMILIA DEL MUNDO!!! Hey guys I love you so much and can't wait to see you in a few days!! Won't waste time on the small talk, we´ll have time for that. I will be calling you guys around 930 am YOUR time if that is alright. Cant wait!!
Oh my heck....This week has been one of the most amazing weeks of my entire life! Like you know, Tuesday at 4:30 in the morning our zone of 28 missionaries heading down to montevideo and we got there at about noon. Super fast actually. But when we got there we had a training from President Smith about fasting and personal covenants, which absolutely enlightened me. Something that I honestly didn't know too much about and that helped me understand so much better. After that we went and had a huge amazing american lunch prepared in the mission home and stuffed ourselves to begin our fast for the next day. After lunch Elder Toledo and I gave our training for the zone which I felt like went very well. We are really just trying to help the missionaries here get working like never before! After us, the APs trained as well, so it was basically an information overload. During the APs, we had interviews with President Smith, and it honestly always blows me away when I can talk to him and I learn a ton and come out ready to take on the whole world. At the end of the day we were committed to use our fast to make a personal covenant with God. Something between Him and me. It was a great experience and I felt immediately the answer for me. We stayed the night in the Hostel, and it was really nice to sleep with AC, I enjoyed it thoroughly;) Then early in the morning we went into the temple as a zone and all went to do the work for our ancestors. Everyone had one name, and it was honestly one of the most spiritual experiences ever. Elder Toledo did the baptism for me, then turned around and I did the baptism for him. Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery style. Then we did the confirmations for each other as well. President Smith baptized all the Hermanas, and then we helped with the confirmations. Being able to participate with temple ordinances is one of the best things ever. We were then able to go do the other ordinances for our ancestor. We were in the temple for probably seven hours, and it was absolutely amazing to be able to participate in the work of salvation, and the Temple truly is the house of the Lord. How lucky we are to have one so close. We left the temple and had another huge lunch and saw the zone of Colonia where Dio is still ZL and it was awesome to see him and Elder Harbold! After lunch we had a little Christmas meeting with presidents family where there was a gift exchange, and we sang songs, then at the end each got a big ol stocking from President Smith and his wife, that we can't open until Christmas, but I'm really pumped for it! Then we rode seven hours back home. But honestly the best trip of my life!! 
So because of that trip there wasn't much time for work this week because we were also had practices for our Christmas program for Sunday. We have been working on this choir for over a month and it was going so good. We went to the two major plazas to sing and invite people, and one of the people in charge of the city was out there and invited us to the Rivera Christmas choir night which is tomorrow I think and we are still waiting to hear a final word on that one, but would be sooo awesome!! But anyway right in the middle of this beautiful week, on Saturday afternoon we were hit by a huge storm that wrecked some serious damage here. It was nearly tornado like winds and rain for about thirty minutes straight, and we were fighting the water flooding into our house. I was outside soaked trying to unclog the pipe that drains the water out of our back patio while Elder Adasme that lives with us was pushing the incoming flood of water outside. We eventually got it figured out, but it was really a crazy little phase. We called all the missionaries who were fine thank goodness, then put on service clothes and went around checking up on everyone and making sure they were fine and helping them out with anything. On the main road into Santa Isabel there are huge trees and three were completely blown over cutting the power lines up to the neighborhood and the water for some people as well. It was all thankfully taken care of very quickly, and at the end of the night we had light again. In the morning we had church without light, and then we went and had almost everything that could have gone wrong go wrong while we were getting ready for the program that Elder Toledo and I were in charge of, but like usual, everything went through alright. It was a great program and everyone loved it!! Really felt such a strong Christmas spirit! 
With all of that finally done, today was our Pday to watch movies, and we watched Frozen! One year later I was finally able to see it and I loved it!!!! This week Elder Toledo had a type of MRI in Brazil, today he goes back to another doctor, and next monday goes back to another MRI. The system here is absolutely terrible. I feel so bad that it is so hard to get this taken care of. The poor guy is suffering every day but still works like a champ. This week is going to be great and I cant wait to see you guys!!! We are going to be with a couple of families Christmas eve and Christmas day, so we will be well taken care of. I cant wait to see you guys!!!!!!!!
Todo mi amor,
Elder Degn.








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