New year, new goals and new lives

This Christmas has truly been fantastic, thank you all for the sweet
letters and gifts! I hope you all had a Christmas to remember because
I surly did.

This week has been wonderful! People are just happier and tend to like
to talk a lot more about our Savior Jesus Christ! This Christmas Eve
we had the opportunity to eat with a recent convert family from
Ecuador! At the moment I didn't know I made a mistake but I surly did.
I ate before the dinner... Anyway, we get in and he told us that they
cooked a lot of food. I was like "ok.." "You don't know how much I can
eat!" So they bring out some seafood and I easily eat everything on my
plate. I was so confused because there wasn't that much food....
There was more than one course.... So after soup, plantains, literally
half a pig!!!, rice, beans and three cakes, my body was rejecting
anything I put in my mouth. I had to scoot back my seat in the car a
little bit.

As well, we had a Christmas conference this week for half the mission.
It consisted of a talent show, Christmas caroling and a few talks by
President and some other people. For the talent show I clapped really
loud for the people that had talents. One of the Elders that live in
the same piso as us is a professional yo-yoer! It's pretty cool. At
times.. I hear a hissing sound about 8 hours of the day from the
Yo-yo. We also Christmas Caroled (flash mob) a plaza in Murcia. With
100 missionaries singing there was a few people who got freaked out.

This Christmas season family has been on my mind most of all! If there
is anything I want to share this week is that the family is ordained
of God. It is the center of our lives. I pray and hope that we can
understand the importance of striving to be an eternal family. I hope
you all had a great time with your families this season. Thank you all
for being such great people and good examples to me.

Love
Elder Owens