My wonderful family and friends!
Happy 2016 everyone! Last year at this time I had just opened my mission call and now here I am in Spain serving these incredible people! I love my mission so much and I am so grateful for the time that I have been able to spend here this year and I can´t wait for all of the amazing experiences that lie ahead in 2016.
Christmas in the mission really is THE BEST! I know that everyone says that but it is hard to believe until you actually live it. I loved every second of it! We did a lot of service for other people... like singing with the relief society at an old folks´ home, making white trash (an Eyring family favorite) for members and less active members, making christmas cookies and caroling to recent converts, having a christmas breakfast for anyone who didn´t have family for christmas (mom, everyone LOVED the cinnamon rolls and crepes! The elders were especially happy with those. Everyone said to tell you thank you!), and also eating A LOT of food... including lots of turron (a traditional candy here in spain during christmas time). The members were so sweet to us and were always giving us gifts and feeding us! On Christmas Eve we ate with the Campos! They even surprised us with gifts under the tree! Then we slept under our little christmas tree that night and we watched a little bit of the first presidency christmas devotional. In the morning we watched Liza´s "real meaning of christmas" dvd and talked about our gifts to give to the Savior! And then we took lots of videos of us opening up presents under the tree :) We had medio dia on Christmas Day with the Rocha family and it was a huge BBQ which was really fun! And then we SKYPED! That was probably one of the highlights of the year! I loved being able to see my whole family and to share our testimonies together on Christmas. It was definitely very different being away from home for my first Christmas but I loved being able to at least talk to all of you. Thank you for making my Christmas so magical! We went and had dinner at the Giron´s house (another family in the ward) and found out that Alejandra is moving on January 7th and she is supposed to get baptized on January 9th!!! We both just cried and cried! She is so prepared and it is going to be really sad to see her leave, but I know that no matter where she goes that she will get baptized because she knows the church is true and has a testimony of her own!
Christmas doesn't end here in Spain on December 25th! We had a wonderful medio dia at Obispo´s house with a lot of members for the "holiday after Christmas"... San Esteban! We aren´t really sure what the holiday is and nobody in Spain really knows either... they just think of it as another fiesta and time to eat more food. So we celebrated it in Obispo´s house with lots of members and had an INCREDIBLE meal. Also, next week is dia de los reyes! Which here in Spain is apparently even bigger than christmas! This is when the three kings come and brings LOTS of gifts for all of the kids and there are a ton of fiestas celebrated on January 6th! Pretty much the holidays don´t really stop until the end of January! Which is fine by me! We still sing christmas hymns in church and everyone´s talks and lessons are all still focused on christmas even though it already ended. I really actually enjoy it because then it´s not just a one day event but we have more time to think about what we are really celebrating!
Church yesterday was also another highlight of my week!! We had not seen Steven all week and when we walked into church HE WAS SITTING THERE 5 minutes early all by himself!!!! It was a Christmas miracle! He loved church so so much! And another christmas miracle... President and Sister Dayton came to our ward on Sunday. Hermana Dayton´s son just returned home from his mission in Africa and so he really enjoyed talking to Steven all about his country and what he is doing here in Spain! It helped Steven a lot to know that someone has so much confidence in him. Another investigator, Patrick, was in a different class with President Dayton and he was really able to help him better understand everything that was going on and be a friend to Patrick. I love President and Hermana Dayton so much. I know that Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for each of us and it is neat to be a missionary and see his plan fitting together just like a puzzle.
Our recent convert, John, is really progressing and we are teaching Him about the temple. Everytime we talk about it his face lights up and He is so excited to prepare to go and do baptisms for the dead. He is such a huge example to me! Even though it costs a lot of money and is far away He says he wants to go as soon as possible! I am really excited for Him. I know that as we sacrifice just a little bit to be able to get to the temple then we will be blessed. The people here really have to give a LOT to go to the temple. But in the United States we are so blessed to have temples really near by. I would challenge you all to set New Year´s resolutions to go to the temple more often and make it a priority in your life and you will come to see many blessings from it.
My favorite scripture that I read from this week is found in Luke 9:7-62. The Savior is asking us to follow Him. Not to follow Him after we get the things WE THINK are important done. Not to follow him after we hurry and post one more picture to instagram instead of reading our scriptures or just sleep for 30 more minutes instead of going to the temple. He is asking us to give up everything we can and follow Him. This is 100% consecration. It is hard, I know that. But He promises us blessings beyond comprehension if we will but choose to give up our own wants, wills, and desires, and follow Him in every step of our lives. I know that as we do this we will come to know our Savior more and we really will be able to walk with Him and do the will of our Father in Heaven. Digo estas cosas en el nombre de Jesucristo, Amén.
Have a phenomenal week and a very Happy New Year!
Love you!
Love,
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