CHRISTMAS WEEK!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We sure did! Christmas´s are really special on the mission. This one helped me realize to a fuller extent how Christmas is about remembering our Savior and that he suffered for our sins, for our trials and struggles, for our sicknesses and weaknesses and addictions, so that we all have the opportunity to live with our Father in Heaven forever WITH our families! My family has become so precious to me over my time here in Spain. And to not be able to spend Christmas with them was harder than I thought it would be but the tender mercy was that Hna. Steffensen and I were able to spend it with people who were also far from their families. We were able to find comfort and joy in each other and just enjoy celebrating the Savior´s birth together!

 But first, let me talk about the days leading up to Christmas! On Tuesday, we went to the Guffeys house with our investigator, Kat, for Family Home Evening. We made chili for Christmas Eve dinner with her (she´s an amazing cook!) and then shared a message. I love Kat! She´s met with so many missionaries and I feel so lucky to be one of them! She really enjoys having Family Home Evenings and spending time with families, since she doesn´t get that chance too often as she´s alone her in Spain. Sadly, she´s leaving in January but she´s already told us that the first thing she´s going to do when she gets to Norfolk is find the missionaries! She always says she´s never going to be baptized, but we all know with a little more time and love and when the time is perfect, she´ll be ready ;) 

Then the next day was Christmas Eve! We worked in the morning and we actually had a lot of success which was surprising! And then later that day we headed over to a American families house--the Rasmussens! Their dad is deployed (been there!) so us, the Guffeys, the Elders, and Kat just brought the Christmas party over to their house! We ate chili, played games, and even watched a little bit of mr. Kreugers Christmas haha. And then later, Hermana Steffensen and I had the chance to go to a member´s house from the Spanish ward named Belli. Her daughter and her husband were over too with the CUTEST grandchildren and we had so much fun playing and eating with them! Lots of seafood is typical in Spain, so we had lots of shrimp, mussels, and other kinds of meat. Oh man, I have to tell you about jamon sometime! Its basically legs of meat that they just hang in the stores. i cant stand the smell of it or anything and I cant eat it but everyone here in Spain LOVES it!

The next morning the Guffeys put together a Christmas breakfast for the entire ZONE of missionaries and we all made omelettes out of a plastic bag that we boiled in water (who knew right?) and this is where the Christmas miracle came in! Some missionaries were traveling in a group on the train on the way to the breakfast when they ran into these three men who basically asked if they could come too! So here we are, a group of about 40 missionaries making omelettes with these just 3 random spanish men from off the train. We talked to them and it turns out they live in our area! They loved the breakfast and they talked with everyone! They have interest in coming back so we´ll see how that goes! We invited them to church on Sunday but they were all sick unfortunately, but next week for sure :) 

Later that day, we went over to the Miles´s house and had fun eating and playing games and reminiscing about missions (I have some AWESOME pictures of Uncle Scott!) and of course, we talked with our families! AHH! And I only cried a little ;) It was so great and I´m so grateful for the Miles for inviting us over to do that.

And THEN we went over to another member´s house, the Hassle´s and played games with them haha man, it was just so fun. We got an American, Spanish, AND missionary Christmas! I feel so blessed during this time and i´m so grateful i could spend Christmas with all these wonderful people!

Friday and Saturday i got the flu (did you give it to me through Skype or something mom??) and it hit me hard enough where i was in bed for 2 straight days. Poor Hermana Steffensen! She must have died of boredom, she told me she cleaned the piso for 6 hours one day haha. But I´m all good now, thanks to a priesthood blessing from the Elders. 

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas full of love and family time! And enjoy the New year!! Make those New Years resolutions!! Speaking of which, I finished the Book of Mormon and am starting it over again in spanish. remember the goal back in Spetember? 

I love you all!

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL

Hermana Morrow