A Christmas Quacker

Very Merry Christmas to everyone! 

Most decorated home in all England
(not very many houses look even close to this)

I can't believe that this week is already Christmas!!! What... Time seriously flies by and guess what...
We are almost in 2016 which is even crazier! Remember when we were all supposed to die four years ago... Yeah, guess not haha. But this week has been a really good one but a hard one. I personally was getting so much opposition in the work with so many people dropping some serious f-bombs and such and it was just so absurd with how people aren't even happy during Christmas. Come on now... It's the most wonderful time of the year and that's how you act. Anyways... Besides having two people get all up in my space this week (literally about two inches from my face denying the existence of God and the joke of the work we are doing) I stood my ground and defended the cause which made it a better week because I truly felt so good for defending my God and my Savior and
His work. Something big is around the corner for sure! Opposition always before a great miracle! Anyways, hope all is well and that everyone is enjoying this Christmas Season! Here is this weeks scoop!

Cheeky Smiles after getting haircuts

Tuesday: December 15th 2015
So today was interesting. We started by having such a good contacting day and then after that, it kind of spiraled down. Explanation: So, after we had lunch, we had to pay for a ticket because our landlord didn't send us our parking permit in time and the popo got us and so we drove to Bracknell to pay for it but when we got there... We realized something special; we had forgotten the ticket at the flat. So then we had to drive all the way back to the flat and grab the ticket and drive all the way back to the chapel. So now we get there to pay it and then our payment didn't go through so we then had to do it a different way (through a member and we just paid her back) but then... Here we go again right? We drive to Farnborough to do some potential finding and then Elder Richins forgot his satchel at the chapel... So guess what, we have to go all the way back again. haha It was a very long day after that and we just finished with some quick lessons with some recent converts and Victor (our soon to be baptismal date if him and his girlfriend get married soon!)

Wednesday: December 16th, 2015
We went to Oxford for a district meeting and that went super well and then we began our exchange with the Didcot elders. I had a great exchange with Elder Wagaman and we found a couple of potentials that they can teach sometime after all this crazy Christmas stuff cause everyone is busy and traveling.

Thursday: December 17th, 2015
So we got a call early morning from the assistants about some urgent news we had to take care of so that was what we did after we exchanged back and later that night did some service and then dealed with the issue at hand. 'Twas good.

Friday: December 18th, 2015

Elder Yang: Master Chef

We went on exchanges with Basingstoke today and it was a great one. I was with Elder Yang (he is from Taipai) and he was also a professional cook before his mission and so we had investigators request him to cook dinner for the night and he really enjoyed that and then we had a wonderful
lesson with them on Eternal marriage (Victor and his Girlfriend and family) and it went super well and they asked us why we wanted an eternal marriage and we gave them our responses. This was also the day when people dropped some serious f-bombs and got up in my face so it was a great day! I love opposition.

Saturday: December 19th, 2015
We exchanged back at about noon and then we all went District Finding in Bracknell and after loads of opposition again (and another person screaming in my face) we found about 10 solid people for the sisters to teach) We finished up the night with the Bakers and we had a very bold lesson with them on some things that they need to work on and that they have committed to do and so it was effective but frustrating to say the least.

Sunday: December 20th, 2015

Sunday's Sunset!

Today was a good Sunday, very interesting start which I will probably share later in the future but for now, we will keep it at interesting!:) Ask me in the future for the full story! But it was a great day at church, the primary performed the nativity and it was amazing! So many cute little munchkins running around doing their role and it was really good! Later that evening, the Reading stake had their Christmas choir concert and that was AMAZING! We then had our accounting and called it a night!

Monday: December 21st, 2015
So today we are just doing some preparations for the Christmas week and have some cleaning to do in the car and the flat and then we will just resume as normal but we are really looking forward to Christmas this week (that sounds weird...) and then of course, being able to skype home for the first time on the mission field which is exciting and also weird because it has come very fast but I   am really looking forward to it!

Verse of the Week:
Isaiah 9:6
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!!!
I love you all and will talk to you soon!!!

Love,
Elder Rivera