hey you 12-22-08

How can I keep from singing,
Don't really know why my email started like that, but oh well. What is the status report of the current existence of people other than Roseanne, Trisha, and Mom? The rest of you are my family. It would be nice here and there to get a letter or email from ya. Don't you want to encourage your Brother Son and other in his missionary endeavors? Consider that your chastisement. Anyway life is going GREAT here in Gonzales. We had a miracle take place. I don't know if you guys remember me mentioning The Ray Family in my past emails, but something happened with them the other day. Brother and Sister Ray are members that were baptized in Utah when they were 17. Since then Bro. Ray had backslided into his old Lebaron Ideas (The Lebarons being a break off sect of our church). Missionaries for a long time have been working with this family and also to help their 3 younger sons get baptized. On Tuesday we went to go visit them. When we got there we talked with the parents for a few minutes and then Elder Durant boldly told him,"Your children need to be baptized." I was not expecting happened next at all, He said, "yeah I think that would be good for them. They've been telling me how they've wanted to pass the Sacrament just like the other boys in their class." I was like .......what? This was coming from a man who didn't even want his kids going to Seminary about 4 months ago. That resolved and they went, but I was surprised when gave the permission for this. It goes to show that God will answer the prayers of his children in his own timing. They are planned to be baptized THIS WEEKEND! Joel is still planned to be baptized this weekend too! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PRAY FOR THIS TO HAPPEN! My hearts desire is to see them get baptized before I leave this area, which is very possible in January. I'm going to be asking you guys if you did it during my Christmas call. Speaking of which; I don't know the approximate time of transmission on Christmas Day, but all I can say is around 4:00pm for you guys. The Estradas (the same family that invited us to Thanksgiving) invited us over for Christmas and use their phones. Junior and Adriana are still progressing great. It's a little hard right now to do much. We are still waiting for him to get his birth certificate and SS # from Idaho so that they can apply for a marriage license so that they can get married so that they can be baptized. We shared with them last night the Christams Story found in the Book of Mormon. Afterward he said to us,"I think I finally get now what the Book of Mormon is, it's like a book completely separate from what's going on in the Bible". I said,"Yes, it is separate in History but not in Doctrine, and it's scripture so that is why you need to read it and then pray about it." He committed himself to read the book that night after we left. Package updates: the Yard o' Beef is now 1/2 Yard o' Beef, the chocolates are going slowly but surely because the other three missionaries in our Apt get tons of stuff too. I got your Popcorn package the other day, Random but thank you Mom :-). I ate some immediately upon arrival. I also got the batteries today and again thank you Mommy. So Tuesday-Saturday were 80 degree days, then Sunday-today have been glacial! Louisiana and your random weather changes :-). It's fun. So, you are keeping the Gingerbread House making competition tradition alive huh? Good. I didn't get to see what every one did so send me a letter with a pic of everyones creation in it. Thank you. Hehe, Bonnie and Quin that's funny. I didn't think Bonnie would be dating so soon. Actually, it's been a month now.......wow time flies. Just remember Bub you promised that you wouldn't go and get married before I got home OK? :-) Well, That happens to be another successful email because of writing things down during the week. I hope Everyone is enjoying the Christmas Season. Remember, it's about Jesus Christ and not about dinosaurs and video games. I LOVE YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!
-eLDER cOLVIN
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(wow this email might rival Ammon in length ;-) )


Elder Jacob Colvin