Feliz Navidad!

Feliz Navidad!!! 

You already know what I did for our Christmas eve Desayuno!! I made pancakes and eggs for Elder Matamoros and I. Alejandra (Nuestra MAMA Galleta) left her keys so we could use her kitchen. 

She's the best. My companion Elder Matamoros from Nicaragua asked me who Santa was and where came from. so sad. 

Heres a picture of a boy that just got baptized he always asks me to take a picture with him even when we are in sacrament meeting and I usually just pretend to take a picture with him but this time I actually did. He's awesome. 

The work is as good as ever in our área. Christmas is a special time to share his message. We talk to a lot of people who give their condolences because we are away from our family for Christmas. We always explain that our family misses us but they are happy we are here and that 2 years is just a small time when you look at eternity. 

We met this man who was very passive aggressive this week. After the Nephites left Jerusalem and came to the promised land (Villahermosa Mexico Mission) they Split from the Laminites and built a temple. Nephi described it as living "after the manner of Happiness." (2 Nephi 5:27) Before my misión, I Heard a lot about the opinions of others regarding commandments of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. "Man in your church you have so many rules, you can't do anything." I couldn't help my puritan like mindset freshman year of high school that somewhere my friends or others were having more fun than I was. Now a Little more direct and articulated out here on the misión relating members of the Church to "sheeple". "You have divine revelation, leaders, and scriptures that make all of your decisions for you! I'm honestly kind of jealous about the easiness of your lives having all of your decisions made for you." I smiled because I realized that a lot of people mistake the happiness of members of the church for easiness and that if God tells you to do something because it will make you happier why wouldn't you do it? Choosing obedience is living "after the manner of happiness". I was thinking in my head how easy it is to be a missionary.... it didn't seem to add up. Honestly being a missionary is one of the harder things I've done in my life but at the same time, people of the Street have begun to realize something is different about those in White shirts and name tags. (Mosiah 2:41)

Obedience really is the true manner of happiness. On a misión you have to represent the two most important names every day, hence greater responsibility to be exactly obedient. Easiness is a consequence of obedience. 

The man J. Smith said it best "Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God". 

Satan always focusses on rights without mentioning responsibilities. 

Every week I forget to take pictures I just take a picture in the mirror.

Feliz Navidad! Los Amo Muchísimo!
Zone conference photo