Week 71 - Preparing for Christmas

I've got Skype on my IPad all set up already with you as a contact and
I don't have P-Day next week. So I won't be able to email until
Christmas. Is there any reason why we shouldn't plan on what we did
last year? I call you at around 8:00 your time, or 4:00 mine. We can
talk for 45m to an hour, because this time my companion's parents
aren't divorced and I won't have a bunch of time to burn. Send me any
additional instructions cause I'll have wifi intermittently throughout
the week. Oh, and I do have news about my package - its here, and it
cost 40€ to get it out of customs. Dang Spaniards. I'll get it and the
bill Christmas Eve at the Madrid-wide Christmas devotional.

You're right about the need to work extra hard at Christmas - all
though people are a little more open during this time of year, they're
a lot more pressured to be moving here and there and fast and presents
and buy and sales and get out of my way I love Jesus but I don't have
time. It reminds me of the first little bit of the "He is the gift"
vídeo. Maybe it's the mission, but I didn't think that back home we
were so materialistic at Christmastime. I mean, we're not perfect at
all, but think about it this way - ask all the kids what they got for
Christmas from Santa last year. Even better, ask what they ASKED for.
And then ask them what we do for Christmas every year. I'm fairly
confident that even Charlie, who's had the least amount of experience
with the Maxfield Family at Christmastime, could tell you all of our
traditions - which are either Christ-centered or family-centered or
both. And I just don't see that in the average Spanish folk, which is
really quite sad. They need the gospel.

We had a family home evening the other night, and we talked about
giving and receiving. And in the Elder Maxfield Christmas message,
here's my thought on giving and receiving, take right out of the mouth
of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, "What can I give him..... I can give
my heart."

Elder Maxfield