Happy New Year's Eve!!!

This week was a pretty amazing one, honestly, with lots of highs.

Christmas on the mission was unlike any other Christmas I've ever had! It started a little sad but ended up being way fun and special because we got to spend the day with some member families and then got to do a mission activity that night. It was a ward member's birthday on Christmas and on her birthday cake she put the candles for 2024 because she wanted us to celebrate Jesus' birthday rather than hers.  

I got to go on an exchange with Sister Menchi (from Argentina and the only Spanish sister I've never spent a day with), and it was SO FUN. I actually want to be comps with her so bad, but we probably never will be because we both drive, and our drivers are limited. 👎 I got to go back to my old area (literal promised land of Las Vegas), and it was just such an amazing day. I got to know Sister Menchi and learn so much from her, visit some members, and just laugh all day! 10/10 recommend spending the day with her if you want to have a good time.

Little fun things of the week:

- Tried to make muffins for Christmas but our oven started pouring smoke instead and set off the fire alarms 2 minutes after I turned it on. Had to make muffin pancakes instead which took FOREVER but they tasted the same so that's a win.
- I'm officially the ward pool champion and have an undefeated record. Shoutout to Dad for his skills and pool trophies, the youth in the ward now think I'm really cool. 🎱💪🏆

Something really special about this week and Christmas was my "Gift to Jesus." At my 2nd (?) Zone Conference, we were invited to read the Book of Mormon from start to finish, by Christmas, and mark every single thing that pointed to or testified of Jesus Christ. The first thing I got to do on Christmas morning was finish the Book of Mormon and pray about it. I know the Book of Mormon is true! And I've never had a big, life-changing experience that's convinced me of it, but it's been through reading it every day, through praying and studying it with an open heart and real intention, that I've felt the Holy Ghost confirm it's truth to me, that it is Another Testament of Jesus Christ! I know that if y'all truly want to receive that testimony/continue strengthening it, it's through a daily study.

At every single Zone Conference, President Nielsen always ends by telling us the 1 thing we can do to ensure we stay on the covenant path forever, which is to read the Book of Mormon every single day of our lives. Even if it's 15 seconds sometimes, just 1 verse at the end of the day, it'll be the thing that brings the Spirit into our lives and will remind us of Christ each and every day. I've seen that on my mission, and it's already changed my life.

I love you all! Hope you're all doing well and are looking forward to the New Year. 🎉

💜 Hna. Pursglove

There are so many more names of Christ, but it brings me so much joy and peace to know that we have someone who fills all these roles for us, and that He came here specifically for each one of us. Hopefully with Christmas tomorrow, you all can take the time to really focus on Christ and everything He's done for you. Love you all and hope you have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!🎄🎊⭐️

❤️ Hna. Pursglove

Also, here's a lovely (unfinished) poem from my Mom. I hope you all find it as amusing as I did last night:

'Twas the Night Before Christmas (Vegas Edition) by Steph Pursglove

‘Twas two nights before Christmas and all through the house,
two sisters were stirring, and so was a mouse. 🐭

Their stockings were tucked in a box with great care, 📦
in place of Mom Nicholas who couldn’t be there.

The Sisters were nestling all snug in their beds; 🛌
while visions of Christmas treats danced in their heads.

Dad in his pj's and I in my Grinch,
had just settled down for a snooze in a pinch. 🤏🏻

When over in Vegas there arose such a clatter—
but in Vegas that’s normal so it didn’t matter.

Morg crawled out of bed, much like a sloth, 🦥
tore open the curtains and saw a huge moth.

This Christmas moth flew and fluttered and bumped;
Morg was confused and Peraza was stumped.

They were hoping for Santa but Santa can’t fly.
It makes much more sense that a moth’d be the guy

To deliver their gifts from the North Pole so cold. 🎁
So they let in the moth and lo and behold…

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! 🍒

His cute little wings were all soft and fluffy, 
and the beard on his chin was white and so puffy!

He had a bug face and a little round belly,
that shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly. 🥣
(to be continued maybe...)

Hola everyone, que bola?

That's my Cuban of the week, it's how Sister Peraza greets literally every person, and it just means what's up or something like that.

This week was probably the slowest I've had on my mission so far. I was sick Wednesday to Saturday, and Sister Peraza was sick Friday to Monday, so we did not get out and do much. Here are some of the highlights of this week though!

- We got to go to a Uruguayan wedding that was thrown by the ward! I love the weddings here because they're actually so last minute and so random but SO FUN.

- We had Thanksgiving!!🦃🍁🥧 We played basketball as a zone, soccer as a ward, and then we got to have Thanksgiving dinner at a member’s house, but it ended up being all of our favorite families in the ward who were there (not that we have favorites) and it was actually so fun. I missed our annual Thanksgiving tradition where we list our favorite things about my mom (I'll let you figure out whose idea that one was), but listening to the three-year-olds say what they were grateful for in the most gringo-sounding Spanish you've ever heard almost made up for it.

- I went to the ward Christmas Piano Recital, and it was so fun. I felt like I was back home at the annual recital waiting for my turn to play, and it actually made me so sad. We have a Christmas Zone Conference in a few weeks though and I get to play a Christmas piece then, so I'm not too deprived.

- Literally just Sister Peraza. That's the highlight. She and I just laugh all day every day and I think I'm going to have serious abs by the end of this transfer because of it.

- CAMILA IS STAYING IN VEGAS! Camila is a recent convert and she's been planning on going back to Colombia this next Sunday. We went to her house yesterday though, and she said that she's been praying to know what to do with her life and she got a clear impression that she needs to stay here. She's actually the sweetest ever and is pretty much the most elect recent convert anyone could hope for, so we're so happy she's staying here with us.

That's all for this week! Merry Christmas month, listen to real Christmas music for me because the Christian radio station covers of Christmas songs aren't cutting it and I'm going crazy. Sister Peraza gets mad at me when I put it on because it's so atrocious, but I say, at least it's Christmas music! It's a really fine line though between "at least it's Christmas music,” and "does this actually count as music?" Pray for us.

Love you all and hope you have the 2nd best holiday season ever, cause I know that I'm going to have the best one, here in Las Vegas. 🤘😎☃️

❤️ Hna. Pursglove