Know. Live. Love.: Merry Christmas!!

Queridos Amigos y familia,

Merry Christmas EVE! I hope you're all well, and I hope you're all enjoying the joy of the Christmas season. Here in Argentina it's a little bit different. Today we woke up to a HUGE rain storm. We were literally wading through rivers as we crossed the streets to do our grocery shopping. I have to say that this is definitely a first to have a rainy Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas from Argentina!

This past week was a really fun one filled with service, christmas carols, and lots of testifying of my Savior, Jesus Christ. First of all, we had our Mission Christmas activity on Tuesday. It was a really neat day. We went to the main park in Centro and also to a disabilities hospital to sing Christmas carols. It was so awesome, 150ish missionaries singing. The spirit was so strong! My favorite was a guy that played his air guitar when we sang Silent Night. :)

Later on that day we had lunch, a talent show, and a little devotional with Presidente Parreño. Hermana Newton and I did a little clogging dance for the talent show! Gosh, it was so fun! We just threw a little acapella dance together from some of the few steps that we both remembered. And Mom and Dad! I got your letters! Thank you so much. It was such a great surprise! At the end of the day on Tuesday, Presidente and his wife told us they all had a little gift for each one of us, and it ended being those letters! It was so great to open a little bit of "home". Thank you!

Yesterday we had a really neat experience. Hermana Gallegos and I went out to work after lunch, and we both thought: we better go by and see our investigator "I". Thank goodness we followed that spiritual prompting because when we went to go see her, we could tell that she was feeling a little down. We went into her house and started chatting. She told us that earlier that day she was coming home from work, and she had just received her Christmas bonus. She was all excited thinking about the things she could do with her children for Christmas with that extra money. But when she got off the bus two men came up to her and stole her laptop, and all of the money she had just received.

I could feel her sadness and pain as she told me this story. This poor woman has gone through many hard things, but she still had a smile on her face! "Chicas, If I told you I had a fridge full of food for tomorrow I would be lying, but I have faith in God that somehow we'll be okay." :) We talked about the comfort we can receive through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and later sang some Christmas carols. It was such a neat experience. The Lord has been preparing "I", and unfortunately like Joseph Smith once said, "Sometimes the Lord needs to bring us low before he can lift us higher."

I have a very strong testimony of that principle. A lot of times hard things happen and we wonder why it has to happen to us. Why do I have to worry about this right now? What did I do wrong? Why can't I just learn this lesson some other way? It's because the Lord knows us better that we know ourselves. We just need to trust Him that even if we may be walking through a big thunderstorm right now, there is a beautiful, warm and calm sunny day just around the corner.

I hope all of you choose to have a Merry Christmas this year. Things may not go as planned, or it may not be completely ideal...yet the real reason why we have Christmas is because of Jesus Christ. He was born, He died, and now He LIVES! Like one of my favorite hymns says, "Yo sé que vive mi Señor!" (I know that my Redeemer Lives!) May you all feel the joy of Christ in your hearts this Christmas!

I LOVE YOU!!
-Hermana Vawdrey