MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!  

Today, I am SOOOO happy that we are celebrating the birth of Jesus, our Lord, Savior, and brother who loves us SOOO much, that He gave everything He had for us. There are no words to describe how grateful I am to Him, my Savior, and the sacrifices He made for each of us. 

I remember yesterday, we stopped by an investigator's house and asked if they were excited for Christmas and they said no, because their family was not all there. Sister Segovia and I just smiled and shared that even though being with our family is important, it is not really the reason for Christmas. Christmas is a day to be GRATEFUL for all the amazing blessings we have been given and to show GRATITUDE for those blessings by serving others. That is why I can say that this has been one of the best Christmas's ever! Even though I am far from home and my family, I've never had more to be grateful for.

I'm grateful for the beautiful apartment the Lord has provided us to live in . . .

  I am grateful for warm water, flushing toilets, and washing machines.

I'm grateful for my awesome companion...

 and kabahays who are always there to lift me up when I'm feeling down.

I'm grateful for the times I've gotten to ride in a horse drawn cart this week going from appointment to appointment (because they have horse-drawn carts here in Daet).

 I'm grateful for my mom, Julie Hess, and the other people who donated awesome new umbrellas for our Christmas gift . . .

. . . especially since my last umbrella just broke, leaving me completely soaked during the last typhoon.

I'm grateful for Jerom, Angelica, Jane, and Tatay Roberto Sayno who just got baptized in the last two weeks and have made such huge changes in their life just to come closer to Christ.

 During Tatay Sayno's testimony after the baptism, he cried as he told of how he had no idea how he was going to turn his life around, but with Christ's help, he has done just that. I know he is so grateful too.

I'm grateful for the humility and kindness of the people here.

 That even when they have nothing, they are still willing to give.

 I'm grateful that every day when I fall in the rice field on the way to our investigator and end up covered in mud to my ankles that our investigator is willing to go haul water from the lake to help me clean off the mud.

I'm grateful for Christmas Conference last week and all the things we learned while we were there to help us in this work. 

  

I'm grateful for the massive piece of JACKFRUIT that Tatay Sayno sent us home with last week and for the members who have helped make this Christmas special by giving us lots of food to eat.

I'm grateful for my family and friends back home who continue to support me here on the mission and am especially grateful to my mom for pushing me to serve a mission in the first place. I never thought I would love being a missionary soooo much! I am also thankful for all the amazing gifts my family sent me to help make this Christmas special. :)  I know the kids here are also grateful to try American candies.

But more than anything, I am grateful to Heavenly Father, that he loved the world so much that he gave His Only Begotten Son, that whoso believeth in Him might not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). I'm grateful that our Father in Heaven was willing to sent that precious little baby down here as a sacrifice for each of us. 

I know that we are so loved, more than we can even comprehend. And if we strive to make this Christmas special by giving back just a grain of what They have given for us, then we will have one of the happiest Christmas's ever! Full of so much to be grateful for.

I love you all and wish you the Merriest Christmas ever! 

Love,

Sister Matheny