Rule Number One: Don't Touch the Presents, Dec 15, 2014

Querido Familia y Amigos,

This week... Hmmm, que paso....

We were tracting one day (after biking for like, an hour and a half), and the first house we tracted into, we talked the lady came up after we knocked on the door, then an older man opened the door, and the lady was like, "Yeah, we're Christian, lalala," so we're like, "Well, we're sharing this card about the true meaning of Christmas, and..." and she was like, "I told you, dad! I told you people still say Christmas here!" Then he was like, "Well, most people say Happy Holidays."

I heard a bit of an accent in his voice, so I was like, "Are you from England?" Hermana Brunsdale looked at me like I was crazy, but he when he spoke again, his accent was more evident. He told us about how he lives just outside Liverpool, and he met the Beatles before they were famous; there was this small club where new bands would play and try to get their start, and the Beatles played there a lot. One night, Ray (this British man), went to go pick up his sister from this club, and she was like, "No, Paul's going to give me a ride home today." You know, Paul McCartney. Ray was like, "Thank you kindly, Paul, but my mum wanted to make sure that I took her home." He said once they were famous, his sister never forgave him for not letting her get a ride home from him.

Then the next house that opened their door, the man was like, "Yeah, I've met missionaries before, but they always ignore me." Hermana Brunsdale and I were like, "That's strange. Why?" and he says, "Because of my partner-- my future husband. We have nothing to hide." We don't meet as many gay people as you would think up here in Sodom and Gomorrah, so that was a bit of a surprise.

The next house was even more of a surprise. We opened the screen door to knock, and there was a wreath made of dead twigs and flowers, with animal bones hanging from it and racoon and cat skulls in the top. We told ourselves that it was probably just left over from Halloween--people don't actually live in their houses, they live at work or somewhere, so they're never home. So we knock, and this totally gothic but well groomed man opens the door. He's very polite, but he tells us that he doesn't believe in Christmas. So we ask why, and he's like, "Oh, I was raised Pagan." So we ask his what Pagans believe, because we're innocent little missionaries that were raised in the church and don't know a lot about other iglesias, and he said that Pagans worship death and stuff like that. Umm, scary. He also said that his wreath was a housewarming gift. That's fun.

Then that night, Hermana Brunsdale was like, "Let's go to Mongolian Grill! I love it there!" So we went, and members paid for our meal. (: We are so blessed.

Last night, we sang in a stake choir concert because the branch signed up for it. There are about 12 people in our choir, and 8 of them are missionaries.... So that was fun...

Love you all!

Hermana Miller