MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Thanks again for the WONDERFUL phone call! That made my Christmas. No present could match the gift of hearing all of your voices!.. Everyone sounds great! Ryan, I still can't believe he's 5'8, and has a manly voice! I'm still buzzing out over it. Ha I'm bummed out actually, because I want my little Ry back lol!

Christmas was great here in New Zealand! We opened our presents and boy if I'm not the most spoiled missionary then I don't know who is lol! I love EVERYTHING! My family really made my Christmas! We had a huge dinner as well with some members! And the Temple Lights topped of the night! And another great gift from God. Yesterday President Worthen (Stake President from Tauranga) was in town and he called up and he and his family came and visited me last night! And I was able to give them a Christmas gift! It was great! Because I spent last Christmas with the Worthens so it was nice to have them around again! We had a good week, filled with the Christmas lights and just busy work that needed to get done. BUT...... Hamilton broke the ZONE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Zone Best hasnt' been broken for ages, we are talking like almost two years! So we all worked really hard and had many miracles and God blessed us to baptize 21! Breaking the zone best of 17! Great way to end the year out! Going from Gisborne, breaking the zone best twice, baptizing many people. And not to boast, I only boast in my God, but just to show you how blessed I've been. I've been part of 17 different baptisms the last three months! So right now I'm accomplishing my goal and President Porter's goal of baptizing weekly! So thank Heavenly Father for the success that I'm having! Right now our area needs some work. We are really focusing on only people that can progress quickly. Being a Zone Leader in a huge zone we don't have much time to work with those that will take ages to progress, so we've decided we can only find and teach those that are truely of 'thine elect'! It will take lots of faith, obedience and miracles but I know the Lord will bless us with this because he already has been!

This past week I got to catch up with lots of the people I used to know from other ward I've served in! Got to see Simi and Amanda. And pretty much the rest of the Swanson ward! That was a great blessing. As well as people from Tauranga. I don't know if you remember Mare from Greerton. But he got baptized and President Worthen told me last night that he is going to be serving his mission in June!!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait for that! Right now we have one person set for January 16! There is a little branch in Kawhia. And we have been having many miracles. We are teaching this guy named Bryon, his records are lost and we are going to re-baptize him. There is a Samoan family that we are teaching and they are great! I'm really looking forward to teaching them more! As well as this 80-something year old lady that is choice! So we are praying because they are probably our most progressing investigators right now!

THANKS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOVE YOU ALL HEAPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Belnap