Week 20: ¡Feliz Navidad!
Feliz Merry Navidad everybody!!!!!!! I hope you all have the best Christmas ever this year! Christmas on the mission is for sure a different experience, but it has been awesome! Right now iit s about 1 in the afternoon Christmas day here and so far...its been a blast! Last night we spent the night with some other elders and we watched fireworks all night! People were going crazy here and I saw some of the best fireworks ever! And to top it all off...Ill be skyping the family very soon and then will be going to the beach afterwords.
Its a good day here in Uruguay{: My first Christmas here as a missionary I have learned a lot about what Christmas really IS. It really is just about enjoying this time, spending it with those you love, and remembering our Savior Jesus Christ. His perfect life that He lived for us so that we might have joy. Something that I have put a lot of thought into since being a missionary is the Christ-like attribute of charity. As missionaries we are told by everybody to "love the people". It is something you must do in order to be a good servant of Jesus Christ by all means...but I have definitely learned that it's so much more than just for missionaries.
In 1st Corinthians chapter 13, Paul speaks perfectly on the concept of charity. You can be absolutely perfect in every aspect in life...but if you do not have the pure love of Christ within in your heart for every one of Gods children, "You are nothing". I pray constantly for God to open my heart to love the people of Uruguay more everyday. I would challenge you also...to pray for God to open your heart more everyday, to those people around you at home. To love your neighbors more perfectly, to love your classmates, your co workers, and even the strangers you see everyday...and to do it because it is what Christ would do.
We all celebrate Christmas, and then in about a week we all make goals about what we want to do better in our lives. I honestly believe that having Charity in your heart for every single person should be each of our number one goal. Christ said the 2nd most important commandment is to love thy neighbor as thyself, only after the most important commandment of loving thy God with all thy heart. I think we can all trust the most perfect example this world has ever seen...on what we should focus our lives on. I truly believe that if you do not have the pure love of Chirst in your heart, then you will never come to taste the true Joy and Happiness that God is waiting to bless you with. You will find happiness for a season, but it will go away.
I love this time of year more than any other because we have the time to truly refocus ourselves and what we need to do better to be more Chirst-like in our lives. I love you all so much. I truly hope and have prayed that you all find joy in your hearts this Christmas season and that it'll last throughout the year. I hope we can all learn better to have more love in our hearts for those around us. "Love the people." Its not just for the missionaries(: ¡Espero que ustedes tegan una feliz navidad!
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| Christmas breakfast with all the Missionaries! |
