I hope you all had the best Christmas this past week! Here in Spain there wasn´t a whole ton of excitement. Somehow, a bunch of kids in the really sketchy neighborhood across the street got their hands on a ton of fireworks and other loud explosives so they were going off all day and night. Other than that we pretty much just enjoyed feeling the Christmas Spirit and listened to Christmas music and of course, played the national sport of europe, futbol. The highlight of the day though was definitely being able to skype with my family. I got to see and talk to neices and newphews whom I had never before met and we also got to say a family prayer. Its funny how that didn´t seem like a huge deal before I came here to Spain, but I certainly have come to miss being able to kneel down with my family and speak to my Father in heaven together. I always tell the people here in Spain stories of how my family has spent hours laughing just trying to say a family prayer at night; those are some of my most cherished memories.
I also got to celebrate my birthday with half of the Malaga Spain mission, because we all went to a conference in Sevilla. Miraculously, I ended up getting a birthday package from my mom that I have been trying to get out of customs for the past 3 months, and it came ON my birthday. Tender Mercies.
Twice this past week, we got to go out and singing Christmas songs as missionaries. One time, 100 other missionaries and I went to a shopping center, got in a big arc, and just started singing Christmas songs. The other time it was just about 18 of us and we went to the center of Malaga where the most people were, and just started singing. It felt so weird to just start singing, but people actually stopped and listened and I could tell that they could feel some sense of joy and christmas spirit as we sang. I couldnt imagine any other situation in which I could just go with some friends and start singing in the middle of some random public place, but as a missionary you can and you don´t even feel the least bit wierd. Missionary life is the best life.
One thing that we learned at the conference was about recieving. Sometimes, we are so focused on how this time is the season of giving and we need to give presents, give service, give love, give give give, and we maybe end up being a little bit like Marta, who couldn´t stop cleaning when the savior came to her house. This season is also a season of receiving, receiving gifts, receiving love, but most importantly, receiving God´s gift to us, His son Jesus Christ. As we focus on receiving the blessings that God gives us, we can be filled more greatly with a spirit of gratitud and draw closer to Christ.
I am excited to start a new year this year, especially as a missionary. We are always setting goals and keeping track of them so I am hopping I can actually keep to some new years resolutions for once in my life haha. It is also really fun to be at this time because there is a Columbian song that I learned back when I was in High School and I never thought learning it would do me any good, but now everytime I sing it the Columbians go crazy and we get to sing it together. The big tradition for new years is eating 12 grapes in the first 12 seconds of the new year. We will see how it goes...
Have a great week and Happy New Year
Elder Jenkins
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