I felt the love that God has for every single one of his children, but that God will not take away our agency.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! Yesterday haha but HAPPY NEW YEARS this Sunday!!! Remember church is super fun and the best way to celebrate :) except for being a missionary that is pretty fun too (even though people call us #partypoopers) hahaha! but it's okay.

I am still stuffed from yesterday ughh I hate being full. But things are going well here! Tons of Marijuana and drunk people.... but they are so nice that is the good thing...like crazy nice... too nice haha. Ughh and Dumb Cavaliers... I know I shouldn't talk about that but I heard it was pretty intense haha. Ummm...but besides that things are going well! I love the mission!! Time is flying which is just weird, sometimes I like it sometimes I don't and it scares me. BUT MY FAMILY ESPECIALLY MY BROTHERS HAVE COMPLETELY CHANGED!!! I hope everyone hasn't changed that much.... I'm scared... aha what can happen in 7 more months...whoah.  But I hope you all are doing good and things are going great! Enjoying the nice weather up there!! (It is weird saying up there to GA)

But although this Christmas was super happy and good it was also sad seeing how addictions are destroying practically everybody. Addictions come in so many forms. I was talking to this drunk guy, and he just started crying, saying "I used to be a good kid like you. But he got me...he trapped me and he wont leave me. I just want to be a good kid again (He is like 27) please tell me what I can do. Please help me." And he was in tears and I had no idea what to do and I prayed for help and invited him to church but it was so sad. I have heard stories of missionaries crying because people won't accept the gospel but to be honest I have never really had that experience until that day. And I just felt so bad because I couldn't help him, and because the addictions are sunk so deep down especially here with alcohol. That was an amazing experience for me because I felt the love that God has for every single one of his children, but that God will not take away our agency. That moment definitely changed my life.

Also another cool tender mercy was this lady from the states sent our ward a ton of presents and said give all the presents to one family who needs it most. So we went on a mission and found this less active family who are SUPER humble and super nice and just seeing the kids face when they saw the presents was priceless. I always forget to take pictures...ughh haha. But I had a wonderful Christmas and next year will sure be different. But I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas as well and take care!!!

our investigator does scuba-diving tours haha and he found all of these

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Skype

Yea - happy day!

(a couple days early because Jeff worked Christmas Eve & Christmas). 

Brandon looks and sounds wonderful!

so this Christmas try and brighten somebody's day and I promise your Christmas will light up more than all the Christmas lights you could possibly put up!!!

So this week... Umm I have to remember I just changed agendas. My companion is doing so good at English. He could teach lessons by himself if he trusted more in himself. He is very good and he understands almost everything, it's just the Kriol here throws off the Latino missionaries because they don't know what is proper English or what is Kriol. But he is doing great!!

We are celebrating another birthday today, so that will be cool. Also we had a multizone with president Adams and that was so special and so amazing!! One of my favorites and the spirit was there so strong!! I am getting good at cooking I think...I'm not sure if I'm getting better but I'm getting practice haha.

All the missionaries gave talks again and it was super special, just attendance is dropping like crazy in these days...Belize is going crazy haha. Whoah I have never walked so much in my life either...hahaha I can't wait to have Heelies. BUT WE ARE GETTING FED LIKE CRAZY!!!! Oh my goodness it is not even Christmas yet...haha and I am dying of being full haha. But we literally walk it out so that's nice.

WE GOT HOT WATER!!! Hot water is one of the greatest inventions in the world!!! I love hot water...I love love love hot water!!! one would think that the water here would be hot without a heater but NOPE! haha.

But anyways....haha. I LOVE THE MISSION AND EVERYTHING!!!! I hope everybody is doing great and have a great week and A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! And the Belizians here sing a song all the time and it is really sad, it says, "Santa Clause, will you ever come to the ghetto?" so this Christmas try and brighten somebody's day and I promise your Christmas will light up more than all the Christmas lights you could possibly put up!!! Take care!!

Multizone Meeting (Brandon's at the piano in bottom 3 pictures)

comp got one year

comp made me really good soup and we had to make the cake for today...

We aren't the best cooks haha but we tried

I was so scared it was going to pop

feeling some peace

Hey so my new companion Elder Contreras is amazing and we are doing good work!! Things are going good...walking...sweating...haha ummmm...eating... playing basketball....trying to be leader of 4 sisters.... and waiting for hot water again...it's been like 4 weeks with cold water...after my year in El Salvador with cold water...haha anyways...things are going good here!

I tried gluing this angry bird I have on my back pack in a restaurant and it started smoking and got really hot and I think it was about to catch on fire...but it didn't luckily.
One of our baptismal dates got put in jail...so that is sad... ummmm I DUNKED A BASKETBALL!!!! hahaha but the rims were shorter. We sometimes on Monday nights go out with members and play on top of this 3 story building with a chain linked fence around it and show people that we can do more than walk around haha and that was so fun. "But He's from the states that's why" hahaha cool stuff. anyways... missionary stuff haha.

This week has been good just really hot, but I have finally been feeling some peace after a crazy change haha. We have been finding some really smart people to teach and that just makes our job so much easier when people try to understand because they themselves have a desire to learn.

Christmas is coming...what the...haha Time just flies by. But I had the primary program yesterday and I played the piano and that was super cool. Cool things that are happening this week, my companion completes one year in the mission, anddddd....we have tons of food appointments...haha. But anyways, haha I have no idea what to say anymore to be honest but if anyone has any questions or is curious to know anything feel free to ask haha :P Have a great day/week!!

Angel in his primary program, water break...haha,
and a random boat passed by...

SERVE SERVE SERVE!!! YOU WILL BE SO HAPPY IF YOU FREELY SERVE!!!

This week was a hard week...but it wasn't nessasarrily bad (sorry I'm giving up on spelling) haha Belize Kriol is destroying my English worse than Spanish.

But anyways...I had interchanges with ELDER HARRIS!!! which was so amazing! And we met this member who is the most humble guy I have ever met (and I have met quite a bit) and Elder Harris gave him cookies and he prayed and while he prayed he literally talked with God. Like a conversation. He would talk, then stop a little and say "Yes I will Father, thank you" And "Please glorify these two young men" and I just felt this power. And it's not like this guy is crazy or anything he is just so so humble....and I think he is blessed because of it. That was such a cool prayer and I felt the spirit so strong it was crazy. That was cool.

Our branch mission leader was assaulted with his newly wed wife (is that a phrase?) so keep him in your prayers. He is doing fine but he got beat and his eye is pretty messed up :( but he is doing good right now.

COROZAL HAD A BAPTISM!!!!!! Which it has been a LONG TIME since that area had a baptism but they did and I am so happy for them! I got to do the interview which was pretty cool and it is sweet!

Also my companion who knew nothing of English 6 weeks ago...bore his testimony in Spanish..and in English yesterday for testimony meeting. It was pretty cool to hear that miracle. And of course the Christmas devotional was amazing yesterday especially that last prayer haha it made me feel good. 
BUT SERVE SERVE SERVE!!! YOU WILL BE SO HAPPY IF YOU FREELY SERVE!!! I PROMISE!!! but take care.

We have changes and my companion is leaving...I am staying here!! Obviously I haven't found who God wanted me to find yet...haha so I will keep looking! MY fourth companion in this area haha. I am so happy tobe here though!! Anyways...have a great week and look for ways to do small service to anyone and everyone!!! Talk to you next week!!

I fell during basketball...haha but I bought
a super cool basektball for 30 belizian

super humble man I will talk about later (above)