Wow! What an incredible week. The Christmas season is truly the best time of year. I loved looking out the bus window on Christmas Eve and seeing people's smiling faces on the streets. And all the people walking around with their family and bags filled with presents. I have always wondered why people are just a little bit happier during Christmas. Now I finally have connected the dots. It is the light of Christ. It is Jesus Christ and his love that make people a little more
bright, a little more giving, and a little more happy. Everyone told me Christmas on the mission is the best. And it WAS the best. It was the best because I was with people I love and just living 100% in the moment.
We ate the Da Silvera's apartment for dinner Christmas Eve. They are the sweetest family from Brazil. So it was fun to eat Brazilian food for a change. There was also WAY too much food than we could even eat. And Ana (the 16 year old daughter), told me it was because in Brazil, you always prepare more food than you are planning for. We talked and
sang Noël hymns after the meal. Such a simple, beautiful night.
Christmas day we got to sleep in!!! We were planning on sleeping in until 8, but my body automatically woke up at 6:30. So yay for 17 minutes of extra sleep. Lol. I then wrapped myself up in my big blankey, turned on "Hawaiian Christmas" (just like my parents do back home) and went to open presents under the Christmas tree. Thank you so much family for your cute package you sent me... and Grandma Gayle, you are so thoughtful.
Later we went to sacrament meeting. It was joyful to see all the members in the ward and everyone bissing and wishing each other "bonne fête" and "joyeux Noël." I also gave my very first talk in French at church! It was terrifying but also cool to be like, HEY I'm doing it!!! I'm speaking in Français! I talked about how Jesus Christ is helping me become the best version of myself. With repentance and change in our lives, the Lord can help us become something so beautiful. The members came up to me after and said, your French has progressed SO MUCH this past month. AH! It was really nice hearing that.
After church we went to Donna's apartment and hung out and ate there all day. We also went with the other four elders in Nice. Elder Carlson, Elder Wiberg, Elder Rimerez, and Elder Hoopes.
We watched "finding Dory" and seriously, every little joke they cracked in the movie we were laughing our heads off at. We were all just at the edge of our seat. You'd think it had been 5 months since we'd seen television, oh wait, IT HAS! Donna made a gourmet meal.
We started out with foie gras and toast (duck liver), then had a mozarella mango salad, then steak with this creamy mushroom sauce on top, then we had warm molten lava cakes and mince pies with homemade cream. Ohhhh what a life I live.
And for the BEST part (what I had been looking forward to for
literally 5 months)... SKYPING WTH MY FAMILY!!! Words cannot describe the joy I felt when they first appeared on the screen. All squished around the kitchen computer smiling so big and squealing. What joy. OH what joy. It was reassuring to just talk with them and realize that even though I miss them, that I am where I am supposed to be right now
in my life. I love my family I love my family I love my family.
The Jones clan is the best family in the world. So whoever marries into this family of mine, you better know how lucky you are. I especially loved seeing my families faces when they opened the gift I sent them. I also loved talking in French with Jamo.... hahahah Bahhhhh ouiiii?! It was weird to see how grown up Eliza and Madeline are. I loved seeing how happy my parents were. Their smiles were enough to carry me through the next year of my mission. (And Spencer, It was fun to see you too:) I was a little disappointed you were not wearing the Tiger onesie though. I hope you come every Christmas!!!)
There were 2 other moments on this Christmas that were very special moments. Christmas Eve we were walking briskly down an street trying to get to a less actives house to deliver cookies for her birthday. We were already late so we were trying to hurry. We walked past a homeless man counting his coins he had earned, and I said, "joyeux Noël really fast" and kept moving. As we were walking away I looked down at our cookies we had made all wrapped up perfectly with a big red bow. And the spirit told me. You made enough cookies. Go give him one. And I was SO close to ignoring the thought but almost instinctively I turned around, ripped of the bow, pulled out a cookie and walked back and handed him one and said "Would you like a cookie?
He smiled and accepted it and we said Joyeux Noël" It was one of the best movements of my life. I felt like Christ's influence was so real and so apart of me. All it took was just slowing down for 5 seconds and following the holy ghost.
The second moment happened yesterday. One of the Elders in our district didn't get a Christmas package from his family and he doesn't have a lot of money. So Soeur Allen and I decided to go buy him a present. We bought a really nice toy army helicopter cause he loves army and airplanes. And when we brought it to Donna's for him to open, I seriously thought he was going to cry. He was so happy, he took it
right out of the package and started pretend flying it around the room. I felt SO happy inside.
Both of these experiences were something so small but they both had to do with "giving." We feel joy when we give. When we feel the influence of Jesus Christ in our life and serve and give to others. I do not want this Christmas spirit to die. I want to continue to give my time, my talents, and gifts to people all year long.
I love you so much family and I am the luckiest girl in the world to have you.
Also, today for Pday has been quite the low to the high weekend. Lol. I got a fever and I think I have the flu. I have been so tired and cold all day long. Luckily it is Pday so I was able to sleep a lot of today. But ohhhhhh the highs and lows of a mission.
Get pumped for the biggest/ best/ most rewarding/ hardest/ most spiritual roller coaster
of your life if you are planning on coming out on a mission.
I love Christmas! I wish it could be Christmas every day. But then I wouldn't appreciate it. I love Santa Claus and I also love the Lord Jesus Christ.
Love, Soeur Jones
Sent from my iPad
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