Letters from Kelsey - 52

Hey everyone!

First of all I hope y'all have a fantastic Christmas this weekend! I was a good week out here in Texas but it was an even better weekend! So Justin and Damian De Hoyos and Hno. Chavez were all baptized on Saturday!! It was so great to see them and to see how happy Hno. and Hna. De Hoyos were and Hna. Chavez. So we had their baptisms and Hna. Moser was able to come back and it was good to see her. So after the baptisms we had the ward party and it was just a really good Saturday and to see Hno. Chavez so happy... I haven't ever seen him like that before. He mentioned how now he feels like he has a whole new family in the branch and he was talking to everyone. It is amazing to see the change that these people go through. The party was good and we had 2 other families that we are teaching come to the party also and they got to know the members, which is always good. Then on Sunday they were all confirmed and after he was confirmed Justin (who is a kind of a wild child) came back to sit down and we asked him how he felt and he couldn't describe it, he just kinda sat there for a bit and was super calm all during sacrament meeting. Hna. Chavez taught the Relief Society lesson on Sunday and at the end bore her testimony about how our God is a god of miracles and how after 9 years her husband was finally baptized and the change that has happened in him... I almost cried... almost :).

We had a Noche de Hogar (Family Home Evening) with the Chavezs last night and they are just so happy and so great... I wish I had better words to describe it but I don't... they are just happy and I love visiting them. We talked about dia de reposo (keeping the Sabbath day holy) and they participated and Hno. now understands why he has to go to all 3 hours of church. They are just so willing to learn and see the blessings- it really is great.

OH! Sunday was also fantastic because the De Hoyos are fantastic! Story time! So during sacrament meeting I was sitting with some of the kids and I pulled out my gospel art book to look at with the little girls during the sacrament to help keep them reverent and Gabriel Jr. (15) started looking at it as well and then asked if he could see it. After the sacrament he asked me what some of the pictures were so I started explaining the pictures and went through the story line of the whole Book of Mormon. He remembered some of them and it was great. We also talked about the power that he has as the oldest in his family and that his siblings do everything he does. If he wants to have family prayer and scripture study then the family will follow. I also talked to him about the priesthood and that when his little sister (6) turns 8 he could baptize her if he had the priesthood. He then asked me what he had to do to get the priesthood and I just said the basics like keep the commandments and told him if he really wanted it he should talk to the branch president and set up an interview to get on the path. Right after sacrament meeting ended he jumped up and went to talk to Presidente so he could work on getting the priesthood!!! AND!! They also paid their tithing on Sunday! I just love this family and I love the change that they are going through. They are such a great family and all 5 boys will make awesome missionaries one day. If I don't have any other success in the rest of my mission I will be fine as long as the De Hoyos continue to progress and grow in the gospel.

Oh we also had Sunday School in Portuguese on Sunday. One of our members is from Brazil and she has some friends staying with her but they don't really speak Spanish or English and they were the only people in class, luckily enough our ward mission leader's (teaches the class) wife is from Portugal so he knows Portuguese! So that was the class... I felt like I was a brand new missionary again with understanding a little bit here and there- it was cool though.

Anyway... We have some other great families that we are now teaching and I will tell y'all more about them next week. I hope that y'all have a very Merry Christmas with your family and friends and that you take a minute to remember the real reason for the season and the thing that Christ has done for us. I want to invite y'all to think of what you can give Christ this week, the week leading up to his birth. Who can you help or serve? It's totally a missionary thing to ask, I know, but I am a missionary so I do as a missionary does. My dear family and friends- I love y'all and wish you the greatest joy, peace, and happiness this week and as you celebrate this weekend. Love y'all! Go Cougars! iFeliz Navidad!

Love Always,
Sister Kelsey Berg