Feliz Navidad

& a HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 

So long 2014. That went by in a flash. When all of the returned missionaries used to tell me that it goes by way too fast, I never believed them. Especially in the first few months of my mission.. But HELLO 2015, you chased this year away real quick.

I am so happy that it is Christmas time. I have been happy all month for it to be Christmas time. I´m excited to talk to my family, but I am even more happy to be a missionary and to be able to share the gospel with these wonderful people in San Vicente.

This week, we met some incredible people! The Hermana Lider came here with her companion and they both stayed because we begged them too so that we wouldn´t have to travel a million times. So they stayed and we worked super hard here in San Vicente. I took Hermana Gonzalez up to a part of our area that is super far away. Where we only have 1 investigator. So we decided to look for some more. And the miracles came!!

We found AnaLia. She is the cutest little abuela that you ever did meet. She was making pan dulce and didn´t want to let us in. But when I asked her if she would teach us how to make her pan, her face lit up and she recieved us with open arms and plates full of goodies. Turns out, she loves the Lord and she believes very strongly in treating others kindly. There aren´t any busses that leave Malvinas on Sundays so usually she spends the night with her sister here in el Centro on Saturday nights so that she can go to church on Sundays. We´ll see next week if she comes because yesterday it RAIIINNNNEEED.

Basically no one came to church. But we did save a cat. :)

I have officially saved more cat souls than human ones. I know that´s every missionary´s wish.. NOT. I saved my 8th abandoned cat yesterday. We bathed it (I know you´re not supposed to do that. It almost died.) We killed all of it´s fleas and we gave it away to one of our investigators. MERRY CHRISTMAS, take a kitten. :)

We had a fun noche de rama this week and we played Christmas twister. :) See photos below. But the most incredibly divertido thing that happened this week was our Christmas Devotional!! 

Mostly it was just full of games and laughter and childlike bliss. And most importantly, the spirit! :) I can´t imagine that life would be much fun with out the spirit. 

Life would have no meaning if He hadn´t have come.

I am so grateful to our Father in Heaven who so lovingly sent His son to this earth. And I am so grateful to that Son, Jesus Christ who so willingly came to give my life- and yours- real meaning. REAL Happiness. :)

"“True happiness comes only by making others happy—the practical application of the Savior’s doctrine of losing one’s life to gain it. In short, the Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit, that makes our hearts glow in brotherly love and friendship and prompts us to kind deeds of service." --President David O´McKay

“It is the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, obedience to which will bring ‘peace on earth,’ because it means—good will toward all men.” ³

Giving, not getting, brings to full bloom the Christmas spirit. Enemies are forgiven, friends remembered, and God obeyed. The spirit of Christmas illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world’s busy life and become more interested in people than things. To catch the real meaning of the “spirit of Christmas,” we need only drop the last syllable, and it becomes the “Spirit of Christ.”

When we have the spirit of Christmas, we remember Him whose birth we commemorate at this season of the year. We contemplate that first Christmas day, foretold by the prophets of old. You, with me, recall the words from Isaiah: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” ⁴ —meaning “God with us.”

On the American continent, the prophets said: “The time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent … shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay. … He shall suffer temptations, and pain. … And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” ⁵

Then came that night of nights when the shepherds were abiding in the fields and the angel of the Lord appeared to them, announcing the birth of the Savior. Later, Wise Men journeyed from the East to Jerusalem, “Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. …

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” ⁶

Times change; years speed by; but Christmas continues sacred. In this marvelous dispensation of the fulness of times, our opportunities to give of ourselves are indeed limitless, but they are also perishable. There are hearts to gladden. There are kind words to say. There are gifts to be given. There are deeds to be done. There are souls to be saved.

....

If we are to have the very best Christmas ever... We must reach out for the Carpenter’s hand. With every step we take in His footsteps, we abandon a doubt and gain a truth.

It was said of Jesus of Nazareth that He “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” ⁷ Do we have the determination to do likewise? One line of holy writ contains a tribute to our Lord and Savior, of whom it was said, He “went about doing good … ; for God was with him.” ⁸

My prayer is that at this Christmas season and all the Christmastimes to come, we may follow in His footsteps. Then each Christmas will be the best Christmas ever."

Merry Christmas. May focusing our thoughts and our actions in Christ, for Him, How He would- give more Reason to this Christmas Season.

All of my love,

Hermana Rupe

The Best Christmas Ever

Because He Came

Seeing Christmas Through New Eyes

Pictures from our fashion shoot waiting for the bus to go to the Christmas Devotional... My mission president is the greatest one out there. Did yours dress up as Santa Clause?? I bet not. :) We win here in Posadas..

Other pictures from Our adventure learning to make candles from beeswax.. yeah that happened. 

And our Homemade CHRISTMAS tree!! :) There was a different one but it kind of fell.. so we got even MORE creative. We´re cute.