Hermana Sanovich in Uruguay: Season 2 Episode 4 "Not a White Christmas, But a WET one" (12-26-16)

Season 2 Episode 4 "Not a White Christmas, But a WET one"

Christmas Eve - Hermana Sanovich & Hermana Kahn

This week we Celebrated Christmas!!! And the best part was definitely Skype-ing with my family. BUT before all of that an entire week had to go by and this is a run down of what happened....

Tuesday - We visited Brahayan and talk about his experience at church this past Sunday, and lets just say that he had some interesting questions. We started talking about the church and racism as well as all of the different levels of theories and beliefs that a bunch of other religions have. Talking to him is never boring that is for sure. Then later on in the night we came to the church and we deep cleaned so that everything would be ready and nice for this weeks different activities.

Wednesday - We did some contacting and got to share a little bit more about "Ilumina El Mundo" (light the the world) with some people. Then we taught a man named Jorge and his dad about the Restoration of the Gospel and it was by far the most ("Moses and the 10 Commandments") driven lesson we have ever had. We had to think on our feet to connect everything that he was saying about Moses and the Bible back into the conversation that we were having with his son Jorge. Then we got to come to the church and be a part of putting together a little Nativity to hang up in the RS room. We also saw part of Seminary and Institute awards night so that was awesome to show our support for a few youth in our branch.

Choir performance

Thursday - We went and Celebrated Christmas in Montevideo with about half of our mission today. So we got on a bus at around 630 in the morning to head to Montevideo. Once we all were there we were able to take part in a Christmas program that was really inspiring. We were reading about the Birth of Christ in the Bible and at each different part we would stop reading and all sing the Hymns that go along and tell the story about the birth of our Savior. It was really special and the spirit was so strong the entire time. We then ate some lunch and took some pictures as a mission and as a companionship with the Olsen Family. Then we had the gift exchange that was crazy and fun, I ended up with a cute little blanket with some Christmas trees on it so that was good. Then we sang our musical number of the Spanish version of "What Child is this" (I am working on getting a video to send to you guys) Then we all got on the buses and they shipped us off, but funny thing is that we were on a different bus than our entire zone. Its not a big deal and happens all the time just that this bus driver did not know how to leave MONTEVIDEO so a 2 hour ride turned into about a 4 and a half hour ride home. Oh the wonderful Bus drivers of Uruguay never cease to amaze me.

Live Nativity

Friday - The day for the Christmas Activity. We were able to plan for our week this morning and then we were able to be part of this Live Nativity that they did here, we were the shepherds. It was incredible to see the story of the birth of our Savior come to life and to watch the people realize how important it is to remember why we are celebrating Christmas.

Saturday - We went to see Brahayan again but he wasn't home so instead we saw a bird hit his window and die so that was quite the start to the day. Then Hermana Kahn got to call her dad who lives in a different part of Peru then her mom and they talked for a little bit so that was sweet. (it made me even more excited to be able to talk to my family) We had to run into the Central part of town today, you would not believe the amount of people that were out and about doing some last minute shopping. --- La Noche Buena----- So the big deal here in Uruguay and throughout South America is that they celebrate the 24th up until midnight on the 25th so we had the chance to celebrate that way. We were lucky to go and eat dinner with the Cabrera Family and then we also played games and did some Karaoke (I think there is a very bad version of me singing Rocking around the Christmas tree up on her face book). Then at 12 o'clock we ran outside to see the fireworks that everyone lets off to celebrate that it is Christmas!! And while we were outside, Santa came to our house so we opened some gifts with the Cabreras before we went home. We also gave the Cabreras a gift, we did not know what to give them so we were a little creative and spelled out the word "Familia" with different little gifts and thanked them for being out Family here in Nueva Helvecia. F-*Fanta A-amor (love cookies) M- Mayo (traditional part of Uruguay) I- Image (not a lot of words start with I L-Lays chips I-Mani (peanut butter cookies) A- Alfajores

Christmas Eve with the Cabrera's

Sunday - We got up this morning and went to church just before there was a huge downpour rainstorm. It rained during our Sacrament meeting, and it was really bad when we left to go home and it got even worse when we had to leave to go to lunch. SO we did not have a white Christmas but instead a WET one. Then a little while later I had the opportunity to SKYPE my family. Technology is such an incredible blessing because it allowed me to have access to talk with the most important blessing that I have been given. Then when I finished talking with my family Hermana Kahn skyped her family and then we left to go and visit Jesús, Karina and Maxi for a little bit and then we came home. It was an amazing and spiritual Christmas that I will never forget.

Challenge - This week we will be ringing in the New Year, so I have a follow up to a previous challenge for all of you. A while back the challenge was to finish reading the Book of Mormon before the end of the year, by reading it every single day. How is that going? There are not too many days left until 2016 ends and 2017 begins so the challenge is to finish the Book of Mormon if you can and if not, to keep reading it or start reading it everyday.

That has been one of the biggest things that I have learned so far in my mission, is that the Book of Mormon is always important and it is always good to be reading it, even if its a few verses each and every day.

Thank you for all of the love and support that I have felt while serving here in Uruguay. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and I wish you a Happy New Year!!!

Love, Hermana Cassidy Sanovich