The real meaning of Christmas!

So, we have a change everybody! P-days have been changed to Mondays from here on out. Not sure exactly why, but we will go and do! I can't believe that I get to talk to y’all in a week! I guess that gives me an excuse to write a little less this week ;) jk!

This week was certainly a great one, but a very stressful and tiring one as well! The baptism went really well! I'm so grateful for Nerio and the impact he has had on my life. He really has taught me what it means to be Christ like. He is so quiet, but the most humble man I have ever met in my entire life. His baptism was a special experience!

Saturday night we had the ward Christmas party! It was a fun time! I love this ward so much! We had to leave right after it started though because Hispanic parties literally never start on time, but it was super fun and there was a lot of good food!

We also had the mission Christmas devotional and it was AMAZING! Ah man, that is like my favorite conference in mission history! In the devotional, they asked us two questions. The first was “what does Christmas mean to you”, and I thought a lot about that. Obviously, it means the birth of Christ and all that, but I felt like that was just something that people say, you know, like I felt that was just engraved on my brain, so that wasn't a good enough answer for me. As I thought deeper about the true meaning of Christmas and what it truly meant to me I thought of my companion. He is so great and an amazing example. I don't think that he has thought about himself the whole entire time I have been with him and I think that is what Christmas means to me... not thinking about oneself. Giving ourselves to God, kind of like Nerio did this Christmas, and giving ourselves to other people like Elder Frei has done for everyone that surrounds us. Christmas really is the best time of the year!! The other question that they asked us was, “what was your favorite Christmas and why”? I thought even harder about this one because I have a lot of amazing Christmases! From cinnamon rolls in the morning, to awkward caroling around the ward, but this Christmas has got to be my favorite of them all, even though it hasn't even been Christmas yet! I think this year it finally hit me why we celebrate Christmas in this church and it will never be the same!

As a district, we went around to a bunch of investigators and less actives houses to carol to them and that had never been my favorite thing.... haha, IT’S SOOOOO AWKWARD!! Like, all they do is just stare weirdly at you while you sing in a terrible voice! Haha, so I just kind of went into this activity with a bummer of an attitude, but my outlook changed as we got to see that happiness on the faces of these people as we shared a quick hymn and a treat. The smiles and laughs were irreplaceable! So, I repented for having a bad attitude! :):) Caroling still will never be my favorite thing! ;)

Well, I gotta sign off! I love you all so much! I hope we make this Christmas week a great one and that we give ourselves to others! See you in a week!

Con amor,

Elder Brown

Staring down the photographer at the Mission Devotional conference

This was their attempt to try and get everyone in the mission into one picture. Didn't work. Can you find Caiden?

Posing at the Mission conference

Caiden and Elder Frei with their "Light the World" pledge sheets.

More missionaries, more "light"!

At the baptism of Nerio

Posers!