Best Christmas Ever!

This week has been crazy! Obviously a lot of giving and surprises and Holy Jolly spirits. it was great absolutely wonderful! Last p-day I needed to get a haircut. Haircuts are very expensive here in Irvine. We went into a haircut place and the price was $30 for a stinking haircut. So I said ha ha riggggggght. So I found out there was an elder named Elder Alshengetti who is from Saudi Arabia who knew how to cut hair. So we went to his place and he whacked at it. I got as close to a buzz haircut you could get. My mom saw my picture and now calls me "helmet head". So it fits because I always where my helmet when I ride my bike ha ha. (the little yellow beat up one) So that was fun, getting my hair cut off by someone who doesn't really know how to cut hair. Another fun experience I had was driving down the streets of Irvine California and then I see a "PHO" sign and I was like PPPPPHHHHHHHOOO!! and I remembered Brother Shepherd,my Sunday School teacher, talking about his mission in Washington and eating PHO so I had to go and try it and it looked so good. Its a Vietnamese soup and they put all different kinds of meats into it and oh my gosh is was so good I was able to use my chopsticks skills!!!!!! Thanks brother Shepherd for the insight.
I have been teaching this guy named Josiah. He is African American and he loves Jesus very much and is a great guy. He is a rap artist and he is making a gospel rap CD and stuff ha ha. I was like cool man and i never knew that the gospel and rap could go together but i guess it can. He said that there are a lot of boring gospel songs and that he is just making music that this generation will enjoy. I was like ya rap is spoiling the minds of many teens out there if you could get the gospel rap out there and change peoples lives. So It is pretty chill. I know a rap artist who is into the gospel ha ha. Josiah is my boy. ha ha
This Christmas weekend has been amazing. This weekend has been the best weekend I have had thus far on my mission. I was able to celebrate Christmas Eve by going to the Bishop's house and spending time with his family. They have a daughter who is out on a mission in Peru. Dinner was amazing just like at home and we got spoiled having a Christmas stocking. Christmas morning I received the best gifts in the world. I got some brand new Mountain Dew pajamas, I got Grizzy's twin, and I got a wonderful calender of my cousins and aunts and Uncles. Then a ton of great stockings from family and friends. (my mom will post a picture of my stash). Thank you so much for the letters and packages. This Christmas really meant a lot. I was able to have German pancakes Christmas morning with the Dougal family. Brother Dougal was our ward mission leader. We then went tracting on Christmas and it was so weird. I was able to talk to my family! I have only been gone for a couple months and every one sounds different and it was weird that they were eating Christmas dinner with out me. It was all good because the next day i was able to be a part of the best Christmas present ever. To see Zack and Zane get Baptized. I prayed really hard that my first baptism would be a spiritual and memorable experience and it was. Zack was in the hospital with bronchitis the day before on Christmas but wanted to get baptized so bad and he did. It was amazing to see the faith that they had and knew how important this step was in their life. It has blessed many peoples lives around them including myself. They are absolutely wonderful and it made for a very white December here in California. The spirit was so strong and I loved and enjoy every moment of it. The Christmas Spirit was up and Elder Bannister and I felt so blessed! It was the Best!!!!!!!!! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you will keep on celebrating our Savior Jesus Christ through out the year. Everyone have a wonderful New Year! Talk to all of you later Peace.

Love,

Elder Brown