Labor in the Vineyard: Week 18: Christmas in the Summer

December 27th, 2016

Hey Everybody,

Feliz Navidad! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas last week. It was awesome for me down here to be able to experience Christmas in a different culture, and even more awesome to be able to talk with my family.

Christmas is actually pretty different down here. For one thing, we eat a lot of barbeque because it's the middle of summer. Also, they open all of their presents at midnight, which I find pretty weired. We spent our time with our investigators and members, but went out to work like normal on Sunday night.

The last week has been crazy. We almost got caught in a street fight between about a dozen people. On Christmas we tried to help a lady who had broken her knee that we passed in the street. After talking to her for a minute, we discovered that her and her drunk husband were trying to get to her cousins house to avoid the cops. Our branch president showed up and told us to leave her and the police pulled up as we walked away and we're not sure whether they arrested her or took her to prison.

Another experience that I had this week was the death of a ward member. We had to take care of the chapel during the viewing of a woman from the ward who died of brain cancer. Her family is in a lot of pain, but they find comfort in the knowledge that now "[she] will rest from all [her] troubles, and from all care, and sorrow." (Alma 40:12) Her widower spouse also share the comfort that he receives from Mosiah 16:8, which teaches us that "the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ."

I testify that this is true. Thanks to Him, all of us will partake in the resurrection, and each one of us has the opportunity to experience eternal life. I am forever grateful for His sacrifice.

Que les vaya bien,
Elder Olson