Merry Christmas

Its almost Christmas here in the Philippines and there still isn't snow...don't know why I keep hoping but you never know. Maybe that's why it doesn't feel like its Christmas...then again maybe its because I'm not back with the ones I love! I sure do miss all you guys, know that you all me everything to me! Although this week wasn't that extravagant, I think I made some growth. It was at our Mission's Christmas Conference which I tell more about later, but we watched a short video that I'm sure most of you are familiar with "He is the Gift". After watching that video, I've really looked at Christmas differently. It's not about all the toys, wrappings, tress and so forth. Its all about the REAL Gift, Jesus Christ. I teared up watching that video, which really doesn't happen very often. I just hit me so hard of how much God loves all of us, so much that he let his only Begotten Son come down here to Earth, not into some royal family in a palace with everything at his command, but into a poor Judean Family, and that he was born in a stable where common farm animals were held. Such an amazing story! I love my Savior so much and I love learning and sharing about Him, that's why I am out here! To help others realize that he is our Lord and Redeemer! A Mission is such a wonderful thing. I've seen more growth out of myself out here than anywhere else! More than Baseball or Hunting or anything could've taught me. Well like I said we had our Christmas Conference this week, and it sure was a blast! I was good to see my last companions, my trainee, and all my Mission buddies. The skits we had were so funny. But of course, my Zone brought home the Gold. The Filipinos sang a Filipino Christmas song and changed it a little to have some Buduts in it ha have fun looking that up on Youtube, that's what all the local trouble making teenagers listen to ha. The the foreigners sang a remix to Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, changing it to Kelly the Finance Elder. It was just making fun of our awesome Finance Elder the whole time, and he was a total sport about it dancing and acting the whole time. And everyone loved it and we won so we were all happy! I was pushing the AP's to let us watch a Christmas Movie but we didn't have time so that fell through ha. Almost got em to let me drive their car too haha just kidding that got shut down by my Trainer Elder Yu fast enough ha. We had a Zone Training to this week. I had to give the Christ-Like Attribute on Charity, thought I pulled it off pretty well. That's what the Holiday Seasons all about so it wasn't to hard to talk about. Well I don't know how amazing Christmas is gonna be this year, guess that's the life of a Missionary. Hopefully Santa stops by too, the only problem is we don't have a chimney so I'm still trying to figure that one out. Well I love you all and I hope you all have an amazing CHRISTmas this year! Remember who its all about ok?!

Love Elder Akins

PS I'll be Skyping home in the afternoon of the 25th about 6 o'clock, y'all are welcome to stop by and say hi if ya want! I'm sure Mom won't be too mad ha!