Merry Christmas!

People in my mission call Des Moines the "Promised Land", and I can see why. The people here are incredible, the city is beautiful, and they have a Buffalo Wild Wings.

Last night we had a dinner with this family from El Salvador. Before I ate with them, my only experience with this family was a video I saw of their son, kevin, destroying a cake with his face. Needless to say, my expectations were off the charts. When we got there, we ate some tasty mystery part of some animal and then we had the coolest spiritual thought ever. It was pretty normal at the beginning but the dad started to tell us how he loves the missionaries, and how he hates to see them go, and he started to cry when he told us about how he's looking forward to see us and talk with us after we've all been resurrected. It was something I had been thinking about a lot, especially after I left Ottumwa. I miss those people a lot but I'll see them again, one way or another.

I love you all, have a good Christmas and make sure you do what you can to do what Christ would do this time of the year. 

Hello Des Moines!

Hey everyone! I just left my home in ottumwa and im now in des moines,

Des Moines is so awesome. I got a Panda Express gift card when i was in Ottumwa but there wasn't a panda express there or even a wendys haha but now i can use it haha

Before I left ottumwa we had a P Day in muscatine and a few missionaries did the Blazing Challenge at Buffalo Wild Wings and a Sister from draper finished it and that was crazy

I'm serving in the only spanish branch left in the mission and it is awesome. The members feed us dinner every night and sometimes lunch as well. My companion, elder rocha, is a recent convert from the Dominican Republic and hes so cool. The Members love him because he is a native and super funny

Elder Rocha and I have been telling people that im from Chihuahua, mexico and a lot of people believe me haha, Elder Rocha thinks its hilarious haha. A member took us to an el salvadorean restaurant here and we were talking with the owners, and this guy said "But you're all white! You cant speak spanish!" And then we convinced him i was mexican and he believed me but then the member saw my name tag and called me out because of the H in Thomas and then they all laughed at me haha

In the branch they have sacrament meeting third which is kind of weird, but at church this week I really felt a desire to go to sacrament meeting. Usually sacrament meeting on the mission is a substantially stressful experience, what with waiting to see if people will start progressing towards eternal salvation or not. But the branch is a special place for sure and even though the congregation cant seem to figure out singing hymns I really felt the spirit. There was a lot of love there and you can tell. There's this one hermana who passed mints out to like 1/3 of the building, the youth bring friends, it crazy. I love it here.

Church is really important, I wish I would have shared it with more of my friends back home. Please share it with your friends and the people you love because this gospel is the best gift you could give anyone.

I love you!