Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

This Christmas I keep thinking of the classic Christmas song, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." It has made me think why we have a "merry" Christmas. I believe it is because of Jesus Christ. 

These are a few thoughts I have had about Him this Christmas season. They are more precious to me than any gift I have ever received. I am so grateful for these things: 

I am grateful that Christ gives me peace when no one and nothing else can. 

I am grateful for a Savior that comforts me. I am grateful that He is with me when I cry and knows exactly how each one of those tears feels. 

I am grateful that Christ rejoices with me, that He wants always and forever the best for me. 

I am grateful that Christ is my Redeemer. To redeem is "to compensate for faults or bad aspects of something." How grateful I am that Christ redeems me. 

I am grateful that He helps me forgive others. I think it is one of the best feelings in the world to forgive and that feeling is possible because of Jesus Christ. 

I am grateful for Christ's grace and that with Him I am enabled, strengthened to do things and believe things that I never could on my own. His grace is so empowering and it helps me be courageous and progress. 

I am grateful that Christ delivers us. 

I am grateful that Christ is everlastingly kind. 

I am grateful that Christ is all powerful and all knowing and that He sees the end from the beginning. 

I am grateful that I can always trust Christ even though I sometimes struggle to. 

I am grateful that Christ recognizes my efforts. 

I am grateful that Christ cares more about my progress than my comfort. 

I am grateful that there is always hope in Christ. 

I am so grateful that God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to be born in a humble stable. I am grateful for His life, His death and resurrection. I am grateful that He never leaves me, is always there to help me and always will be. And I am grateful that I have the opportunity to some day return and live with Him again forever. What a glorious day that will be! 

"Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ, the Lord."

Merry Christmas! :)

"Redeem" Oxford Dictionaries. https://www.bing.com/search?q=redeem&form=EDGTCT&qs=PF&cvid=669b9626a7564af19bbeb7bcd2847cf7&cc=US&setlang=en-US&PC=DCTE. 18 Dec 2017. 

My Mission

I served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Dominican Republic in the Santo Domingo West mission. I was a missionary for a year and a half and I invited people everyday to learn about Jesus Christ and His gospel.

Ten years later, here are some of my thoughts.

I miss it SO. much. Not a day has gone by in ten years that I have not thought of my mission in some way-a person I met, a companion I served with, a lesson I learned, an experience I had.


DOMINICANS

Bah, I love them! You will not find a more generous, loving, happy and crazy people on this planet. How grateful I am to have known them, to still know them and to have been taught by them and continue to benefit from what they taught me.  










SWEAT

I loved my mission but missionary work is HARD work and the Dominican Republic is an EXTREMELY humid place. This picture was taken after two hours of proselyting. Except for a few brief hours of respite in some air conditioning in the capital, I sweat all day, every day for 18 months.














My Companions

As a missionary, you are assigned a “companion” missionary. You are to be within sight and sound of each other at all times. I loved my companions-all 7 of them. We had our moments but overall, each one of these girls totally blessed my life by their example.




Laurie Evans-crazy Spanish skills in the MTC!
Glenys Lebron-patience, mucha paciencia J
Jenni Jenkins-worked like crazy.
Fior Esquea-never have I laughed as much as I did with her. That girl knows how to have a good time!
Yeidy Almonte-so sweet and knows how to masterfully teach about the Book of Mormon.
Karina Garcia-love, amor, and more love from that chica.
Rachel Taylor-so much enthusiasm to be a missionary and to be serving Dominicans!
Branigun Scoffield-my hija tan buena, J she was such a good sport about everything.

FAMILY

Standout impression from the mission-family is so important! Husbands and wives should love each other. Mothers and fathers should strive to be good parents, love their kids, and teach them about God, Jesus Christ and the gospel. I’m so grateful for parents who consistently did this.









La Bandera

The Dominican Republic’s classic meal. I crave this still.













Motorcycle rides

Love these (only in emergencies). Who needs an SUV when you can fit everyone on a motorcycle?














Be A Disciple of Jesus Christ ALWAYS

While I was serving as a missionary in the Dominican Republic, I often thought about what kind of returned missionary I wanted to be. What kind of person did I want to be for the rest of my life? I felt inside of me an excitement and a passion and a love for the gospel of Jesus Christ that I had never felt with such intensity before. With that came the greatest happiness and joy and the desire to never stop living the gospel of Jesus Christ and sharing it with others.

“…and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.” Alma 36:24

Long live the Dominican Republic! ¡Que viva la República!