Howdy all! So this past week has been basically fantastic. Thursday we had Zone Conference, had another great opportunity to learn from Pres. Saylin. Then we had a gift exchange thing after it. I got some nice new socks along with some gift cards. Not sure which I was more excited for... Anyways, it was good talking to y'all on Saturday and to hear that all is well with the Fam.

Thanks for all the nifty giftys for Christmas! On Buena Noche (Christmas Eve) we ate with the Orellana family; it was amazing. Then Christmas day we opened presents and had a zone activity; it was a pancake breakfast and then white elephant. The present I gave was little army men and a bag of Mung Beans that have been sitting in our apartment for who knows how long. Then our Christmas dinner consisted of Hamburger Helper and bread because the mother of the house we went to ended up having her baby so the dad cooked. But it was great to spend time with the members and even some investigators on that day.

One cool experience I had was on Christmas Eve.  We went to Walgreens to get the White elephant gifts and when we first pulled up we saw "Old Hillbilly",  a homeless man that Elder Jensen has talked to before and given a Book of Mormon to. He told us how much he loves it and he even took it to the steps of the court house and started reading it when people were telling him to throw it away and stuff. Anyway, we talked with him and invited him to church and just as we were about to end with a prayer a woman who had come out of the store just walked up and set some groceries by him and said, "Merry Christmas". It was very humbling to see the charity around this Christmas season and it definitely softened my heart.

Other than that, we got transfer news this morning. Turns out Elder Jensen is staying here and I am too. I'm stoked for this next transfer here in Galveston and to see many more miracles.

Anyways, Love ya all. Peace and blessings, Elder Cooley