Week 18: Boop, bop, ba-da-bing, POW

BIGG snowman!! (It's taller than me!)

Kamusta kamo tanan?!? Malipayon Paskwa!! Merry Christmas!

This has been a big week not gonna lie. A lot of things have happened, and the mission continues to prove to be an adventure, even if it is Eagle Mountain, Utah. It really is something new everyday, and it's so unlike anything I've ever done before, which is what makes it fun. And serving a mission in 2020 is really cool too, because I guess I'm not missing out on a whole lot otherwise hahaha. Joke langgggg

Anyway, this week had a lot of ups and downs. We technically put Kennedy, a girl we're teaching, on date for the 26th, but then her mom realized that would be too soon because they want their grandma to come down for that. So a couple days later she wasn't on date anymore. Big sad. This is the second time she's been taken off date, but it's definitely gonna happen next month haha.

Also, that family of crazy boys we're working with had a big week too. Their mom had a baby this week, so now they have 5 boys! The 2nd oldest, Skylar, is the one that we're mostly teaching, except the whole family is there for all the lessons because they're working on reactivating in the Church so it's good for everyone. All the boys are so funny too, and they remind me of me and my brothers at times haha. Except these boys are 9, 7, and 5, not 24, 19, and 16 haha. And we found out this week that their dad just got approved by the bishop to baptize Skylar so we're probably going to be putting him on date soon!! The ward has a whole plan for them too so they don't lose steam with this new baby, and somebody different in the ward is making them dinner every night for like the next month haha.

One of the benefits of covering a whole stake is that we got to go to 3 different Christmas programs this Sunday! And these wards popped OFF for Christmas. In one ward, the stake president got up and played Simon Says with the Primary kids from the pulpit, then gave a quick talk, then SANG a solo of "This Is The Christ," accompanied by his wife, and it was AMAZING. I literally was so shocked and it blewwwww my minddddd. He's already a super baller stake president, and he sings too.

Shoveling snow is actually a great service opportunity as missionaries here. Every time it snows we put on our boots and shovel all the driveways on our street. It's super easy and we don't really mind doing it either. We only sometimes get in random snowball fights with each other.

Also, I have a confession to make. I haven't been totally honest with you all. Elder Sherrod has converted me to kendamas. Yes, the Japanese ball-cup toy. I thought it was stupid at first, but now I'm totally hooked. We play with our kendamas everyday now. Obviously, we still do our work and invite others to come unto Christ and everything, but whenever we have a spare moment like between Zoom calls, the damas come out. Every night after 9pm, the damas come out. It's really stupid, but you're hooked when you lace your first spike on the kendama. Just try it. You won't regret it. I laced my first whirlwind the other night!! (see video attached)

I am really looking forward to Christmas on the mission. My mom sent me a package of a bunch of Christmas presents to open every day before Christmas, and my mom really knows me because most of them have been food haha. A lot of the Trader Joe's seasonal Christmas stuff. And a member offered to DoorDash us dinner on Christmas Eve, and we're probably gonna get McDonald's

I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas!!

Love, Elder Snyder