Merry Christmas Everyone!!
So Christmas season is finally upon us. It seams like it was just yesterday that we were all sitting together in the family room, reading and watching “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “A Christmas Story” and “White Christmas.” It finally hit me the other dray that for the first time in my life I am not going to be home for Christmas. It feels extremely weird.
I hope you are making the most of this Christmas season. I know I am. It is super weird to be in Mexico during Christmas time. They don’t really celebrate Christmas here to the same degree we do in the states. In the states you can’t walk down a single street without seeing at least one or two houses that have gone all out with Christmas decorations. Here in Mexico I have walked down about 20 or 30 different streets without seeing even one house decorated. What makes it even weirder is that here there are about 20 or 30 houses to a block, so not seeing even one house with decorations. I also hope that dad wasn’t a grinch this year (again) and put up lights on the outside of the house. I have never really made a big deal about it but I have always missed seeing our house lit up during Christmas.
I absolutely love this time of year. I love how everyone is nicer to everyone else. People in the street telling each other “Merry Christmas" and smiling. It really is a shame that people can’t be like this all year round. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. Everyone cheerful and bright. Even the houses seem happier during Christmas.
The only time on my mission when I might get a little bit of “trunky fever” would be right now as we get closer and closer to Christmas. The hardest part is that everyone always says that Christmas is to be spent with family and here I am about 5-6 hours way with no prospect of being able to get home fro Christmas. I really hope you all remember that the reason we celebrate Christmas is to remember the birth of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. It is a time to spend with friends and family. I wish I could be there with you all this Christmas but I know I am where God needs me to be right now. Just remember that even though I can’t be there in person, I will be there in heart. I love you all.
Elder Jason Blanding
A mother's treasure.