Christmas with the Catholics

  December 30, 2024

    Hey hey everybody how are we feeling? I can't decide if this was the shortest or longest week of my life, and I think the correct answer is just yes. It was a great week filled with lots of great memories. The Coca-Cola addiction is in full swing this week but isn't that when the fun begins?

          Christmas with the Catholics

     We got permission to go to midnight mass this year, so like good missionaries, we went! The benches were just barely too small for all 8 of us to sit together, so 4 took one bench, and 4 took another. Well the Catholic priests didn't seem to like that when they came in, so we got moved to the row just in front of the others. We were told we could stay as long as we promised to speak to no one and not participate in the communion. Lit. We definitely lived rent-free in that priest's head because he brought up "the Mormons in the congregation" a good 4 times, but we didn't get kicked out. Score! But he refused to take a picture with us. Less score.

           P-Day shenanigans

     This P-Day, after a gas station run, we were unsure of how to spend the time, and someone had the idea to play chair soccer. Give a bunch of missionaries a coke bottle and a couple chairs and we will be entertained for hours. I don't think anyone was prepared for the level of intensity that came in that game of chair soccer. Note to everyone. A Coke bottle makes a great soccer ball

          Christmas shenanigans

     Christmas Eve consisted of a lot of canceled appointments, leaving us open to ideas of things to do, and we decided on caroling to a few recent converts and members between our area and the other elder's area. There's a video of it out there, so that exists. Their poor ears! Christmas morning was spent with the senior Missionary couple playing games and eating breakfast with all of the Aruba missionaries. I'm a weapon at cover your assets. Then it was off to a recent converts house for a meal, and immediately off to the next member for a meal with the island missionaries and the district councilor. He had a campfire going to cook the food, a few of us just stood there at the campfire. Before last week with the toaster, I hadn't seen an open flame in months!

     This week was filled with miracles and tender mercies, but one of my favorites had to be sharing the message of the birth of Jesus Christ with so many people. His birth was one of the most important moments in the history of everything. His birth and his death are some of the most key aspects of us as Christians. I love my savior and I love that I get to share this message with the world. Have a great week, I love you all!

Ayó, 

Elder Aldrich

Old catholic churches don't have AC

This one's for my momma

Christmas in June

December 23, 2024

 Bon tardi mi rumannan stimá! This week was insane and I did a double take thinking about the fact that Zone Conference was this week! It was a blast of a week so let's chat:

             Preparation for Christmas

      Honestly being a missionary in Aruba for Christmas is crazy cause out here it's still got the heat of mid-July, but I'm hearing Michael Bublé through the store radio. But one of the things I have loved is sharing Christmas messages with people. Thinking about the nativity and the birth of Jesus Christ, our savior, and older brother, just brings me so much joy! And I love sharing that joy with others! I also love coming home at night and turning on our string of lights over the couch, it makes it all a little more festive!

            Zone Christmas! 

      So zone conference was on Tuesday, and President and his wife made it a Christmas-themed Zone Conference, complete with a talent show and a white elephant exchange. Here are some highlights!

     Our talent show consisted of sisters playing Christmas songs on recorders, singing, and a hot dog eating contest. I was challenged to a hot dog eating contest by Elder Larson, where each of us would have 90 seconds to eat as many hot dogs as we possibly could. It was perhaps the most chaotic minute and a half of my life. Yelling and screaming, hot dogs, cameras, I'm pretty sure most people thought one of us would choke and die, it was a good time! 

     White elephant gift exchange I received a swimsuit for a 2-year-old, and there's a video of my reaction to that out there somewhere, but I think I laughed for a solid minute. 

     I saw my son again! Elder Day has been in Bonaire, but I got to see him for ZC, and it was so cool to see how much he has progressed. *sniffle sniffle* I'm so proud of my son :) 

          I need a new toaster

     OK listen up. About 15 minutes before this email was gonna get sent, we had a toaster mishap. Our toaster doesn't have a timer, so you have to time it yourself. My companion, bless his heart, has a love-hate relationship with this toaster. Sometimes his alert that his toast has finished is the smoke alarm. But today we learned that pop tarts are flammable. Elder Winfield and I are in the kitchen and start to smell smoke... THE TOASTER! As soon as I look over, the pop tart has CATCHES FIRE. That one was new for me. We couldn't get the fire out immediately, so I grabbed the toaster, ran outside, and Chuck the toaster into the dirt road. I love making mission memories! 

          More highlights

   - I had an exchange with Elder Magee the new greenie. It went incredibly well, but unfortunately, we could not find a living snake.

   - We have a new friend on a date! He has been taught for a while, but we were able to show him that baptism is a first step, not a last and he asked to be baptized in January!

   - I translated the first chunk of sacrament meeting, and can confirm that translating to more than 2 people is kinda terrifying, and really really fun!

       It was a great week out here in San Nic! So many blessings and so many little miracles! I studied Ether this week and Ether 12 is a powerhouse of a chapter. Go read it. But I'll share my favorite verse:

     "4 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God"

     Faith is the foundation of all things. When we have faith, God gives us the power to accomplish anything he asks. It's a really special promise, and I love thinking about the things God is willing to help us do when we believe in his power and his love.

     I love you all! I hope you all have a very merry and bright Christmas, and I hope it snows everywhere!

Bon Pasku/Feliz Navidad/Merry Christmas,

Elder Aldrich

I am Lightning McQueen

December 16, 2024

 Ladies and Gentlemen, I am Lightning McQueen. Or better, San Nicolás is Lightning McQueen. Think of the finish line in the first cars movie. All 4 of McQueen's tires are popped. That was San Nic this week. We have 1/4 functioning bikes. I enjoyed the walk though!

     One of the recent converts in San Nic is a sweet old lady named Loes. She is from Suriname but has lived in Aruba for a long time, and speaks papiamento. She is perhaps one of the sweetest ladies in the world. Everyone just calls her "Wela" or Grandma including the missionaries. She claims everyone as her own! 

     Honestly, this week has been crazy, not all of it fun, but that is how you grow. I have seen the lord comfort me in countless ways throughout the day, and counting my blessings at the end of the day is a good reminder of just how great life is! "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." Joshua 1:9. The lord is involved in everything, and all things are for thy good. I love you all, have a great week, Stay Great! 

-Elder Aldrich

Wela

Don't mind the shoes

I'm in Arizona now? Or maybe California

December 9, 2024    

  Ok guys. Listen up. I don't know who labeled these islands as "desert islands" but they've clearly never visited Las Vegas, Arizona, or the entire west half of the US. I don't think I've ever seen so much rain in my whole life! 

           And now I live in Arizona! 

     But on another note, I am no longer in Curaçao! I've been transferred to a place in Aruba called San Nicolás, what a place to spend Christmas! So far this place is just straight-up America. Paved roads, fast food, and the occasional white person. I live next to a Wendys and I had a frosty for the first time in months... And it was a beautiful experience.

           I have officially become old! 

    On another other note, I turned 20 like 2 days ago, and birthdays on the mission are the most unreal thing I have ever experienced. I got so many emails from so many people, and I love you all for it. But it's been so weird to experience my birthday in August, and now I understand how my dad feels about August birthdays. A birthday frosty was had, and I have a feeling I will be finding so many excuses to be eating frostys.  Ice cream here is expensive, as is anything that comes from a cow. Fun fact, I'm pretty sure the nearest cow is almost 1000 miles away from me.

                          M'a hari hopi

     I flew into Aruba on Tuesday, and one of the other elders was waiting for his greenie. So for 3 days or so we got to be in a trio and split 2 areas. It gave me some time to get used to a new area and a new island, while also getting to experience the chaos of working in 2 areas. Every free moment was filled with laughs. I'm frequently reminded of how simple Missionary humor is because we found ourselves laughing at things as simple as my horribly timed hiccups! 

Highlights!

- I got to call my family for my birthday, and once again got to experience the chaos and love of my big family

- My brother posted about my birthday and I even received emails from a few people I didn't know haha!

     I know that our heavenly father loves us. I know that he puts things in our path for our growth and our good. I have seen how much my life has changed because of my mission, and my life is forever changed by my heavenly father.

      I love you all! You're all the best!

Ayó

-Elder Aldrich

I love the rain

The 3 day trio