Letter #75

Elder Toledo´s family said December 23 it's Wednesday. We are trying to find a member that has internet in their house to be able to talk by Skype. His family goes to their family ranch I think. IDK. I will call on Christmas in the afternoon. I still don't know when. Elder Toledo will call on the 23. We just have to find where. We will have 45 minutes to talk this time. On Christmas day we have a service project in the morning and then normal work. 

The devotional is December 22. We will go to Atotonilco (the stake building when I was in Huehuetoca) and we will sing songs that we prepared as a district and have a gift exchange. Just the missionaries from Tula and Atotonilco will go there. I don't know what else will happen.  I haven't done interchanges with Elder Hopkins. We don't have a ball to be able to play basketball or soccer. 

My favorite experience on an interchange recently was this week. I went to Jilotepec with some elders to do 2 baptismal interviews. In one of the interviews it was normal and stuff and in the end I asked her if she had prepared herself to be baptized and if she felt ready. She thought a second and then said yes. I felt the spirit so strong in that moment and I remembered one of the functions of the spirit. The spirit testifies of truth. It was a great experience.

Tepeji is decorated a bit. Not a ton, but yeah some people decorated (for Christmas). I think they do 12 days of Christmas December 25 to January 6. The special thing they do this time of the year is celebrate the Day of the Virgin. December 12. Everyone brings their virgin statues to the catholic church to bless them and "pray" a BUNCH of memorized prayers. I woke up to the sound of fireworks and cannons and a mob of 40-50 people chanting a memorized prayer in front of a virgin statue. Everyone gets drunk and has a party. It feels a bit like Moses when he came down with the 10 commandments and saw the people worshiping a golden calf. It is that dumb.

This week was the Tijuana temple dedication. It was cool. I understood more about the temple and how it is a process to sanctify us. How we act in the temple reminds us of how to act "at all times and in all things and in all places". We are here on earth to prepare us to become like our Father in heaven. The temple is key. Also someone said that the 2 most important things are 1) the atonement of Christ which allows us to return to God and reach our potential and 2) when we make sacred covenants in the temple and by doing so we accept the sacrifice the Christ made so that we can return to God. 

Do all you can to receive the temple blessings. 

Love you,

Elder Finlinson

"I'm in the hood." 

 Andrew went on interchanges and this was the light in the Elder's apartment. He said it is their real light. They don't use it very often. (It would give me a headache!)

Have a 'Mario'Christmas!

A Sister in their ward sells Nike and Air Jordan shoes that weren't sold in the U.S.. In the end of this batch of shoes she said she would give them some. These are the shoes Andrew received. Air Jordan's. Pretty sweet.