Hello all you wonderful people!
I hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas because I sure have!
I'll tell you a bit about the rest of my week and then I'll get to
Christmas.
On Tuesday we had district meeting and afterwards we had a white
elephant gift exchange where I ended up getting the same half-used
candle that I brought!
In Wednesday we had a really good lesson with Karen about the gospel
of Jesus Christ. This gospel is really so simple! Faith in Jesus leads
to the desire to repentance. Being clean of our sins through
repentance makes us worthy to be baptized. Once we are baptized we
receive the companionship of the Holy Ghost so that we can keep making
good decisions. We continue repenting and having faith in Christ and
we endure to the end! As we do these things, we are ensuring ourselves
a place in God's celestial kingdom. :)
On Thursday we had a zone conference in Málaga and got to see a lot of
other missionaries. We had a really fun talent show; I just watched.
And we got to hear from President and Hermana Andersen! We talked a
lot about goals and the upcoming year. We talked about:
1. What we learned this last year.
2. What we sacrificed for the Lord.
3. What we are going to give to the Lord this next year.
It was good to reflect and make new goals for improving. Hermana
Andersen got cute patterned socks and candy for each missionary.
On Saturday, Christmas Eve, we only worked for the morning and then we
had the afternoon free! The Villamizar family invited us over to eat.
They are a family from Venezuela and all of the older kids have served
missions. They are so fun and we've been doing a multiple present
secret santa gift exchange with them. The weeks leading up to
Christmas we have been giving gag gifts and on Saturday we gave real
presents. I had Elder Egbert and I got him a confetti cannon and a
dollar store pool game. I got a set of cool markers from Elder Köhler.
It was so fun being with the Villamizar family for Christmas Eve. :) A
few hours later we went to Nubia (the Relief Society president)'s
house and ate with her family too! We did another gift exchange there
too. I got a roll of toilet paper with hearts on it. Haha.
On the 25th President Andersen gave us a nice Christmas present and
said we could sleep in until 8 on Christmas instead of getting up at
7! So that was great! Hermana Twede and I got up and opened the
presents from under or little tree. I am so grateful for all of you
who sent me presents or cards and to all of you who sent love and
prayers my way. We had an hour of church and then went home to eat
lunch. We spent a couple of hours in the apartment just relaxing. I
ended up de-junkifying my suitcase because I don't know how to relax
anymore...
Christmas night we headed to the church again so we could skype home!
I got on and talked to my wonderful family and I just felt like I was
home again. Everything was normal and it was great to hear their
voices and chat with them. I had 40 minutes and it went by in a blink
of an eye! I have such a good family.
I thought I would be homesick around Christmastime but I really
haven't. I know I am here for a reason and I am happy to be here.
Christmas here hasn't been like it is at home. I haven't made
Christmas cookies or gone skating but I have been able to remind
people of why we celebrate Christmas. I've been talking about our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ and that is what I am supposed to be doing
this year. I'll be home next year to eat Dad's all blue snowmen sugar
cookie. :)
Today we have had a relaxed pday. We WENT GROCERY SHOPPING DAD. We
didn't skip shopping to play soccer with the elders. And we got a lot
of food for some yummy meals this week. We got home and I introduced
Hermana Twede to the magic of Chilean completos. :)
I almost forgot! Another Christmas present from President Andersen
were transfer calls on Christmas instead of today! Hermana Twede will
be leaving me and going to Elche! My old area!! I am so excited for
her to experience palm tree-y Elche and to fall in the people I fell
in love with. I am so sad Hermana Twede is leaving but we had two
really awesome transfers together. We saw miracles and we cried
together. We learned about having the humility to admit we were wrong
and to overcome problems. We learned how to trust in each other and to
love to serve each other. We have such an awesome relationship and I
am so excited to be friends with her forever. (I already have a lunch
date set up with her mom. :)) BUT I am also very excited for my next
companion! Hermana Gentry! I was in the MTC with her and so I know her
a bit and she is great. I am really excited to see how we work
together. Yay changes!
Merry Christmas! I love you all so much. Enjoy some pictures!
Nubia's Christmas party.
Christmas morning!
Our flowery mugs!
Completos!
Moose pajamas from Dad!
I hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas because I sure have!
I'll tell you a bit about the rest of my week and then I'll get to
Christmas.
On Tuesday we had district meeting and afterwards we had a white
elephant gift exchange where I ended up getting the same half-used
candle that I brought!
In Wednesday we had a really good lesson with Karen about the gospel
of Jesus Christ. This gospel is really so simple! Faith in Jesus leads
to the desire to repentance. Being clean of our sins through
repentance makes us worthy to be baptized. Once we are baptized we
receive the companionship of the Holy Ghost so that we can keep making
good decisions. We continue repenting and having faith in Christ and
we endure to the end! As we do these things, we are ensuring ourselves
a place in God's celestial kingdom. :)
On Thursday we had a zone conference in Málaga and got to see a lot of
other missionaries. We had a really fun talent show; I just watched.
And we got to hear from President and Hermana Andersen! We talked a
lot about goals and the upcoming year. We talked about:
1. What we learned this last year.
2. What we sacrificed for the Lord.
3. What we are going to give to the Lord this next year.
It was good to reflect and make new goals for improving. Hermana
Andersen got cute patterned socks and candy for each missionary.
On Saturday, Christmas Eve, we only worked for the morning and then we
had the afternoon free! The Villamizar family invited us over to eat.
They are a family from Venezuela and all of the older kids have served
missions. They are so fun and we've been doing a multiple present
secret santa gift exchange with them. The weeks leading up to
Christmas we have been giving gag gifts and on Saturday we gave real
presents. I had Elder Egbert and I got him a confetti cannon and a
dollar store pool game. I got a set of cool markers from Elder Köhler.
It was so fun being with the Villamizar family for Christmas Eve. :) A
few hours later we went to Nubia (the Relief Society president)'s
house and ate with her family too! We did another gift exchange there
too. I got a roll of toilet paper with hearts on it. Haha.
On the 25th President Andersen gave us a nice Christmas present and
said we could sleep in until 8 on Christmas instead of getting up at
7! So that was great! Hermana Twede and I got up and opened the
presents from under or little tree. I am so grateful for all of you
who sent me presents or cards and to all of you who sent love and
prayers my way. We had an hour of church and then went home to eat
lunch. We spent a couple of hours in the apartment just relaxing. I
ended up de-junkifying my suitcase because I don't know how to relax
anymore...
Christmas night we headed to the church again so we could skype home!
I got on and talked to my wonderful family and I just felt like I was
home again. Everything was normal and it was great to hear their
voices and chat with them. I had 40 minutes and it went by in a blink
of an eye! I have such a good family.
I thought I would be homesick around Christmastime but I really
haven't. I know I am here for a reason and I am happy to be here.
Christmas here hasn't been like it is at home. I haven't made
Christmas cookies or gone skating but I have been able to remind
people of why we celebrate Christmas. I've been talking about our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ and that is what I am supposed to be doing
this year. I'll be home next year to eat Dad's all blue snowmen sugar
cookie. :)
Today we have had a relaxed pday. We WENT GROCERY SHOPPING DAD. We
didn't skip shopping to play soccer with the elders. And we got a lot
of food for some yummy meals this week. We got home and I introduced
Hermana Twede to the magic of Chilean completos. :)
I almost forgot! Another Christmas present from President Andersen
were transfer calls on Christmas instead of today! Hermana Twede will
be leaving me and going to Elche! My old area!! I am so excited for
her to experience palm tree-y Elche and to fall in the people I fell
in love with. I am so sad Hermana Twede is leaving but we had two
really awesome transfers together. We saw miracles and we cried
together. We learned about having the humility to admit we were wrong
and to overcome problems. We learned how to trust in each other and to
love to serve each other. We have such an awesome relationship and I
am so excited to be friends with her forever. (I already have a lunch
date set up with her mom. :)) BUT I am also very excited for my next
companion! Hermana Gentry! I was in the MTC with her and so I know her
a bit and she is great. I am really excited to see how we work
together. Yay changes!
Merry Christmas! I love you all so much. Enjoy some pictures!
Nubia's Christmas party.
Christmas morning!
Our flowery mugs!
Completos!
Moose pajamas from Dad!
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