Week 3 NYNYS

This week was very busy being Christmas and all! My Christmas was great! The four of us Elders in the pad got all of our studying done then immediately opened all the presents we were sent. I am very thankful for those who sent cards and gifts. It means a lot to me to have your love and support. After we ate lots of goodies and such, we made our way down to the Lorimer G subway and played some carols. We sounded so good because of the acoustics down in the tunnels! We had my violin and the guitar with everyone else singing. We handed out pass along cards. We definitely made many people's Christmas much more enjoyable. We ate a delicious Christmas Dinner at a members home and played an awesome game call Killer Bunnies. It is the funnest game ever! You all need to look it up. It is a fun family game. Calling home was great and lots of memories and reflection went on. I am so glad to be where I am now. This will be a Christmas I will always remember.

Saturday, I had the awesome opportunity to go to the temple with a recent convert! It was a blast! It is so peaceful and quite inside. It was nice to get away from all the noise and commotion outside! Manhattan is so much nicer than Bushwick. It is clean, and even quieter (Manhattan is still pretty noisy too). And to make it all better it even started snowing a little bit!

Last Sunday, the missionaries all spoke. I shared how Christmas to me is all about music centered on Christ and how music soothes the aching soul just like Christ does for us through the Atonement. I also saw the power of music in a family we caroled to on Christmas Eve. There was a family that was having some issues with other family and they said their Christmas wasn't feeling so Christmasy. They were so thankful for us to bring that spirit of Christmas to them. One lady who spoke mostly Spanish was crying and I could see that their countenances were much lighter! I am so grateful for my violin and the musical abilities I have to invite others to come unto Christ through music.

I had an awesome experience Christmas Eve as well. We were going to some referrals and delivering Joy to the World DVDs and we really didn't find any knew investigators. I really wanted to talk with someone and share the spirit of Christmas with them. I was on the subway and just felt that I needed to get up and tell the whole subway car Merry Christmas and let them know that Jesus Christ loves them. It took me a long time to build up the courage to do that, but I know that if I didn't do it I would be very disappointed in myself. So before we got off, I got up and told the people who I was and wished them a Merry Christmas and that the Savior loves and understands them. It was really cool and I felt that my Heavenly Father was pleased with me for doing that. It was truly an awesome experience.

It was a pretty busy week with lots of caroling so there aren't too many unique stories this time. This week should be great, however. We are meeting with a few different people and I hope that the spirit will be present and we can help them progress and learn of the true nature of Christ. Teaching is so much fun and is so much better than tracting!

I am sorry this letter is pretty short today. I am crunched on time this P-Day. There is no greater gift that I could have been given then to be serving a mission here in New York. This will be a Christmas I will always remember!

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

Love,

Elder Hooper

P.S. it snowing like crazy outside right now! It is my first time actually being in snow that is falling! I love it :D