Christmas

Well, it was an amazing Christmas. I talked with my family (love them!), (too short of a time though, always), ate sea food (love it!), gave gifts and recieved a few, and really felt the Spirit. 

This Christmas my mission president really worked to help us remember that we are still missionaries and not on vaccacion for Christmas. So we still celebrated, but everything we did this last week we evaluated to see if it helped us fulfill our purpose. Christmas morning we were obedient and still exercised before opening presents and still had our studies. All thanks to my wonderful companion! And before opening presents, we read the Christmas story. We sat there in front of our little tree huddled in blankets in our cold Spanish apartment, and read about Christ being born in a sable and laid in a manger. It brought such a different feeling to our Christmas this year. We still had fun and enjoyed all the traditions here (mentioned below) but that really helped bring us back to the reason for everything. And I´m so grateful Hna Smith brought that tradition from her family with her. 

So Christmas Eve we ate with an investigator and her husband and daughter. It was lots of fun and LOTS of sea food. Shrimp is a holiday food here, so we ate some giant shrimp and a seafood soup, a turkey, 2 vegtable dishes, and crab legs. All for just 5 of us. We helped her cook, and I´m glad we did or it would have been too much work for just one woman! But people here are just so giving. Even when they don´t  need to, they give so much just because they love you and want to share. It makes me want to give more.

Christmas day we went and ate with a British family in our ward. They invited all the missionaries in the ward and a few other people and fed us a british feast. Very similar to american food, but with brussel sprouts and what is basically figgy pudding. it was interesting (the pudding). I did like it okay, but just not enough to ask for the recipie. The hostess did say that no one really likes it, its just tradicion. That made me laugh to myself a bit.  Also, fun fact of the day. In Britian, brussel sprouts are just sprouts, and pudding is any dessert, not our pudding. Pudding is custard there. Funny things. 

Anyways, I love you all a lot and hope you have had a wonderful year. Don´t forget to strech a little this next year and set some real goals! I´ve set tons of very specific goals, and it has me very excited for the comming year. Love you!!

Hermana Woolley

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