Feliz Navidad a mi familia y a mis amigos!
This week we caroled lots as a district! It was so fun and the Spirit was so strong as we sang about the birth of our Savior. We sang every night leading up to Christmas and Christmas night as well. We saw so many miracles, and even if the people were not interested in learning more, the joy in their faces was plain to see! Christmas time as a missionary is the best. You get to see Heavenly Father work wonders in so many of our lives! Here are a few stories from cantando los loores!
1) We sang to two drunk men. (In Spanish we call it "bien boracho"). We started to sing "Noche de Luz" (Silent Night) and then one of the guys interrupted us and said, "wait I need to get my instrument" He then proceeded to bring his drum set out and pound the drums as we sang. Somehow drums and silent night just don't go very well together! haha.
2) We met a wonderful lady named Bella. We sang to her one song and then she came out with arms raised saying gracias gracias! And then hugged all of us, even the Elders! I felt bad for the elders who obviously felt very awkward, especially since they were twice her size. ;) She invited us in to eat tamales with her and her husband and we shared a little message with them. They were so cool and the bike elders are continuing to teach them!
3) We sang to another family and they gave us ponche! It is sorta like apple cider. It is really good and we were grateful for it to keep us warm as we were singing. Everyone is so nice here. Even if they live in the most humble circumstances, they give everything they have to help others. I feel so blessed everyday to be taken care of by such wonderful people! I definitely want to become more like them in that way- more giving and loving to other people.
4) The last house we sang to on Christmas day was the greatest miracle of the caroling blitzes! It was almost time for us to go home but we decided to sing to one more. They opened the door and just had the biggest smiles on their faces! The spirit was so strong and so we just kept singing to them! One of the women was crying and the grandfather had the biggest smile on his face the whole time! After we finished singing we asked about them. Turned out that they were all just visiting for the holidays from Guatemala! The people who actually lived there weren't home but we got to share who we were with this large family from Guatemala. We even shared the He is the Gift video with them on their iPad. The Spirit was so strong! I felt so happy! It confirmed to me the reason that I was here on a mission, to share the gospel and bring happiness to others! It was such a wonderful way to end my Christmas day. It is something that I will never forget and will probably tell my kids one day. ;) They all hugged us before we left and we all walked away just marveling at the experience. It was truly what Christmas is all about. Happiness and Love. I am so grateful that I get to share that as a missionary and I have realized that it is so easy to do just that, even when you aren't a full time missionary. People are united by our Heavenly Father's love, across languages, countries, cultures, and families. The gospel of Jesus Christ is truly amazing:)
We had a funny experience teaching Danny and Brenda this week about the Plan of Salvation. In our studies that morning, Hermana McGlothin and I role played the lesson. When we started talking about the three kingdoms of Glory in our role play, I said, hey terrestrial kinda sounds like T-rex. I know super random. haha But then in our actual lesson, Brenda said just that! Hermana McGlothin and I couldn't stop laughing. But we were grateful for an inspired role play. Heavenly Father truly knows each of us! haha
On Christmas Eve day, (haha) we served at the Senior Center! It was so fun! We wore the hats you sent mom (the seniors LOVED it). It was such a great way to spend Christmas. Serving always brings a smile to our face and helps our day go so much better! Joanna, the chef, asked us to sing a Christmas carol as well. I thought for a second and the Night acapella to all the seniors. They loved it and luckily a few of them joined in. haha Their boisterous voices made us smile!
Then came the best Christmas day ever! Skyping with my beautifully wonderful family was the greatest gift of all! :) Time went by way too fast but I loved being able to hear your voices and see your smiles at least just for a little while. I truly have the greatest family in the world! The Chavez family fed us tostadas for our Christmas lunch. It was super good :)
This weekend I also had a lot of fun going on an exchange with Hermana Rodriguez in Canoga Park. We had so much fun together on bike. It was super cold and it's true what they say, biking in a skirt is a little challenging. We biked 40 minutes uphill to our coordination meeting, only to have it canceled, and so biked all the way back. Hna Rodriguez was such a great example to me of diligence and having a good attitude. Instead of being frustrated about the situation, she was just happy to be a missionary. The first thing she said after the meeting got canceled was, "Alright then, lets get back to work!" So we hopped on our bikes and rode through the dark, singing songs back and forth. It was really fun. :)
Marili, Youcely, and Rosie are doing so well. They love the gospel and have the strongest testimonies ever. We gave them a "for the strength of youth" book and Marili LOVES it. :) Their mom doesn't want them to get baptized, and they cried when they told us. But we promised them that we would still come over and that they could still learn and get ready for baptism when they are ready for it. Marili was so distraught and told us how sad she was. "I just want to be 19 already so that I can go on a mission!" They are so great. I'm so sad that their mom isn't letting them get baptized yet, but I feel in my heart that they will be someday. And Marili is going to be the cutest little misionary ever!
Janessa (Hermana Watts) came back with her family for a visit and surprised us at church. It was so fun seeing her!
I am so grateful for the gospel! I love the church so much. I know that it is true. I know that Heavenly Father loves us so much.
Love you!!
Hermana Buxton
Rachel gave us these awesome Cali shirts for Christmas!