December 5, 2016- DISSA BRAN'-NEW CAR, MON!

       Friends, Romans, etc. etc.

I give you my sweetest blessings, glad tidings of great joy, and everything thing in between.

So. This week has been good.

First off, it snowed last night! AH I am sooo happy. It finally feels like Christmas. I loved the Christmas Devotional and I highly encourage everyone to go and watch it. 

Secondly, today is day 5 on the Light the World calendar. The invitation for today is, "Jesus healed the sick, and so can you." If you haven't committed to do this yet, do it. If you have any reason you could possibly think of why you should not do it, do it anyway. Because basically if you don't commit to doing that then you're saying you'd rather do other things than try to be like Jesus. Really though, I understand circumstances arise but I think this program is so good for everyone to be a part of. It is my firm belief everyone should give a great concerted, and even straining effort to make it a part of their Christmas season this year, because in doing so they invite great blessings into their lives.

Also, Tim, a previously mentioned returning member, got the Melchizedek Priesthood yesterday, and also he told me of a dream he had. It was a little odd at first, but as he unfolded the story of the dream and what it meant to him, Both Elder Ng and myself (and Tim of course) felt the power of the Spirit. He explained first that he doesn't have dreams. He hasn't had a dream in years, but the other night (earlier this week) he had a dream that included me and his deceased mother. We were studying the New Testament together, getting ready to go to church. He knew church was starting soon so he explained to me we had to go to church. His mother got up and left, and I was sad that she had to go and couldn't come with us. He explained that it was okay because she had studied scripture and did what she could, and she could come to church later if we make it possible for her. It ended as both Tim and I went to church. What is cool about all this is that Tim has finally prepared the temple work for both his parents and is preparing to go to the temple and be baptized for his father and to see his mother's baptism done. Anyway, it was a special experience for me and I hope it helped someone feel the Spirit and see God's hand in His work here on earth.

Secondly, and on a lighter note, I went to get our car assessed for the damage I did to it. A rather jovial Jamaican man who was nearly half my height and weight came out of the auto shop in a white jumpsuit to perform the assessment. He walked around the car, stood in the cold for a moment, looking at it, then sat down in the dirt and peered a bit closer, stood up, looked at Elder Ng and I, then shouted in his most pleasantly shrill and distinct Jamaican accent, "Dissa bran'-new car mon!"

It took every ounce of self control I had to not just erupt in laughter right then and there. Anyway the car will be taken care of this week so all is well.

That's all I have for today folks. Thank you all for your love and support. I appreciate all the extended love and communication many of you have given me. I know it is a lot of time from your lives to make arrangements to write and email me and I want you all to know I really appreciate the effort you put in to talk to me. At the end of the day, you are all my beloved friends and family, and your correspondence is oftentimes the only thing that gets me through. I value every one of you and all that we share together.

Similarly, your Heavenly Father has feelings quite a bit like what I just described. (One major difference being he doesn't really need to "get through" anything haha) But he does value each of you more than I ever could in the midst of my human follies, and his eternal desire to hear from you is greater than any petty hope I can have to hear from you. If you don't find the power of ability to correspond with me, then do at least this one saving and simple thing: Pray to your Father in Heaven. Never forget him. If you can send an email to me, then you can say a prayer to Him. In fact, I would rather hear from none of you knowing that all of you strengthen your relationship with God in prayer every night. (Luckily, we live in a world where both things are possible, so no need to only do one of those things! haha).

I love you all, and I wish you the merriest of Christmases.

Love,

Elder Callor