Hermana Kathryn Bangerter: Christmas 12/25

HELLO FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!! I loved being able to talk to you all last night, even though the connection was kind of awful I loved seeing all your faces!
So this week has just been absolutely full! We had preparation day on Monday, zone conference on Wednesday, then intercambios (a one day exchange with another missionary) from Thursday to Friday, then Christmas Eve and Christmas. It's definitely floooown by.

This week, of course, I have really been focusing on our Savior Jesus Christ. And it started out so great, in zone conference we only focused on the Savior. President Dayton gave a wonderful lesson all about the savior and I left just feeling so humbled that I have the opportunity to be a representative of Jesus Christ at this amazing time of year.

In all of our lessons we have been really focusing on the Savior, and it has just been incredible feeling the spirit that this season brings. On Sunday, we had a cita (lesson) with a menos active (less active member) who doesn't really have a testimony. She told us she doesn't even know if Christ really is our Savior. It just made me so sad to hear, and as I testified to her that I know without a doubt that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that he loves us and knows us even more then we know ourselves, the spirit was so strong. It was a moment that testified to me that this really is the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have the fullness of his gospel, it was restored by Joseph Smith, and today we have a prophet guiding his church. It's incredible how the spirit can testify to you as you are testifying to others.

I love the Christmas season and I love being a missionary and sharing the spirit of Christ with everyone we talk to. Something we did this week is we asked everyone what the meaning of Christmas was to them. There were countless people who simply said it was just a tradition and nothing else, it made me so sad cause this time is such an incredible time to really focus on Jesus Christ and feel his love. I am so grateful I get to be here in Spain sharing it with people from all over the world and letting them know that they really do have a savior that knows and loves them.

I love you all and I hope you all had an amazing Christmas!!!
Que tengan una buena semana (Have a great week!)
Love, hermana Bangerter

Ps.

So, I've been studying the war chapters in Alma. Usually I just try to fly through those chapters’ cause, war, yeah know. But this time reading them I was really able to apply them to my life and just learn so much from them. Something that just stood out to me is that there is always a little process they go through, they are suffering with pains and afflictions, they reach out to God for strength and direction, then they make a plan of action and go through with that plan with faith that God is going to give them strength. And after they have success, they immediately give glory to God. These steps are so easily applicable to our lives day to day, as missionaries and as people. And one thing that I think gets over looked is the Glory to God. So many times, God so willingly helps us and so many times we forget to thank him. Thinking about this has really made me notice so many little blessings that God gives me day to day. I have been so much more thankful and just so much more happy as I've done this each day.