So I´ll start by describing what happens here in Chile for Christmas! They celebrate it a little different then we normally do. The big thing for Christmas is the dinner on the 24th. All the family get together and the eat dinner really late at like 10 or 11 and then after dinner they open all their presents and go to bed really late. And in the morning they wake up and the kids can play with their toys and I´m sure the parents just sleep in! Haha

Our day for the 24th included a whole ton of eating. We had our District class in the morning in San Felipe where we ate cupcakes that I made and cupcakes that the second counselor in the stake´s wife made and other treats for chirstmas and then right after that we went to a member´s house, who always makes way good food and a lot of it, to eat lunch. Because we our class ended late we didn´t have time after lunch to go back to Catemu so we stayed in Llay-Llay and studied until six and after 6 we had our free time for Christmas! So we met up with the missionaries in Llay-Llay and ate dinner with a member at 7:30(he had the best meat) and then at 9:30 we ate dinner with another member. Soooo much food. I almost didn´t make it. But it was a lot of fun! 

Christmas day was basically just a normal day other than we could wake up an hour later and we had time to Skype! In the morning I opened my presents I got from my family and also I got the package that Grandma Debbie sent me, thank you so much!! So that was Christmas! The best present obviously was talking with my family! It was so good to hear and see you guys again! I am so very grateful that Drey still remembers me!

We had an activity as a mission on the 23rd which was very fun and really good! Elder Ceballos of the Seventy and his wife spoke to us. Also I got to see all my friends from the MTC (including Sister Sarmiento from Columbia) and she is just fantastic! Haha

We´ve been teaching a less active couple and they are fantastic. He works in construction so we got to talk about that a little which was a good way to connect with him! But they accept us very gladly and every single time we have gone to their house and shared with them the spirit has been so strong. We gave them a Book of Mormon and he was soo excited about it. He said that he had read it two times when he was younger and when we gave it to him he couldn´t put it down. It was neat to see that because he has such respect to the Book of Mormon he really truly knew the value of what he was holding in his hands. We also showed them a Mormon Message(I love the Morman Messages) about living underneath our potential. And the video spoke right to his heart because he feels like he isn´t living up to his potential. Everyday he wakes up and goes to work at eight then works for 12 hours and comes home, showers, eats, and goes to sleep just do it again. He feels like he doesn´t have time to become more or spend more time with his wife or anything else. And the video helped him realize that there is more in life then work and nothing more. I think it started a little fire in him and with time we can help him increase that fire until it´s burning really good. AND at the end of the lesson his wife said the prayer and she really really didn´t want to but as soon as she started everything got really quiet and then she just started talking and started giving thanks for soo many things. It was a very powerful lesson and I am excited to help these two find the join and happiness that we once had. I heard a talk one day and it said how out of all the things we do in the church it is to find more joy and help bring more joy to others. 

Thank you for all the Christmas emails I hope that Christmas was one to remember for all of you. I definitely won´t forget mine! I only have one more Christmas left in the mission! Ahh wayyyy too fast! Haha

With love,

Elder Bayler Moab Gunnell

P.S. No Chilean can say any of my names... Thanks mom and dad... Haha no I love them so really, thank you!