I couldn´t be happier starting off 2016 here in Spain as a missionary! New Years was often filled with regret or disappointment thinking about all the wasted time that I had spent surfing social media or motionlessly laying in my bed, but it was all the contrary this year. I am amazed to look back at what has happened in the short span of a year; living in 5 different Spanish cities, learning a new language, living with some of the most amazing young men I´ve ever met, and most of all, meeting hundreds of people here who have changed my life. I feel as if for once, I am starting the new year running and the breeze feels great!
Unfortunately, the new years celebration was a little below par. Actually, it might have been the most depressing new years EVER. Allow me to set the scene. So of course, because we can never plan anything well, we waiting until there were only 10 minutes before 12 to start setting up the table, washing the grapes, setting out the cups...deciding to wash the cups first, so needless to say we were running around the house crazy. Then we were trying to get all the missionaries on a phone call, and that wasn´t working out. Also, we realized with 30 seconds left to go that we couldnt take a video and watch the clock at the same time. The BIGGEST miscommunication was that I thought the tradition was to eat the grapes in the first 12 seconds of the new year...well apparently, elder adcock was under the impression that it was the last 12 seconds of the new year (doesn´t make sense to me cause how can you shout happy new year with a mouth full of grapes). So he started eating the grapes, i was like what are you doing?! Then my companion was saying that we had the time wrong cause there were no fireworks....and amongst the confusion the new years passed and we were left dissappointed and still with our grapes. However....there is one moment that saved the whole new year. We decided to open up the bottle of sparkling apple juice by shaking it and blowing the cork off and the most miraculous thing happened. I will attempt to attach the video, but in the off chance that it doesnt send, well you will all just have to wait until i have a better way to attach it.
The other great thing about spain is that even though christmas has passed, and new years has passed, its still technically Christmas here! Christmas lasts all the way until the 6th for the King´s day when people get their real presents, which means the decorations are still all up, we sang christmas songs for church still, and the love of Christ which acompanies this season still fills the air. There will be a huge parade tomorrow to celebrate so that should be exciting.
I hope that you are all taking advantage of this new year to get a little bit of motivation under yourselves and set some great life changing goals. I took on the tradition of my family and made a little book that on the front says, ¨Gifts to the Savior¨. It helps me to remember to whom my gifts should really be. Sure its great to lose some weight, or get more social media followers, but the most worthwhile goals are the ones that help us to get closer to Jesus Christ; They are ones that show our appreciation to Him for what He did for us. As we focus our goals in the things that really matter, the changes that we make in our lives will be backed by divine power and will help us truly be more like He from whom that divine power comes.
I wish you all the best in this new year and that you enjoy all the blessings that 2016 will bring!
Con Amor
Elder Jenkins
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