My Dear Family!

By far the best Birthday gift I was able to get was hearing from everyone in the family! Thank you so much for remembering me. =)

This week has been jammed packed with so many things. It feels like it´s been two or three weeks. We were so grateful that the Christmas activity was able to go so well. 

On Tuesday we went to the temple and did initiatory work, Whenever we go to the temple we have always just done the session, so it was a really interesting change (especially to hear it in Spanish for the first time). Then we went to our stake center and waited for all the other missionaries to arrive for the ´´check in´´/first service project which was cleaning the chapels and stake centers in Guayaquil and Durán (another big city that is just across the river from Guayaquil). Then we got together that night and went caroling as a mission to different sectors in Guayaquil which finished with caroling at the temple for the temple missionaries. And that was just the first day!

Then we started Wednesday with visits to nursing homes, and hospital clinics, all leading up to the big mission wide dinner/talent show which was so great. There really is so much talent that the members of the church have. We just have to be more courageous about letting our light shine and not hide it under a bush. =) Our zone did a really fun number where we handed out presents to the other missionaries sitting watching the show. Then our zone leader dressed up as the Grinch and took the presents away. The missionaries talk to Mister Grinch and he gets converted to the Gospel. It was so funny! =) 

We had a really great Christmas as well. Our mission president invited us over for lunch and also to call our families, and then shared a little Christmas message with us. It was a really great experience and talking with all of you really made Christmas so special. =) Dad, I was really grateful for your prayer. Thank you so much for all that you and Mom do for me as a missionary.

As for my birthday, I was so happy with all the great things that you sent! Thank you so much for sending me everything I asked for, as well as some great treats. =) I can already talk a little bit in Portuguese (we live with a missionary from Brazil) and so I´m hoping that with the Portuguese Book of Mormon I´ll learn a lot faster. =) For lunch we went and got Pizza Hut with the other elders in the office and I felt very appreciated. 

Mom, Dad, I´m also excited for your 25th wedding anniversary tomorrow! 25 years is a long time. Really you have set such a great example of a loving family. I´m so happy for all the love that I have felt in our home. Even far away I have felt that love so strongly. Thank you!

I hope everyone has a great week, and a fantastic New Year! 2015 really flew by, and I´m excited for everything that 2016 will bring. =)

I love you all! 

Elder Hales =)   

Baptism of Ismael Saenz