Feliz Navidad

From: Alison Royal <alison.royal@myldsmail.net>
To: Patricia Royal <azroyal2@yahoo.com>
Sent: Monday, December 19, 2011 9:46 AM
Subject: Feliz Navidad!

Hola todos seres queridos en mi vida...

I am so energized by your excitement for the holidays! thank you for your Christmas joy! It is definitely a different feeling here in the middle of summer, and the people seem to be a lot more closed off than I expected, but that's OK because me and Hermana Hart are just trying to be "Christmas Joy Spreaders" haha its a great job to have!

So this week I experienced real heart break, in a way that I never have before. I'm still pretty sensitive and I will try not to be such a drama Queen. hah But Mauricio had his baptismal interview this week. We finished all his teachings and he was all set, with his heart set on a Christmas baptism. We got the church building for the interview, feeling pretty excited ( I just love baptismal interviews) and as we were waiting for him to finish up with the Elders, they walked in with sad looks on their faces. Right away I knew it was a bad sign.The elder told us Mauricio had something to tell us, and Mauricio told us that before his baptism, he drank a glass of beer. He hadn't drunken for over a month, without any problems and had made huge exciting changes in his life. I tried to push it off and excite him to pick himself back up and keep moving forward, but he has changed and is now avoiding us. My heart literally has broken. I have never fasted or prayed or studied or thought so much about an investigator before and I think I might have done some emotional damage on that one. But on the other hand, I have felt the atonement working within me. Two days ago I wasn't doing so great, but now I feel happy again. I just feel like these last couple weeks poor Hermana Hart and I have been living in the refiners fire, but I am so grateful because it's given us a real chance to give the Lord a Christmas gift. Making sacrifices and unconditionally serving him. I also got sick this week for like the first time in 15 years. I must have caught Hermana Harts virus that she had on my birthday. haha I had a fever and all of the other symptoms that go along with it, but we were still able to work and give the lord EVERYTHING. So basically we feel very happy with that satisfaction (and I have recovered just fine so don't worry).

So rough week, but also a great week filled with miracles! We found a woman Andrea, who wants to get baptized and accepted a baptismal date and came to church this Sunday, so she is just about golden!

Also, I am just so excited for Christmas! We have our Christmas conference this Thursday and in the night, our ward Christmas party. And then Saturday and Sunday Hermana Hart and I are just going to sing our little hearts out, caroling on the metro, for menos activos and investigators and members. We are so excited to be "Christmas Joy Spreaders" and remind people about Jesus Christ, our Lord and King. .... And.... we get to talk to our families!! Yay! Hermana Hart and I are still working out the details, but we are going to call you on Wednesday at 1:30 Chile time, for 5 minutes to set up the details. yay!

I love you all so much! Thank you for your prayers and words of excitement. Please keep em coming! Because I don't think we will be leaving the refiners fire anytime soon, but boy, when we leave it, we are going to be just oh-so shiny and clean :) hahah

I love you all

Ali