So, Christmas was pretty neat here. We had a special Christmas Eve dinner at the house of the relief Society President after we shared a message about Christmas. Christmas here is very different than back home. Everyone here starts Christmas on Christmas eve. They go to someone´s house around 8-9pm to have a big ol´ dinner and party until 5-6 am in the morning the next day, and many stay awake until lunch and have leftovers for lunch at the same person´s house on Christmas Day. So, it´s pretty different. Apparently everyone wears white on new years eve here. I´ll have to tell you more next week after the new year turns over.
On Christmas day, I sang at the annual Christmas Cantata at the stake center here in São Luís. It was a lot of fun. Also, on Christmas day I said good afternoon to a drunk person on the street and he swung his arm into my stomach and called me a whole bunch of bad things. Merry Christmas to you too...
Yesterday, I saw something pretty interesting. There was a lady with a big kitchen knife and a guy with a machete chasing another man swinging their big knives at him. He only had an umbrella to defend himself. Fortunately, he made it into someone elses house. Then the two with the knives started arguing with eachother and dispersed. Some people need to sit back and relax and enjoy the Christmas Spirit. Also, apparently transfers were today, but no one in my district was transfered. So, my huge district of 4 missionaries still includes (since October), Sister Lúcia, Sister Hallman, Elder Bezerra, and me. But things are all good here.
Today, I want to talk a little bit about faith. Many people think that faith is a belief in God, and in some contexts you would be right, but if you look into it that´s not the case. Faith is a belief in something that you know is true but cannot see or have not seen. For example, the wind, you can´t see it, but you can see it´s effects and you know that it exists. So, why is faith important? Or, why is faith in Jesus Christ so important? Sure we can believe that He exists, we can see the effects that Christ and His gospel has on others, but when we have faith in Jesus Christ, we follow His teachings and keep His commandments. Faith without works is dead. If we have faith in Jesus Christ, we need to do all that we can to do what He asks of us. We need to follow His gospel having faith in Him, repenting, being baptised and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost by someone who holds His authority, and enduring, keeping the commandments, until the end. I know He lives. Let´s show are faith in Him. I love you.
-Elder Samuel H. Chiba
Christmas Eve Dinner
Christmas Morning Pancake Breakfast with the Sister Missionaries
Zone Baptism
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