So I left 28 days ago today. It's so unbelievably true that "the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days."
Christmas is in one week. The following are some reasons why this stinks:
1. My p-day is on Christmas. Everyone whose p-day is not on Christmas gets a "free" p-day, if you will, meaning that they get Christmas and their regular p-day. We do not. I will not be able to email you because we can't leave on Christmas, and nothing would be open anyway.
2. The next Tuesday is New Years. Again, nothing open. No p-day.
3. I will be stuck inside the CTM for 3 straight weeks starting at the end of today. We're attempting a united front but it's not looking good. President Carden's response was "that's the way the cookie crumbles." Clearly overly sympathetic.
4. I'm not home with y'all.
I will now share with you some anecdotes from this past week, despite the fact they I wrote them in the letter I just mailed home.
On Friday my district went proselyting for the first of three times. It was the best day that I've had here so far. Someone who had already gone had told us to talk to the first person we see when they drop us off because the longer you wait to talk to someone the scarier and more difficult it gets. This is especially true knowing myself as I do. So when we got out of the taxi-bus Elder Markowski and I started down the street and saw a man sitting against a wall just kinda hanging out. So we approached. We stood in front of him and I went to town; everything we had been learning for the past 3 weeks just started coming out. I was about halfway through when I stopped, looked at him, and realized he hadn't even acknowledged us. This is because he was a blind, homeless man. Possibly deaf as well.
Aside from that though our 2 hours of proselyting were a huge success. We gave out 3 Books of Mormon and about 15 pass-along cards. Everyone we talked to was nice and interested and even the people who didn't listen to us weren't mean about it. A lot of people dismissed us with a wave and said "sou catolico/a," "I'm Catholic." I'd better get used to that. I'm so glad I'm not in the US though. It was so much fun to just talk to people and have them listen and be able to understand them and feel the spirit as we shared our message. Especially with those people to whom we gave out the BoMs.
It's hard for me to get into the Christmas spirit here because, well... even though the CTM is all decked out in lights, aside from that the only thing that reminds me of Christmas is the white snowflake and construction paper Christmas tree my companion has hanging from his bed.
On Christmas Day WE GET TO SLEEP IN!!!!!! As late as we want! I can't wait. It's the only time during my whole mission that this will happen-- unless I catch a terrible disease. But it's the only time where I can sleep in, and be healthy at the same time. I will savor it. Then we get to eat food, watch The Other Side of Heaven (I think that's what it's called... about that missionary in Tonga or wherever? He's actually in Elder Markowski's ward in Bountiful. He lives like 2 houses down from the guy) and they hung out.
I have some missionary council for you all: read Preach My Gospel. It's the best. Bust it out and study a principle a night or at family home evening or whatever. It's scripture. It was compiled by the prophets. It's... amazing.
Love you all,
-Elder Sisco