Week Three - NAVIDAD!

HELLO ALL!! HOW WERE THE HOLIDAYS?? I love this time of year! It's a little different from a Mexico perspective, but its still the same feeling of Christmas. I hope everyone had an awesome holliday! Well, this was my first Mexican Christmas and I loooved it!! It really makes a difference in everything, even the people.

To start off, on Friday we had an AWESOME Christmas party. I had looked forward to it forever. It was all the missionaries in the state of Cuahuila that got together so we, being the farthest area of the mission, left Thursday night. Got to Piedras Negras at about 12 midnight and slept on this lovely bed until 3 a.m. and headed for Monclova. We got there at about 8:00 and there were a ton of missionaries there. It was awesome seeing them all! We started around 9:00 and heard some stories and testimonies of our Mission President and his Wife and daughter. After, we ate potatoes and chili, it was rad! Followed with each of the zones, being 5 zones, all had skits that were hilarious. In our zone to explain the skit we did, there is a missionary video program called 'The District' which is a group of missionaries they filmed in California a few years back to teach and give examples, like 'Preach my Gospel'. Anyway the Zone leaders thought up the idea that we were going to do that but for a Mexico mission. We acted like we were in teaching lessons, 2 missionaries, 1 or 2 fake investigators, but the difference was we used all the excuses that people tell here. It kinda just made fun of the United States mission examples because they are all so simple and casual, but here its a whole difference scenario. It was really funny. After we sang, watched a few videos and ended up.

Got home Saturday morning and had a normal work day. Woke up on Christmas, went out knocking doors for a bit then headed to church. When I say it's different here, I mean that the people still work, and do what they would do on a regular day. We went to contact a reference, and a little boy answered, about 12. He was just barely waking up and I asked him if Santa came. He gave me a wierd look and I said, 'Didn't you know it's Christmas?!" It kinda shocked me that all these little kids didnt even know it was Christmas. It is a little sad seeing that there are so many that don't celebrate, cause they dont have money to buy gifts. After church we ate some left over tamales with a really cool family and headed over to call the family. Love this time of year!

To end up, I will share a little of my Sunday morning studies. 3 Nephi 1:13.

"Oh, the magnitude of that sacrifice, that condencension! That night, God the Son traded his heavenly home with all its celestial adornments for a mortal abode with all it's primitive trappings. He, "the King of heaven", the "Lord Omnipotent who reighneth", left a throne to inherit a manger. He exchanged the dominion of a god for the dependence of a babe. He gave up wealth, power, dominion, and the fulness of his glory, for what? For taunting, mocking, humiliation, and subjection".

I can only say that I know Jesus Christ lives. I know he came into this earth with one fulfilling, saving purpose. know he suffered for each of us and because of it, we can all enjoy the Eternal gift of life. I know he lives and knows each of us better than we know ourselves.

Elder Warner

Elder Warner and Elder Canul, at the Conference. Bryan was a trainer to this new missionary on his last transfer and loved him.

Short night in Piedras Negras near the border, before traveling to attend the Christmas Missionary Conference in Monclova

Elder Warner with his current companion, Elder Flores, and his amazing Mission President and his wife, Pres. and Sis. Romney at the Christmas Conference.