Week 29-Holladay, UT

On Christmas Day! Lots of snow in Utah!

Had dinner on Christmas and skyped at this family's house

Another family we had dinner with this week

I don't have a lot of time so there may be quite a few mistakes. First of all, Merry Christmas!! Second of all, It is been a slow but crazy week!

We had an amazing Christmas! I loved it. We each saved one package for Christmas morning and opened it! Thanks Mom for the acne cream....haha It was so nice to see family and enjoy the company of some awesome members here for Christmas. I had kind of a cool experience for Christmas Eve! Our mission was invited to listen to an evening of Christmas music! There the lights were dimmed and soft quiet and peaceful music was played. It was a wonderful time for reflection. I thought about my experiences so far that I've had on my mission. I thought about the people I was working with now and in the past. I thought about how I was progressing and what I've accomplished. I thought about my Savior and all that he has come to mean to me. As I was pondering this, my mind and my heart were filled with peace. I felt like I had accomplished something and God was proud of what I had done. I felt like I was on a higher plane of thought and was able to see things clearly. I felt a great love for my first companion who recently went home early. I wished I could give him a big hug and tell him to come back. That he still had things to do and accomplish. That God loved him and that this experience would be life changing if he let it!

Anyways kind of another crazy story. Robert was baptized this weekend and was not confirmed. Hopefully he will be confirmed sometime this week or next weekend. I've never tried so hard and struggled so much for a baptism. After his interview with the zone leaders, he disappeared. We called him so many times and texted him more! We stopped by his house so many times and banged on his door. It was the morning of when he was supposed to be baptized before we knocked on his door, we decided to say a prayer. We said that we have done all we can and now it was in his hands if Robert was supposed to be baptized today. We closed the prayer. Knocked on the door. No answer. We hear footsteps running up the stairs and it was ROBERT! He had forgot something and was running in to grab it. He only would have been there for a minute or so. The timing was amazing and inspired. There was now no doubt God wanted him to be baptized. He later was baptized and the next day didn't show for the confirmation. He'll come this next week. I love that we can rely on the Lord to do his work. It was definitely a testimony builder of the power of prayer. We said a prayer to be able to find Robert and he came running up to us a minute later. We had no contact with him in like four days.

Well, Merry Christmas I've loved the time I've been able to spend in Holladay! The members are kind and amazing! Thank you for your love and support you inspire me to press on! Love you all

-Elder Bass

Later Notes: Brandons baptism was definitely a miracle. He just moved in and had been taught everything. He was on his way to get married by another bishop when i had met him first. We just had his interview and he got baptized.

We had lunch with Elder Christiansen an emeritus member of the presidency of the seventy. He invited someone to his home to be taught. Elder Thompson and I went. The woman that he invited brought a friend with them. He was very well versed on anti doctrine. Most of the lunch was the brother and Elder Christiansen talking to each other. I remember a long discussion and lecture on the priesthood by Elder Christiansen. At one point during the conversation, he turned to elder Thompson and I and said that we would be great leaders in the church. He said that we would be great examples for others to follow. We would also be great missionaries. He said that we would get married and have wonderful families. Later when i got home from my mission, my father gave me a book for RMs which Elder Christiansen wrote.

Brandon's baptism