Cameron's Christmas Letter-Received in January

December 9, 2008

Hello Family! I hope you are all doing well in wonderful rainy Washington. Last I heard there was a snow watch going on up there.

Let me tell you all a bit about how things are going down here. The weather is really hot for starters! While you are enjoying winter, I on other hand am soaking up all of the wonderful sun that Uberaba has to offer! My hair has taken nicely to it and decided to turn blond again. My lower arms, my face and my upper neck are well tanned but the rest of me is still Washington skin. I love Uberaba and wish I could take all of the members home with me and make them live in the USA but I can't. My companion's name is Elder Lima. He's black and a little shorter than me. He is from the north (in Brazil) which generally is hotter but his city has lots of wind so the heat here bothers him. He love soccer and he is 23 years old.

I have been reading a lot from the Ensign lately. I always thought it was just for adults, but it's great reading for teens as well. The words of the prophets are the most recent words that the Lord wants us to know. More recent than The Book of Mormon even. I have read the April General Conference of 2008 4 times and I always learn something new. That conference session was in my opinion the best session to date. I have never heard so many inspired messages. With Christmas rolling around I would encourage you as a family to read the article which I believe is called "Righteous Traditions" and ponder on the traditions that we as a family have developed. Now that I think back it wasn't until I was older that I actually thought about Christ on Christmas Day. Which is no fault of Mom and Dad by the way. They always taught about the nativity and read wonderful stories about the newborn Jesus. But I wasn't focused on it. May I suggest a new tradition for our family. Each morning on Christmas Day, each person pulls a prepared scripture out of their stocking first and take turns reading about the Christ child (starting with the youngest would be best). I am sure Mother and Father can easily arrange this with Santa through a few letters. Then having a family prayer to begin the joyful activities of unwrapping the bounteous gifts under the tree. I just thought that up all by myself! I also re-read it and that's not how I normally write or talk. Weird, huh?

Anyway, I love you all very much and this should be the last letter you receive from me before Christmas!!! So Merry Christmas! Happy New Year and all that jazz.

Love,

Elder Cameron Dean Summerhays

PS Someone try and See if they can get Sammy to remember me, play a recording of my voice or something.