Week 15: ¡Feliz Navidad!
Monday, Dec. 25, 2023
¡Que tal! ¿Como estan? ¡Feliz Navidad!
Wow. I can't believe it's Christmas already. Time flies by.
This week was pretty mellow. My comp got really sick so we were inside for all of Wednesday and Thursday. This allowed me to do lots of studying. Lots of Spanish, conference talks, BoM, New Testament, and some books in the apartment. I also made some good food.
I got news on Friday that I have to resubmit my visa. They changed the system for Bolivian visas and so I have to redo mine. But they said it should go way faster and they are putting me on priority. So that's good. They have all my documents ready, and the consulate has my passport. So I'm going to use a computer at the stake center tomorrow and it should go pretty smoothly hopefully.
We've had some great food this week per usual. Always a blessing to get fed by the members.
We got chased by a couple ravenous dogs this week that wouldn't back down to the taser until the last second. Pretty scary. We also came across one perched on top of the fence ready to pounce. We didn't have our taser and it looked viscous. I grabbed a couple rocks but luckily it didn't come down.
We had an amazing ward Christmas program yesterday. Some great musical numbers. Steven sadly didn't come but another one of our friends, Luis, came! It was awesome to have him there. Some members of the ward also gave us some gifts. Very generous of them. We have an incredible ward.
I got to call home yesterday which was fun. And I also got to call home today. It was great to talk to my fam and see my siblings excitement as they opened their presents. But also see the excitement as they gave.
We went to the stake center for most of the Day to play basketball, eat food, and watch movies. We were playing another zone in basketball so we pulled up early for pre-game shoot around. I pulled up in my Christmas p-js (thanks again Nona)
We got loose, I drained threes upon threes, and did some massage gun work, and took pre game pics. Then we had a light pregame meal of chicken and potatoes and green beans. Then we did layup lines and got loose again. (If you can't already tell, Christmas day basketball feels like the NBA finals for us. We take it very seriously.)
Then we started. We were gonna do best of 7 series to 21. 1s and 2s. But the other zone didn't want that. So we did best of 5. We won the first 2. We honestly played so terrible, but still beat them in the first 2. I shot the ball terrible, but hit the game winning 3 in the second game. The third game was super close. The other zone was complaining so much and calling so many fouls that were clean. It got pretty heated haha. But we are all still missionaries and we have to remember that. Anyways, they barely won the 3rd game, and we were like alright let's run it back cuz we needed to win one more. But they were like nah we done. So they forfeited and we won. (We were up 2-1 anyway) it was fun and competitive. And we will be having bragging rights. (We only get to play the other zone on Christmas).
We got to watch Encanto. Good movie.
Ate some more good food, called home again.
Overall a good Christmas. It doesn't feel the same as back home but It has definitely been the most focused Christmas on the savior that I have had. Which has been a blessing. I love my savior so much. I am so grateful for everything he has done for me. He is mi hermano y amigo.
"And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam."
-2 Nephi 9:21
I love you guys. And I know Jesus loves you too. I have felt his love so much in my life, but especially on my mission. I know that you can feel his love too as you learn of him and always remember him.
¡Feliz Navidad!
-Èlder Richards
