It has been another good week. We were able to teach more lessons than in each of the past 3 weeks.
We have some interesting Christmas policies. We are allowed to spend 2 hours per family with members or investigators on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years Eve from 5-9. On New Years Eve we are allowed to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Toy Story 3". It will be pretty cool I think.
The snow finally came to this forsaken land of Price, UT (forsaken because the weather is unpredictable--they can try North and South of here, but it never is accurate for Price). There were about 3-4 inches of snow on the ground, but it was a very long period of snowfall.
My companion, Elder Padrones from Spain, had a little accident a few months ago (before I got here), and they had to replace the front bumper. Then a few weeks ago we were at an intersection with a big ditch on both sides of the main road. As we were turning onto the main road, the bumper scraped on the ditch edge. Our vehicle manager for the mission, Elder Woolley, told us to go and get an estimate to fix the paint scratches, but it turns out that the bumper was bent a little, which caused the paint to flake off. It was a $300 fix, so Elder Woolley told us to go ahead and get it fixed. The next day, I was assigned as driver. It's so weird to be the junior companion and have all of this power in my hands (car keys, Stake center keys, house keys)! Anyway, it was pretty scary driving in the snow before the trucks could clean up the roads. We had to go to a 7am correlation meeting 30 minutes away. It's a good thing I learned to drive in the snow though!
I've met a few people here who have sons waiting for visas to Mexico City. Different missions, but still the same area. Some of them came out right before me (3 days ahead of me), so maybe when they get their visas the family can contact me and give me a heads up.
Well transfers were delayed another week (instead of this last week) so we can spend Christmas in an area with which we are familiar. This transfer has 7 weeks instead of 6, and next transfer will only have 5 weeks.
I had a pretty good birthday this last week. We kept really busy with lots of appointments, which is probably one of the best gifts I could receive. I got a package from DearElder.com with lots of candy & a picture of Christ. I think it's from family but not sure...there were no names attached to it. The return address wasadmin@dearelder.com, which is VERY generic. Thank you family.
At this Christmas time, I have lots more time to think about the birth of Christ. There in a stable one night, the very pivot of everything was born. Everything before that night looked forward to Him. Everything after that night looks back to Him. How humble the setting was! There was no pomp & circumstance. Everyone else just went on with their daily routines, having no news about the birth of the Savior of the World. This is the moment when the possibility of Salvation for every person began. Millions had exercised their faith on Jesus Christ through the Mosaic laws of sacrifice to gain a remission of sins, laws which were in similitude of the mission of the only begotten son, Jesus Christ. Now, millions will be able to exercise their faith in Jesus Christ by accepting his mission, life, and sacrifice, and applying the atoning blood of their savior to their debts--sins. We can now be clean. Clean of everything. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as wool. Though they be red like Crimson, they shall be white as snow." As mortal humans we are subject to sin. Its possibility is a natural consequence of the fall of Adam from God's presence & his transgression. But "as in Adam all die (as in the possibility of physical & spiritual death), even so in Christ shall all be made alive". What a marvelous gift--to be forgiven for any sin with true repentence, to be succored in any sickness, trial, or challenge in life, to have the empathetic ear & shoulder of someone who knows us personally & how we feel. Give the gift of Christ to someone this Christmas. Receive the gift of Christ as well. He has prepared, wrapped, and topped with a bow a wonderful gift for everyone personally. It's there sitting on your table. It's up to you to open it or to let it sit there. To put it to use or to ignore it. It will always be there. It doesn't expire. It doesn't have a limited-time-only policy. You can't deny it's presence--it's right there. Open it and love it and treasure it and then show other people how to open theirs.
I love Jesus Christ. I love my Father in heaven. I'm ever grateful for what they do & have done for me.
Have a very Merry Christmas. Remember Christ.
Love you all!
Love Elder Bunker
