"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, Everywhere You Go"

 5 MONTH MARK!!

Almost 1/4 done, that is crazy. Well, it has been a pretty good week up here in the North. Well, I don't think I told you last week but the accents are so much thicker up here so that is interesting. After everything they say they say, "so we do, or so we did." Like "We went to the store, so we did, and we're going home now, so we are." It is really funny.
Well Wyatt and Dawn might like to know that I met Brother Linch on Sunday he was the high counselor for our ward and will be back again this next Sunday. For those of you who don't know, Vern Turley, Dawn's Dad, converted this man's wife and her two sisters when he was over here on his mission, they often go to Snowflake to go see Vern, in fact they were there in July. So, it was fun to meet him, someone who had a connection to home and has been to my town. He's a really nice guy. So that was fun we talked for quite a while on Sunday. He thinks my brother Wyatt walks on water, but so do I so that's okay I guess.
Well appointments are kind of getting slow the last week or so building up to Christmas. Everyone says, "call us after Christmas," which is understandable, but makes missionary work go slow when you're knocking on doors all day instead of teaching. But we do have some good investigators that I'm excited to work with. Theres one lady named Helen. She got pregnant at 16 and her mom kicked her out of the house and so she lived on the streets for a while and then moved in with alchoholics that beat her all the time, anyways she has had a really hard life. So, we are helping her overcome her past a little bit and she reads the Book of Mormon every day and she is doing well. I think she will come to church on Sunday as well. Shes probably about 45 but she's a really good person. Her mother has custody of one of her sons and she hasn't been allowed to see him for 2 years. So, she asked us to pray that she would be able to see her son again. So fast Sunday we fasted for her and within the next week her mother called her up, she hasn't talked to her in two years and said that she could come and see her son before Christmas. It was a Miracle. So that's Helen.
We found out today also that an Elder here in Ireland Elder Moore, has a 15-year-old sister that has been diagnosed with cancer. Sad sad sad.
As you look at these two situations and think of what some people have to go through in this life. You realize how you have nothing really to worry about, no real problems in your life compared to these things. Most of the things that we all worry about are just trivial meaningless things that don't make one bit of difference in the long run.
Well, I was shocked today that I didn't have an email telling me how Cody ended up so shame on all of you. but hopefully he did pretty good I guess I will talk to you next week. Mom your Clay Walker concert sounded like a blast I wish I could have been there that would have been fun. How did Christie Lee Cook do?
Last night we had the branch Christmas party which was very nice. They had a nice dinner and then a brother in the ward Brother Kilgore and his daughter played their guitars and sang and they did really well, everyone was getting up and dancing and it was a good time. It seems like the ward has a good time together and truly love being together, maybe because they are so small in number and so they appreciate each other more. So, after that it feels a little more like Christmas. It's hard to get in the Christmas mode not having a tree or anything or any Christmas decorations.
Well tomorrow is Zone Conference so that should be good I am looking forward to that. We should be getting our Christmas Packages there as well so that will be good. Next week I think we have Christmas Eve, which is Pday, Christmas and Boxing Day off to just spend with members and investigators so that will be a good break. The Maxwells, a counselor in the Branch Presidency invited us over for Christmas so that should be good. All of their kids are coming on the 26th. So, I will let you know next Wednesday what time I will call and everything. I'm really excited. Hopefully my companion is not a terd and expects me to only talk 30-40 minutes which is recommended, cause that just ain't gonna happen. Right Mom! Thats Right! :)
Well I hope you guys are all doing well, recovering from being in Las Vegas. And getting ready to have an Awesome Christmas.
Thanks for the letters this week, Mom and Dad, Jamie, Jeanette and Family, Aunt Carla, Aunt Marsha, And Jarom(which I hear is a fatty and has put on 25 pounds :)) Thanks for the Emails, Aunt Marsha, Aunt Carla, Jamie, Wyatt, Allee, Aunt Oona, and Aunt Pam.
My Address should be the same throughout my mission so keep writing to:  Elder Hancock
Ireland Dublin Mission
The Willows, Finglas Road
Glasnevin, Dublin 11
Ireland
Hope to talk to you all soon. I Love and miss you all.
Elder Hancock