Elder Zealand: Ups and Downs and Merry Christmas!

Good morning everyone!!! And an early Merry Christmas to you all!

I want to start out with my sad news for the week. So we had set up to see Shelby on Tuesday and to teach her a big lesson to get her closer to be ready for her baptism. Well when we went over to see her no one was there.... So we went over again that evening.... No one... So I got worried.... Well we ended up trying again to see her on Wednesday and she was home. So I was on trade off with Elder Maughan and we stopped by... Shelby basically told us that she wasn't ready. She had googled before baptism lessons and she saw how many lessons we still had to teach and she realized how much she didn't know and it scared her... Then she saw something talking about Abortions... That scared her even more cuz she has had an abortion so then she asked us about that. Well after some talking and some explaining she felt better about it all. She said that she still didn't feel ready for Saturday but she still wanted to do it. She has a SOLID testimony of The Book Of Mormon. She recognized that she has been prepared to hear the gospel and that she is ready to listen and knows its true. So there was no baptism on Saturday, but it will be soon! Just keep your eyes out! Please over all keep her in your prayers though!

One thing that I have been working on this week is the Gift of Charity.... Its really hard to get along with people some times... I have been use to having Zones that get along and usually the issue is they get along too well.... This transfer has been different. We have had a lot of drama and issues between missionaries and its just been working through those issues... So its hard to love missionaries sometimes. So I am working on loving people who are hard to like. One thing that I have learned is the Charity isn't just Christ like love. It literally is Christs love. His love for us. He loves everyone just as much as He loves us. Sometimes its hard to remember that. Even with the choices that everyone makes. He still loves them! Even if they reject Him and mock Him, He still loves them. When we can grasp that in our heads its easier to love those who are hard to like.

With Christmas coming up I thought I would give you an idea of what Christmas is over here. Green and Hot. The last week has been around 20-23 Celsius and there is NO snow over here. Some houses have lights, most don't. The big Christmas traditions here are BBQ at the Beach and BBQ with family! Heaps of time outside. Very different than home Christmas!

We had our Come and See Fireside yesterday. That is a Fireside that the Mission puts on every month. Its for us to take our investigators and Less Active members to. Its musical items and speakers that talk about their conversion stories and its just always a mean fireside! We were able to take Grace with us. She is at about the same place... She is just waiting on Dads permission to be baptized... Idk when that will happen. So she is still there!

I am VERY excited for Christmas! This Light the World Challenge is really helping get everyone into the Christmas spirit! It is actually amazing to me how many members don't know about it. We have to explain and show so many members the Challenge! One thing that I have done this week that goes along with the Charity study I have been doing is the 13th. Jesus showed Humility and so can you! I have been trying to just Humbly accept people and their ideas and try to listen and understand their decisions. It has been hard, but it has helped!

I LOVE the "12 ties of Christmas"! That is literally the BEST idea. Every day for 12 days I open a tie and a letter from someone who has been influential in my life. This week in order I got Grandpa Seelos, Tim Hodgson, Bishop, Billium, (uncle Bill) Pete Petersen, Josh Christensen. I love the idea! I also love getting new ties! Its really cool to read their letters and just reminds me of everything that they have done to help me in my life!

Hope yous all have a Merry Christmas!!

Love Elder Seelos!