If am not exactly sure how if feel about the sandy plains ward yet. It sure is different. This last week things have sure been a struggle. We have no investigators at the moment so mostly all of our efforts are going to finding people to teach so we do a lot of tracting and do all we can to try to motivate the members to find people for us to teach. It is really hard because the ward is not friendly. Most of the ward is very standoffish to us it seems like they really don’t trust us. So if don’t know if something happened but we need to gain that trust with the ward so maybe the work can progress.

We were out tracting this week and we found a couple of potential investigators and were able to set up appointments to go and teach them and their families. It was really exciting to finally have someone to teach. So we did all we could to make sure that the appointments would go through and that we had all the help and materials to make it go great. We went over the lessons and we actually got a team up to go with us which is really hard to get in this ward. So we were really ready and we went to our first appointment and no one answered. So then we had some less active members in the ward that we were going to visit as a backup plan but every single one of them didn’t answer either. So we went to our next appointment and they didn’t answer we tried even more less actives but again no one answered. Finally our last appointment came and we decided we would call to make sure that we were still on and he cancelled. We were devastated. It really was like a shot in the heart everything we had planned and were so excited for had been shot down one at a time. After that if was and still am nervous just because it has taken so much to get a team up and now with that day and how nothing went through it’s just going to be way harder to get a team up again if think. Hopefully that is not the case. Just keep smiling and have the faith that everything will work out and be just fine.

We were able to go to this activity one of the local Methodist churches puts on it’s called a night in Bethlehem. It was really cool and a good experience. What they do is they set up streets to look like a Bethlehem street from biblical times. They have little stores and sales men trying to sell you pottery rope and all sorts of different things. They have roman soldiers walking the streets as well as prophets will walk the streets and preach of a messiah that is to come and then the roman soldiers will beat them up and run them out of the streets. It was really an experience. Then at the end of the streets there was a stable where they performed a live nativity and they had a real baby Jesus and they acted it out and sang songs according to what was happening. It really was a wonderful experience and helped set the tone for the Christmas season. Helped show the real reason for the season.
we had the ward Christmas party this last week which was fun except if am still getting to know people so if was quiet. But they asked each of the auxiliaries to do a skit so as the missionaries we got to do a skit and we did it on how missionaries get ready in the mornings. Elder winter sat on a chair and put a jacket on and if sat behind him and put my arms through the sleeves of the jacket. Then we had to brush his teeth and shave his face (no blade) and then tie a tie. It was so funny. The tooth paste and shaving cream was everywhere it was all over the tie and we made a huge mess. But if hadn’t laughed that hard in the longest time. The ward really enjoyed it to if think. So all in all it was really good.

The weather here has been insane. It’s a constant roller coaster. One day its sunny hot and humid the very next its cold windy and raining. The weather won’t make up its mind. The cold sucks too it is not like any Utah or Idaho cold. This gets deep into the most inner parts of your soul. If swear you can feel it in your bones. It goes right through your body. and while being on a bike it makes things worse so we look like a bunch of replies off the Christmas story riding around on our bikes.

If was able to go and watch the Christmas devotional. It was so great if really liked the last talk given by Russell m nelson. If you haven’t seen it yet go and watch it. Or read it or listen to it. It really is so very great. Helps to remind us what the Christmas time really is for.

If love you all so much! Thank you! Happy holidays. Be safe with all those crazy shoppers.

Love Elder Trevor Ross