Chilean Christmas

Hey guys! Merry Christmas!!!
Well, its here: the first time that I am going to away from my home for christmas!
I have been thinking for a while what this christmas is going to be like for me. Obviously it is going to be a stark contrast from the christmases that I have had at home. But I am realizing that the more and more that I am pushed and molded, I am becoming what God wants for me. I know that I say stuff like this almost every week, but its not for repetition sake: I have been gainign a stronger understanding of what thet means each time I say it. The mroe I learn and study about the gospel, the more I am amazed by it, by how expansive it is, yet how simple it can be. We are told the the gospel and every principle we teach should be able to be understood by even a five year old, which means that the gospel is for EVERYONE, not just for a few scholars who have dipped their head into books and unrighteously donned the title of authority upon their heads. One of the greatest gifts that I can give this christmas mgiht very well be myself. The more we align our will with the will of god, we understand what it means to find true happiness. We become what He wants us to be.
My companion and I have been stuck in the pension for a good part of the week when I got sick one night after eating an entire jalepeño (yeah I know mom, it was dumb). But while I was there, I thought a lot about what I was doing here and why the heck I even wanted to be out there in the hot sun (yes, its very hot out here!). I realized that I was in some small, minor way, wanting to just do what God wanted me to do. I am becoming more obedient! yes!!
Okay, to contrast the self righteousness of that paragraph, I wanted to let you guys know how Chile does Christmas down here. I dont know if I have told you about Chilean impatience, but its pretty famous down here. They want it now, and I mean right now. So... putting Christmas, presents, and a deadline to be able to open those presents, and you get this tradition. On Christmas Eve, all the families have dinner... at like 10:00 at night. We are already invited to go to one :) Then after dinner, everyone gathers around the clock, and waits until midnight. The second the clock strikes twelve, its officially Christmas, and all child squealing, wrapping tearing, fun frenzy hell breaks loose. So at around 3 in the morning, all the little chilean kids are running around with their wierd looking skateboards and their pretty pretty princess dolls in the streets, annoying all the american kids that are trying to sleep.
Its pretty interesting and Im gonna be excited to see it and to be woken up at three in the morning. there you go, mom and dad. You have your revenge.
Thank you everybody for making this christmas great for me and everybody else here in Tocornal! Elder Bowen and I wish you all a merry Christmas!!
Con Mucho Amor!
Elder Westover