Cheers from Down Under

The first week of December has been off to a decent start! Elder Han and I have added a few more people to our teaching pool, including an old Aussie named Graham and a Korean named DK. Not much to report on their progression, because we've only just begun teaching them, but hopefully more exciting news will follow in the coming weeks!

With Christmas coming along, we've decided to do a little Christmas Activity every day to bring a little more of the holiday cheer. For example, one day last week I decked our flat out in paper snowflakes; another day we had milo and peppermint candy; a third day we sang carols to some ward members. It's been really fun to have something to look forward to each day! Speaking of singing, guess what I get to do? A member of our ward is the director of the newly formed institute/ysa Christmas Choir, and so she asked us to join it! We had to pull a few strings, but Elder Han and I are now the proud members of this little choir... yeah we're pretty terrible, but it's so fun to get to go and sing! It reminds me of last Christmas, singing in choir at school... has it already been a year since that happened?!

The weather has been beautiful this week, with the warm weather rolling in. It smells like summer more and more everyday- I love it! The one problem is that with the heat, the flies and mosquitoes have quadrupled. Since it's warming up, we spend more and more time in the park doing finding and talking to people. President Howes has actually implemented something called "The Survey". Just like the name suggests, it's a 3 minute survey we have that we can go and ask for peoples opinions about. It may sounds dumb, but the results of it have been INCREDIBLE! About 75% I've been able to get people to really open up about their beliefs and share some of ours.. some of the conversations I've had have even lasted for over an hour! It has kind of blown me away how a less threatening approach like a survey really gets people to be more comfortable around me, as well as more interested in what I have to share. It's great! I feel like using this survey more is really going to get our teaching pool up... let's hope so!

This month I've set a goal for myself to be a "Savior Centered Servant". With the Christmas season, I think it's a really great chance to focus extra hard on the Savior and what he has done and still does for all of us, so I decided to start reading "Jesus the Christ". Oh my goodness. It's been amazing! I've learned so much about Jesus already in the one week I've been reading it. I feel kind of bad I have never taken the opportunity to read it before, but I'm so grateful I can now! I especially have loved reading about the Antemortal Christ, how He was foreordained just like all of us for His role here on the earth. I'd definitely suggest reading a chapter or two from it when you get the chance, maybe even the part on Christ's birth! :)

As for the Australian quirk, I've just begun noticing that there are heaps of people who go shoeless. Like everywhere. In the store, on their bikes, on the train, mowing the lawn... you name it, they're barefoot. Kind of funny, although I can't imagine how many times they cut or skewer their feet. Maybe they're like hobbits? haha. 

Thanks again for all your prayers and love! Hope this is another enjoyable week as we all prep for Christmas.. whoo hoo!

Love,

Elder Easton