❄ White CHRISTmas ❄ (Week 70)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Hi everyone, I hope you all had a great Christmas with the family and people you love. It's been a wonderful opportunity once again to remember more the Saviour's birth, life and death. How I am grateful for Jesus Christ and the love he showed and still shows to me today through His infinite atonement.

At the beginning of the week, me and the other assistants lost a lot of hours of sleep getting everything ready for the mission Christmas party. We spend hours wrapping a very cool present that President Farnes gave to everyone, printing out and folding the Christmas programs and various other things. In the middle of all the stress and hard work, I received my Christmas package! It was so full of good stuff from merry ol' England (the secretaries will agree) and I could feel it was packed with a LOT of love. Thank you!

This years Christmas party was so incredible! We came out of it feeling a wonderful Christmas spirit. We got there pretty early to set up tables and get stuff ready. Then the secretaries and President's family arrived. We got everything done in 30 minutes and then waited for the mission to arrive. At midday, we began with lunch which was BARBEQUE! We then had the talent show and the tie exchange afterwards, it was hilarious some of the ties the elders got! We also took our famous mission Christmas picture! Let's play "Find Diego".

We then had our Christmas program with some nativity story readings and nativity hymns. I spent a whole night creating the Christmas program booklet which we gave out to all the missionaries. It looked awesome! When the mission sang "Angels We Have Heard on High", I sang the first verse and then everyone joined in. Talk about nervous!

We then passed our Christmas video which can be watched at: https://youtu.be/WTK-e9HFFvs or below:

Sister Farnes shared a wonderful story about her oldest brother. It went a little like this:

"When I was just a small child, I had a favorite big brother. He was great to me. He'd put his big arm around me and we'd go scampering down some cool dirt path. At times like this I felt ten feet tall. He didn't seem to mind me tagging along one bit, and there was nothing I liked better. I was so proud of him! When I was with him I felt like I was beaming stronger than the sun. He was good at everything. I never could seem to match the mountains he made out of sand. Mine always seemed to crumble and sag, but his would stand as firm as the Rocky Mountains. Dad always tried not to show how proud he was of him...him being the oldest and all, but his smile always seemed to be a bit brighter when my big brother came around. I felt that my world had collapsed when he went on his mission. Dad and Mom both had to fight back the tears. He called Dad and Mom regularly and let us know how much he loved us. He even told us about how great his mission was, so Mom wouldn't worry. The persecution was really bad there as the church was just getting started. But he never seemed to let himself get down, even though the people wouldn't believe his message. We'd all share in his joy when he'd get some new converts, but I don't mind saying that I was scared that the nonbelievers would do something to him. It even got to the point where men were plotting to take his life. But Dad never seemed to be worried for some reason. Then one day we received word that his mission had ended, but not as most men's do. I was struck by the terrifying news. They finally got hold of my brother. The big brother that I had played with. The one who never seemed capable of doing anything wrong. My big brother who loved everyone he knew, and who most everyone loved. They beat him and mocked him. He suffered all they did to him without striking back. Why would anyone want to hurt my big brother? I couldn't understand. A mob took him to a hill just outside of town, and spitting on him, they nailed him alive to a cross. My soul moaned as I heard that he begged father to forgive them. Racked with unbearable pain, he gave up his life for what he believed. My big brother, my king, my idol was dead. I cried though what seemed to be the darkest day of my life. Where was my big brother with whom I had shaped mountains of sand? Why did he of all my brothers have to die like this? Time passed and I was called on my mission. Sometimes I forget what happened so long ago, but every Sunday a small piece of bread and a small cup of water remind me of what my big brother did for me and assures me that he yet lives."

Through her tears, she bore her testimony of Jesus Christ and the reality of his everlasting atonement. She asked us to consider what we would be giving our oldest brother, Jesus Christ, for Christmas this year. Then President Farnes and one of his daughters bore testimony and the Christmas Conference ended.

He then gave us the Christmas present. Each missionary received a statue of a hand holding onto the rod. He said that his father had it in his house when he was young and it was a constant reminder to never let go of the iron rod as taught in 1 Nephi chapter 8.

Of course I didn't miss the opportunity to take a picture (and a selfie) with the Farnes family, they are incredible!

This Christmas weekend was great! We got plenty of food on Christmas eve and on the 25th, from Geane and Luis (recent converts) and also from our ward mission leader. The menu? CHURRASCO aka barbeque. Sooo good!

Christmas Eve Dinner at Geane's house

The highlight was, without a doubt, the baptism of Andrew on Christmas morning. What better present could a young man give to his Saviour? We found this 16 year-old knocking doors and he was extremely receptive from the first visit. He began reading the Book of Mormon and went to church last week. He is very quiet but pays very close attention to everything we teach. The first time we tried to take him to church no one answered and we almost decided to not go back. The spirit quickly told us though, that we should go back and give him another chance. I have learned on my mission to listen to the spirit's promptings without hesitating. Whenever I've done that, miracles have happened and people have been blessed - mainly myself.

The Sunday meetings were only one hour on Sunday and straight after we had Andrew's baptism. I was overwhelmed by the support the ward showed. At times members fail to stay for the baptisms as they rush off to lunch but to see well over 30 people stay behind on Christmas day made it clear that the ward was in the spirit of Christmas. Although a big Christmas lunch is delicious and fun however, watching a young man enter the true church of Christ through baptism is the most important thing anyone could do.

Oh yeah, how could I forget! I got to Skype with my beautiful family yesterday and it was great! Crazy and rushed as always but that came in the Torres Family deal. ;) I love it!

Merry Christmas and next time we speak it will be HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Lots of love,

Elder Torres