Christmas in Bucaramanga

Hola Familia,
Well it was a VERY good Christmas in Colombia. Ha, it never really felt like the same kind of Christmas as at home, because it was very hot the whole day, but it was a very good experience. On Christmas Eve and Christmas day our Mission President said that we were supposed to have regular days of tracting, but also they told us if we got invited we could go to visit member families. We tried at the start of the day on the 24th to do some contacts and get some lessons in but it was very clear that everyone was going to be partying all day and night. We taught a few lessons with investigators that were already confirmed and then visited member families.

On Christmas Eve night, we went to a big park called the Concha Acoustica with lots of shrubbery and trees and animals walking around. I got some pretty good pictures and it was nice to relax and just think about Christmas. After that we got invited for a Christmas dinner with a member lady. She made what they call a tamale although I think it’s different then the tamales we know. I think it had pork inside some kind of wrap. I guess it’s a Christmas specialty. Our President told us that we could stay up on Christmas Eve just as long as we turned the lights out because everyone parties and does fireworks and plays music all night. We got home and my companion was dead tired so he went to bed. I decided to stay up with the Zone leaders on the roof deck of our building and wait for the fireworks and everything at midnight for Christmas.

Before that I made some hot chocolate and the mashed potato mix you sent and decided to read in the Bible the story of the first Christmas. It was very cool to have a Christmas where I wasn’t thinking about presents or any of that and be able to think about the Lord and all the great blessings that I have. After that I went up on the roof with the Zone Leaders and we just chilled and talked etc. and waited out the fireworks that everyone does at midnight. It was definitely unlike any Christmas I have ever had, but a very good experience. My companion was awakened by the fireworks, so he came up and watched a little and we finally got to bed about 1:00.

At 6:30 A.M. we were back up and we did our study and the normal stuff. Ha I got a little gift from one of the members. It was a bottle of cologne. I opened it on Christmas morning but that was it. I had already opened your parcels last week. Christmas day was ridiculously hot. We left and tried to do contacts and found that the entire city was either dead asleep from drinking and dancing all night or else sitting on the curb still drinking. Ha we tried to do contacts for about 2 hours and no one was up and the streets were completely empty.

Here the tradition is that on Christmas Eve they have a big dinner at about 11:00 at night and at 12 midnight they open presents if they have any. Then they dance or just stay up and talk all night and listen to blaring music.

But anyway, Christmas day we ended up visiting all the members that had invited us. I've never eaten so much in my life. I think I had 5 full meals after 1:30. It was very humbling to see how they celebrated. The majority of the homes I went into didn’t have Christmas presents under the tree. For a lot of the families it isn’t even a thought that they will have presents. We visited one member sister who just had a bag of special Christmas crackers and cookies for her and her son for their Christmas. Anyway, my first Navidad away from home was very good. I am very humbled by these special people.

As far as Friday and Saturday, we were very busy trying to get everything organized for the marriage and baptism of Noira and Nelson. It was a very busy day of taking taxis all over the city to get it all done, but it was worth it. It was quite a challenge to get them ready and out the door to the Notaria (where you get married in a civil service). Ha, a lot of the people just don’t understand what “on time” is. But we got them there and they had a very humble marriage in the office with the family around and a few other missionaries. It was very nice.

After that we squeezed in a few lessons and then it was time to get ready and do the baptism. I baptized Noira and my companion baptized Nelson. It is REALLY rewarding to see how much the gospel changes people’s lives and a great feeling to see someone get baptized. Also the Zone leaders had two sisters who got baptized.

They introduced us to them one day at the chapel and the little sister (13) wanted me to baptize her so I baptized her as well. Ha I had to do it twice because her foot came out of the water. That was very cool to be able to baptize her as well.

The other day, for a Christmas present, I offered to take Elder Amador out to an Italian restaurant that is near our apartment. I had "fettuccine alfredo" (although it wasn’t like Olive Gardens or moms) and lasagna for him. We had big ice creams for dessert.

Today on our Prep day, we have been looking around some large stores etc. and ha-ha I bought a jersey of the Colombian national soccer team for 5 dollars from some street vender. That will be a very good souvenir.

Well I hope all is well at home and that everyone had a Merry Christmas. Much love to everyone and thanks for everything.
Feliz Cumpleaños! Will