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Merry Christmas!!! It's been a great morning. Elder Christensen and I got up and opened our gifts and packages from home! I'm looking forward to calling my family at 3pm today. This week we had the baptism of Shelley Sanders in the Diamond Springs family ward. Shelley is legally blind -- most objects are blurry to her. Shelley grew up in Diamond Springs but is now  living with the Harwells, a member family and her neighbors when she was a kid. Shelley is amazing. She has so much faith. I'm happy for her.

 

This Saturday Kurt is getting baptized in the Shingle Springs YSA ward. He has had a rough past and the change in his life is like night and day. I love Kurt. He is a deep thinker. Whenever we teach him he's got an open notebook and takes notes about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Plan of Salvation, etc. He reads the Book of Mormon like it's going out of style. Kurt is awesome.

 

One of my favorite things to witness is someone who grasps the gospel and holds on without fear or hesitation. They know what they have missed their whole lives and they know it's true. The sacrifices they make to change their lives is incredible. It strengthens my testimony of the gospel. This isn't just a man born 2000 years ago. It's not just good words to live by, or a lifestyle. It's all that and more. This is the true and living gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. No man can inherit the kingdom of God, except he chooses to follow Christ and live His way. I know it's true and I love it.

 

The first weekend in January another one of our investigators in the YSA ward has chosen to be baptized. Ian is his name. I hope for both of these young men that they can serve missions as well.

 

My favorite scripture this week is the first few verses of Mosiah 3. The prophet King Benjamin, 125 years before Christ's birth, was told by an angel details of his birth, life, Atonement, death, and resurrection. This is the glad tidings. I love you all and hope your Christmas is as meaningful as mine has been.

 

"...I am come to declare unto you the glad tidings of great joy.... For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases.

 And he shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the children of men.

 And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.

 And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.

 And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men even through faith on his name; and even after all this they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a devil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him.

 And he shall rise the third day from the dead; and behold, he standeth to judge the world; and behold, all these things are done that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men."

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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