This week has been a
pretty eventful week for me but... all good though! This week was interesting
because it was the Christmas/talent show/zone conference. So that was fun
stuff. It felt like I didn’t work in my area at all this week because I went on
2 divisions and took the day off for the Conference. The Zone Conference was
soooo good. I KNOW that we have inspired leaders that receive revelation from
God here in the mission. One of the things I think you would like to know that
was inspired was the cleanliness part. The week before I begged Elder Reynolds
to teach me his ways of cleanliness. I am naturally a slob. You know that, you
lived with me. But I have been trying to organize myself and yeah. He taught us
"The 5 S’s" - Sort (basically sort everything to see what is
necessary and what it not... what is not, throw away - sooo hard for me)
Straighten (a place for everything, and everything in its place) Shine (Be
clean! If you dirtied it, clean it) Standardize (don’t remember this one) and
then Sustain (daily keep it clean, this one is hard for me too)
Anyways, after this was
the Talent show and OMG I need to find a way to get that to ya’ll. It was
reeaally cool. So last P-day my comp said he wanted to play The Scientist (by Coldplay)
for the talent show, and that morning we sang, "Be Still My Soul" in
Portuguese. I realized that they were in the same key so I threw out the idea
we should try to put them together. Then we realized we both wanted to play the
piano. So we had the idea to switch off. So I won’t tell you the entire
creative process but in the end it came out like this. My comp started on the
piano and shortly after, I came in on the guitar and we are playing The Scientist.
When we get to the chorus I put down the guitar and we play together and he
slides off and grabs his harmonica. I figured out how to play chords so we made
a transition into Be Still My Soul but Scientist style and in the transition he
plays the harmonica. And then we sing Be Still My Soul in Portuguese..... And
WOW, everyone marveled and wondered.... but most of all I did too! I never knew
I had such musical talent to do something like that... YAY! =D
Then came the Christmas
part. So President and his wife both shared stories, and they basically are my
parents here. And it wasn’t until we all sang Silent Night that the Christmassy
spirit hit me. I could just imagine a silent winter Christmas night and
breathing some fresh cold crisp winter air. I could see that President and his
wife really love us. After I just wanted a big mommy hug. It made me think of
how every Christmas season, my mom always worked so hard to celebrate
Christmas. You always tried to make it special together. I miss that. I miss
you...and our full family. But it’s all good. I will really try this year to
make Christmas more about Jesus than family, I guess. I am excited to study and
find how I can fill myself with the spirit of Christmas and preach to others so
they can have a special Christmas like what you did for me.
So there, that is all that
is new with me! Wow. Fun stuff. So I read your Christmas letter. Wow, it has
been an eventful year hasn’t it? It is weird to think I spent half of it with
you guys. It seems like I have been here forever. Ha, and I think it is so
funny that you mentioned the kids growing because I was looking at the pictures
you sent me from a couple letters before. And I compared them with the old
school pictures I had before and WOW! They really have changed. One thing is
for sure though when I get back, Keegan and Riley will be my best friends! I
just know. I think about it all the time how much I will love to hang out with
them when I get back and how much COOLER they will be, ha. It is also sad
though that we are a grown family now. No more KIDS.
LOVE YA FAM!
-Elder Cetraro
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