Chchchchanges

Summer may have arrived back at home in California, but here winter has come.  Basically gets down to about freezing every day.  But I packed for this.  I really love my coat, scarf, and gloves right now.

Meet Elder Evelo
My new companion, Elder Evelo, did not pack for the cold. Since he's from Florida, he wasn't expecting such low temperatures here, so he's a little out of his element.

Our lessons this week were a little lackluster because we are still trying to learn how to work as a team. The disappointing part is that I felt like we were teaching lessons, not people. Plus, all of our plans fell through this week. Friday was my toughest day.

It's Ok, Son
Funny how the Spirit helps us out sometimes. As the day went on, I was feeling more and more disorganized and alone, and we decided to pass by Luis' home (the recent convert), and found that he was feeling down. Actually, he was downright depressed.  To lift his spirits, Elder Evelo pulled out a scripture from the Doctrine and Covenants.

My son, peace be unto thy soul;

thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high;

thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.

Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again

with warm hearts and friendly hands.

D&C 121:7-9

As we expounded upon the scripture, I felt almost a whisper come to my mind, It's okay, son. I love you.  That slight comfort was exactly what I needed.

God always has our back.

No Quieremos Fumar!
When I was in the terminal with other missionaries waiting for our new companions to arrive, a crowd of 40 kids come marching through with picket signs and yelling "No quieremos fumar!"

They were holding anti-cigarette/anti-smoking signs, and passing out books. So adorable. I only remembered to take a picture when they were halfway out the door.

Changes
Apparently, it gets down to 0 degrees celsius. It's already hitting 1 degree.  Our one trusty space heater in our house gets a workout, but doesn't quite make the place toasty.  I can see my breath.  My one saving grace is an electric blanket for heating the bed before I hop in. Funny, a month ago I could still wear short sleeves, now I am bundling up with sweater, coat, scarf, and gloves every day. Winter nights have gotten longer as well.  Sun sets at 5pm and rises after 8am.

Weird changes, man.

But with change comes a new season of growth. I am hoping to really keep the work expanding in Quillon.

Love you all so much! Thank you for your prayers,
Elder Connor Nef