What we are willing to sacrifice for others

Hola Familia!

Feliz feliz feliz Navidad!!!! It was so good to see your faces and hear your perfectly accent-less voices! I got a big Christmas surprise yesterday! Which is why we couldn't email. I woke up sick to my stomach :) I think I have a talent for getting sick on important days! haha, so the one time we get P-day all day, I get sick and I have to spend it in bed... so typical! But hey, I can't complain, it's always a good Christmas if you get to sleep all day :) We enjoyed opening all of the Christmas gifts! Haha honestly it was an awesome package! Loved all of the scriptures that went along with the presents! And my comp too! We took a video, as requested but this computer is struggling to upload, so maybe I can't send it until next week, sorry!

But looks like you guys had a super fun Christmas weekend! haha loved seeing the pictures! Especially the pink nightgown!! Hahahah oh Ez! Jarrad, thanks for thinking of me in the Christmas dinner! HAPPY BIRTHDAY EZ! JJ! What am I going to use when I get back??? ;) haha I'm glad you didn't freeze to death! Jar, thanks for the wishes of warmth haha I will do my best! Mo, I'll go with you to eat when you're Guy Fiari. Cami, the cami, jarrad, kaysie room is a lie to make you feel better. It's MY room! Patch, sorry I didn't get you anything for Christmas, but I didn't know you were part of the family until afterwards! But I promise something cool next year if you buy me something too. Mom! That's so sad! You can't eat anything fat?? I was feeling your pain today and yesterday. Dad, I was very proud of your tech skills! I hope that it's something I inherit!

This week we had a district Christmas activity which was fun! One of the branch presidents talked about the tradition of giving gifts on Christmas and about how the greatest gift ever given was the sacrifice of our Savior. The best gifts require sacrifice. It made me think of a couple of weeks ago when I was leaving Terrazas. There was a family of young boys that were recent converts and came from very humble circumstances. They and their family had very little, not even mattresses to sleep on. But my last day they gave me a goodbye gift. It was a perfume and some socks. I don't know how they were able to get them, but I was so touched by their gift to me. "I always give a gift to the missionaries before they leave" the oldest told me proudly. Even though it was a small gift I don't think I've ever received a gift that has meant so much to me, because I knew it was a great sacrifice for them. I think what we are willing to sacrifice for others shows how deeply we truly love them. The Savior was willing to sacrifice everything, even his life for his great love for the world. I hope that our love for the Savior goes deeply enough that we are as well willing to sacrifice the little he asks of us for him.

We also had Christmas miracles this week! One of my favorites was on Sunday. A contact from the Light the World activity that I told you guys that we did in one of the parks here last week came to church! And was asking for a Book of Mormon afterwards! We were so excited! He accepted the baptismal invitation as well! He's not from our area, but it was still an awesome miracle! On our way to make the skype call we also contacted a young man named Ad_. He didn't seem like the type to be super interested, but we talked to him anyways and it turns out he is in a lot of need to turn his life around and was brought to tears. We will be going to see him later on today and I really think it was a miracle that we were able to find him! I think that he was very prepared to receive the gospel!

The only not good thing about our Christmas is that Santa ignored our request. We asked him to raise the amount of money we get every month, but he didn't even eat our cookies!

Don't forget my challenge! love you guys!

Hermana Larsen