Christmas in July

This week we saw real progress in Lujan. She really wants to get baptized because she knows it's a commandment and wants the gift of the Spirit but she doesn't have a testimony of the Book of Mormon yet. So we talked about how Jesus had other sheep to visit and then we read of His visit to America. After we finished the chapter we asked if she believed that Jesus came to America after he was resurrected. She said YES. So we asked if she believed the Book of Mormon was true and she said YES. It's so amazing the power of the Book of Mormon and how quickly it testifies to people! How blessed we are to have it.

We had a Christmas party for the branch this week and Hermano Roman did a little BBQ. Two whole lambs and a wait for it....LLAMA. It was pretty good stuff! The missionaries sang a song for the ward and they just loved it.

Christmas here was really different for me. Everybody celebrates it midnight on Christmas Eve. And at midnight they all leave to go dance at the clubs and people do fireworks. The fireworks combined with the heat made it just like Christmas in July!

The 4 of us El Carmen missionaries did a gift exchange and that was really fun. We took all our mattresses to the front room to sleep next to the tree. That's about as festive as it got for us. Well we did go out and sing some Christmas songs to some of our investigators with the other hermanas and Faca and Oscar. That was really great too!

It's been so special to spend Christmas as a missionary. To be thinking so much more than ever on Our Savior and what He did for us. I read this week a conference talk by Elder Anderson, ''What Thinks Christ of Me?'' And it was so perfect to ponder if my faith in Christ is reflected in the way I live. And to remember that as I try to live the gospel of Jesus Christ, that when I fall short Jesus Christ is there to help me with the things I can't do on my own. I'm so thankful to have a relationship with my Savior and have the opportunity to be His representative this Christmas.

Oh and of course FELIZ NAVIDAD!

The sisters with Oscar and Faca

A family in our branch

BBQ Llama and lamb

Feliz Navidad!