Hello!

Sups. yeah.. i know, sup isnt spelled with that extra S but i kinda liked it after i erased it.. what of it.

So.. what a sweet week! We hit a butt ton of lessons.. but in the process got no good potential investigators OR new ones... suck! OH well.. we are working on that haha. The big event this week was the Christmas Stake activity.. hahaha it was SO much fun! Since we had pretty much every investigator going we got permission to go too.. and, upon getting there, i got enlisted to sing. The activity had a way high so performance inside, about the birth of Christ, put on by the members and what not.. way excellent. I only got video of it but it was seriously so good. But on the outside of the church they had a bunch of performances that were much more up beat and fun for the public... that was the one i was in. I got to the church at 530.. they said, "hey can you play the drums? you can? k youre singin with us in an hour." Woot. We sang first at 630.. we sang hark the angels sing, come all ye faithful, white christmas, rudolph, and feliz navidad.. hahaha why feliz? I dont know... maybe cause its super awesome? I added a few touches in for feliz navidad.. but unless someone finds a way for me to send video home via email, you will have to wait until i get home :) So yeah that was way fun, and they we had to go back the following night cause the activity was a 2 nighter. But, even better than that, we had investigators go both nights too! I seriously want you all to see the inside performance.. it was so good. Some reallly, really excelent singers. Kinda made me miss home though a little bit.

K so on to investigators.. everything is still pretty good.. we had so many lessons with members! Flukes mom is incredible.. she understands everything so easily.. and we met her every single day! We still plan to get her baptized on the 2 of january.. Fluke continues to impress me... his mom asks him questions all the time and he answers.. correctly. Even about the PoS! He also got the Aaronic priesthood yesterday.. so he will help us teach every day! Hes got nothing going on and what better way to prepare him to be a missionary than to take him out with us! Yeah. its sweet. Bon and Au are progressing pretty nicely.. if a little bit slow.. but she said a sweet prayer last night that was.. encouraging to say the least: "please help us as we change religions...." and then i didnt understand the rest and up until now i have forgotten to ask Elder Komgrid what else she said... hang on a sec.. ok, so she is worried about not being able to pray to buddhist idols.. shes pretty buddhist by the way.. dont remember if i have said that before, but yeah.. she is. So with Bon.. hes got awesome questions.. he doesnt wait to ask questions.. like, at all. I love it.. instead of sitting there waiting for us stupid missionaries to shut up and ask if they have questions, he just butts right in as says em.. cant get better than that. oh and they are good questions too! YOu can tell they are questions that he has been wondering for a while. On to Gade.. shes solid as ever.. didnt get to meet very much with her, but i mean shes solid. Wud, the Laotion dude.. we committed him to the 9th of January.. so far he is on day 4 without smoking, and day 5 without coffee.. not much longer and that crap is gone.. but really its gone already. All in all, these people are so ready to change.. their testimonies are growing and the members are being such an amazing hlep to us.. its kinda ridiculous how much more stoked they are on missionary work.

K so i am out of order.. phrase of the week! Been a while eh? This weeks actually comes from Krista Oakes... i thought it was amazing and i want everyone to see this.. in fact i cried right in this internet cafe. "I was taught long ago that there are counterfeits for everything except the peace that is the hallmark sign of the Holy Ghost. Within the presence of that peace it is impossible for fear and doubt to abide. There are many good feelings and emotions, and I've experienced those, too. Feelings of love and relief and joy and hope and wonder, and so on. But when there is spirit-to-spirit communication with the Lord through the Holy Ghost, it is unmistakably and undeniably set apart from these other feelings, and it becomes the only reliable source of confirmed truth. My greatest desire is to live long enough to help my children learn to access and recognize this for themselves." One of the best ways of explaining the spirit ive heard in a while.. one day her kids will read that and know, if they dont already, how do recognize the spirit for themselves. It really is true though.. the Spirit is the key.. to everything.. there cannot be anything done without the spirit.. i dont know if i have shared this scripture before, but ill do it again if i have.. 3 Nephi 11: 31.. i think thats what it is.. Jesus says that he testifies of the father, the father testifies of the Son, and the Holy ghost testifies of them both... this is pretty good on its own right? Right. But look deeper.. who is speaking in that chapter? Jesus Christ himself... he is IN FRONT OF THEIR FACES... yet he still calls the holy ghost to testify of the truth.. he descended out of the sky, and everyone saw.. yet he still said to let the spirit testify of truth. How else can you put this? Once we are able to recognize the spirit.. holy crap things get going. Its been something ive been working on in teaching.. most of the time it comes right down to shutting up, and listening.. not just listening to the investigators but also to the Spirit.. listen to what he wants to say.

K so this is all ive got for now.. sorry this is kinda late.. but you probably havent even gotten up yet.. old people! This week was an excellent week of many more to come.. i bear witness that this work is true, and if you dont have the spirit you will not work. Hope everything is all fine and dandy back home.. love you all and thanks for your support... pray for my companion.. hes taking 2 english tests on wednesdays and if he doesnt pass he has to leave the mission and be a soldier.. pray, pray pray! Hes gonna do great.

Elder Gudmundsen