This last week was a hair-puller!

Dear everyone,

This last week was a hair-puller!  Many things fell, many people avoided us, and we lost many investigators.  Still, I have hope for the next week and I know that the Lord will provide.  Minor setbacks are nothing!  =)

Merry Christmas!  I hope the joy of the season is bright in your hearts and faces.  I love Christmas!  Admittedly, growing up I didn't comprehend the reason for the season--I was selfish!  I liked presents.  Sure, I understood the story of Christmas and Christ's birth, but it was secondary to the joy I received from presents.  How silly that thought is!  The "Christmas Story" is so much more than simply that--a story.  It's surpassed in importance by only one other event in the history of the world--and that's the Resurrection of Christ.  What a blessing it is to have a time of the year devoted to the birth of our Savior and King.  So, to me, the question comes:  How can we remember Him correctly?  I think it comes from doing what he would do were He here.  Charity and Christmas go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly.  I invite everyone to look around for the next week and find some little, charitable act that everyone else is neglecting and to do it!  The Christmas Spirit is the Spirit of Christ--and that's charity and love.

Hipólito will be baptized for sure on the 29th and we're all ecstatic for him!  He's such a changed man and I'm so impressed with him.  Alex and Adilson (two young men who we've been sitting with) have accepted a baptismal date for the 26th of January.  Please keep them in your prayers--they're worried about "the responsibility of baptism" even though they're already keeping all of the commandments!  I think they're just worried about taking such a large step.  Still, I trust that they'll make it and that the Lord will bless them immensely.

Mom, Elder Wilhelm and I have enjoyed watching the Christmas scripture chain wind down.  Thanks!

I love you all and wish you the best for the end of this year.  Tomorrow, I'll speak to a great portion of you!

Elder Cody R. Eckman