Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room

We woke up pretty early today to make it to one of my Christmas choir concerts that we had in the morning, and I am way tired, but you know what? I am full of all sorts of Christmas cheer, and it makes it SO worth it. Also, the words to the hymns in Spanish are similar but don't always have exactly the same meaning, and I have really relished this Christmas season, pondering over the words to the Christmas songs and hymns that I just love so much. Ya know. It's just the most wonderful time of the year.

So this week, we have really cracked down and started sharing the He is The Gift (El es la Dadiva) with the entire world.

He is the Gift Video

And it is AMAZING. I am almost positive that all y'all have seen it, but I am still requesting that it be posted to my blog (please and thank you, parents of mine!). It gives me chills every single time we watch it, and at this point, we have watched it at least 50 times in our teaching and contacting and such. Guys, it is the BEST. We have found an amazing way to share the message that has proven to help those we teach feel the spirit of Christmas and also feel a desire to do something more than just decorate the house, eat yummy food and give gifts to their seres queridos.

We are doing a STOCKING FOR CHRIST.

For real. Keeping that good 'ol Harkins Home tradition alive and spreading it around our whole ward. We have a white stocking, we walk around everywhere with it and little index cards and tons of pens. We talk to EVERYONE about He is The Gift, we share the video (we have it on a little pen drive, we are radical modern here in Chile Santiago West Mission), and then we read in Matthew 2 about the 3 wise men and those classic gifts that they gave. The most precious, valuable, things that they could imagine to give to the Son of God. And then we explain how the stocking ties into it all. You write down on your index card a gift that YOU want to give to Christ...something personal, something that requires effort (like going to church every Sunday, reading your scriptures, being a better disciple of Christ, its between you and your Redeemer)...something precious and valuable that you want to give to your Savior for Christmas. And you put it in the stocking.

In my family, the tradition is that before we put our cards in the stocking, we take out our cards from the year before. And we read them to see if we had accomplished what we promised to do. Whenever we get to explaining that part of the stocking tradition, they always get really silent and serious. And that is when you can see on their faces that they are really thinking about what it is that they can give to Jesus Christ. It is in that moment that we give them the cards and the assignment to ponder and pray over what it is that they will give, write it down, and put it in the stocking the next time we come. When Christmas is over, we are going to store the stocking in the cabinet in our study room with instructions on how the stocking works, and that they are to pass all the cards back so that everyone can check and see if they completed what it is that they promised.

COOL, RIGHT? Christmas is the best. I feel like I just didn't take advantage of the Holiday Season last December, we are just ChristmasChristmasChristmas here in El Manzano! Working hard with He is The Gift and with our little white stocking, and we have had all sorts of amazing experiences, helping others to feel the REAL spirit of Christmas.

One of those experiences happened this last Saturday night. It was 8:58, we were just about to our pension to finish up for the day, and we start talking to the family that lives in the house in front of us. Mom, dad and their son, all sitting together on their front porch swing, enjoying the cool evening air. It was awesome, because as soon as we said hello, the mom stood up and told her husband to go get the keys to open the door. We literally had barely said "hola", and it was as if they were just waiting for us to talk to them to share the good tidings! I LOVE that! So we go in, we get to know them and we explain our purpose as missionaries, and then we dive right into talking about Christmas. Their house had exploded with Christmas decorations; a tall tree, lights inside and out, lots of little Santa and Reindeer and Snowman decorations...you could tell that they are into the holidays.

We ended up not being able to share the video...interesting how Satan controls technology. First their tv USB jack wasn't working, then the Internet wouldn't connect, we even had our min DVD player that has a USB jack that usually works, but in that moment, it just wasn't happening. But that's OK! Because we have the scriptures and our testimonies, and that requires absolutely nothing from technology's wonders! HA! So we shared in Alma 7:10-13 and in Isaiah about the prophesy of Christ's birth. We had a great, open conversation with them about Him as our Savior, she being Catholic and he being Evangelist. But they were really eager to talk to us and to listen to the message that we had.

At one point, she said "You know, up until this very moment, the thought of Christmas celebrating Christ's birth never entered my mind. We get all hyped up for the tree and the presents, but we so easily lose our focus on the true meaning." Talk about WOW! I love when the spirit guides us to those that are ready, and then works so efficiently in their hearts to help them acknowledge the beauty of the message that we bring, and help them to WANT more. To want to listen not only to the message of He is The Gift, but to want to hear about the Restoration, the Plan of Salvation, to feel a true desire to press on in this path, to enter through the covenant of baptism, to endure to the end and live in the presence of God.

And all because a loving Father sent His son.

Church is true, folks :) Be Bold, Stay Rad, Do what you do and Let your Light So Shine :)

Hermana Harkins