This week was actually super fun because Tuesday we had a Christmas party with the mission. We played games, ate lunch, had a white elephant gift exchange, and Present Card gave a Christmas message (which I will also share with you guys).
We did companionship exchanges this week as well, and I spent the day in the other Sisters' area with Sister Wilcox. We had a lot of fun together. She's super chill and just easy to talk to.
We also got some killer pictures of clouds because a storm was working its way into the city.
We spent Christmas Eve night a less active member from the other Sisters' area, and it turned out to be a really good experience because this woman's 13 year old daughter, Livia, was absolutely elated to have there. Apparently she doesn't have any friends, and she was just so happy to play twister and Brazilian monopoly with us. She cried when we left. But she had a good Christmas Eve.
Oh at the Christmas party with the mission, I asked one of the sisters working in my other area how Marcos, Dilma, and Fernando were doing, and she told me that Marcos had gone to the temple!
Merry Christmas to me!
I emailed him about it and he told me he loved the experience and is anxious to go back to keep learning!
#WhiteChristmas
And now for the Christmas message that President Card shared with us.
I think that all of you are familiar with the Christmas story in Luke 2, but are you guys familiar with the Christmas story in 3 Nephi 1?
If not, that's fine. I'll tell it now:
When Samuel the Lamanite preached to the wicked Nephites, he prophesied that five years from that day the sign of Christ's birth would be given:
"And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day." Helaman 14:3
Well, five years came and went and while other signs were given, the big sign still hadn't happened, and the unbelievers decided that they had had enough:
"Now it came to pass that there was a day set apart by the unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions should be put to death except the sign should come to pass, which had been given by Samuel the prophet." 3 Nephi 1:9
Naturally, Nephi was worried when he heard this:
"And it came to pass that he went out and bowed himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily to his God in behalf of his people, yea, those who were about to be destroyed because of their faith in the tradition of their fathers." 3 Nephi 1:11
That day, Jesus Christ, who would born the next day, responded:
"Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets." 3 Nephi 1:13
That night the sign was given, and Christmas Eve Jesus saved an entire people.
I love this story that we have in the Book of Mormon. A miracle that happened right here in America.
God was, is, and always will be a God of miracles.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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