Week 19: End of 2015

Dear people who love me enough to read my letters weekly! ❤️❤️❤️

First off, I just want you all to know you're amazing and I hope your Christmas was amazing :) and I love you all.

Another week down. Wow! What a week as well. I can't believe it’s already Monday and I can't believe Christmas has come and gone. I CAN’T BELIEVE HOW FREAKING AWESOME IT WAS TO SEE THE FACES OF THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE BACK HOME!!!! 

My week was regularly different, if that makes sense. Tuesday Elder Rex and I took the gnarliest adventure to get my Christmas presents. We waited in our apartment during media day because DHL said they were going to come and deliver my packages. I called them in the morning and they said they'd be at our house around 2 or 3 and they said they'd call before they came. So we waited and once 2 rolled around, they never called. We waited, and waited. And waited......................................and continued to wait. Finally I called them and was like, “Alright dudes! Where’s my package?" They said they had called earlier but we didn't answer. I said "Well what number did you call?" They said "2...4...6.. Niner..5, 6, 7, 8.." It was hard to hear them though, they were trailing off. (most people won't get this... It's from Tommy Boy) but anyway, after that, we went to the church to look for where the DHL place was, and luckily it was pretty close to our piso. So, we started walking! We walked down the main road, but then when we got to the place where we needed to be, it was a dead end. We turned around and started heading back up towards our piso to take another road and go the long way. There was literally nothing. It was so scary. We live on the edge of the earth. There's nothing by us. Sooo after walking for a good 10 minutes, we found our way to some train tracks. So we crossed the tracks and started walking down this dirt road. The whole place was surrounded by a barbed wire fence. After another 10 minutes trying to exploit a weakness in the fence, I looked to my left and saw an 8 inch gap between the fence and wire. We wiggled our through the gap and luckily, the DHL place was right there! :) It was a great way to do some companionship bonding! :) Thank you to everyone for my packages. It was so fun to open them and see all the surprises inside.

Wednesday we woke up at 4:25 AM to catch a bus to Murcia for our Christmas conference! It was so awesome. We got there after a four and a half hour bus ride. That wasn't awesome. We started off with a talent sho.. I debated on whether or not I wanted to tickle the ivories and sing for everyone, but I felt like everyone would be better off not hearing a dying cow!  After that we did a flash mob in the center of Murcia where there were a ton of people. I was singing, and one of the APs comes up to me and tells me to come with him. I got so nervous cuz I knew he wanted me to go talk to people with him. We went and started talking to this lady, and then he just walked away and left me alone! It was so weird. But, I got the ladies number and she seemed interested so I passed it to the missionaries in Murcia. It was a good experience for me. We’ll see what happens with her. When we were starting to eat, I was in line and one of the guys who was serving us the food looked at my name tag and said.. Jamón (Hammond), I served with a Jamón. I started getting a little excited and said when? Here? What was his name? It turns out it was dad!!! He was so excited and so was I. Apparently they went on splits with each other for a day in Granada and he remembered my dad having a girlfriend. I was like, “Dude, that's my mom!" It was awesome!

Thursday we set up a bunch of Christmas decorations in our piso, and then later that night we went over to la familia Corrados. When we get there, the daughter Sofia and her boyfriend/fiancé Hyrum did a little slide show PowerPoint thing and we read Luke Chapter 2. It was really cool and the spirit was so strong. All four of us elders were there, and we sang a bunch of Christmas hymns. We ate and had all sorts of Spanish dulces. Christmas tradition here is to celebrate right at 12 o'clock. That's when they open presents. They gave all of us ties! Mine is red and blue. I personally think it's the best looking one of the four of them. :)

Christmas morning... What a great Christmas!  We had a district breakfast around 9 in the morning. We all thought it would be fun to do a white elephant gift exchange so I bought a little Furby pillow. (Those ugly little furry animal pet things) And I got a pineapple cutter! It doesn't work very well but it's the thought that counts right? On the bright side, the pineapple we bought to use it on was SO GOOD!  After that, we came back to our piso and we opened all our presents!!! It was weird not to be doing that with my family. But it’ll be oh so sweet when I can again! :) After that, we came to the church and played basketball for a little bit and then it was THE BEST PART OF THE DAY!!!  Ahh my family is beautiful! FaceTime is a true homie, that's for sure. It was so good talking to everyone and seeing everyone again. Saying goodbye obviously wasn't easy at all but it sure as heck was easier than saying goodbye the last time I said bye to them though! :) Ahh man I just can't get over how gorgeous everyone is back home! (We were able to talk with Tanner for a while and then he said a prayer for us for our Christmas dinner in Spanish.  It was the highlight of the day for sure!) .

Saturday was fun... As usual, we played soccer in the morning… I know I say this every week, but guys... I'm starting to get pretty freakin good! My foot eye coordination isn't nearly as good as hand eye, but it's getting there!  After that, we went to a Silvia’s house for an eating cita. OH MY GOODNESS, she made these things that were like fried potatoes, with meat and rice and I don't even know but it was freakishly good. She made this salsa that was amazing. I don’t even know how to put it into words people.... Just delicious! :)

On Sunday we went to church and then after we went to our bishop's house (the bishop remembers my dad by the way)  and his wife and another lady in our ward made us some chicken and fries and potatoes. It was pretty good. The members like to feed us which I have no problems with...it's such a huge blessing to have so many members who are willing to open their homes to us and feed us. After dinner we had a great lesson with the families who were there. They are great familias. I told them basically my whole life story and so did Elder Rex. Then randomly, their daughter who's 28 and a returned missionary who is also inactive now, asked a question. She asked "Who do you think suffered more during the Atonement, Jesus or Heavenly Father?” It made me think a lot, and I honestly don't know.  Jesus suffered for literally every single sin, pain and sorrow. For all of our physical pains as well as our emotional. And at the same time God goes through everything with us, so did they go through the same? I’m not a parent yet, so I don't really know what it's like to see your own child go through something difficult. But I can Imagine it's not easy at all! I don't know, just kinda a random thing I thought I would share with you all. Just remember that God gave his only son to us so that we could be clean, happy and with our families to for eternity. My dad asked me what the most difficult part of being a missionary in Spain is and for me, it's two things: the language, which is actually getting easier by the day AND all the rejection. I'm not used to so much rejection and I refuse to accept it. I find myself getting discouraged at times with the lack of bautismos but I know the Lord will bless us if we keep at it. This was a crazy busy week with Christmas so I hope things will settle down and we can find more people to teach!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!  I'll be home soon, don't worry ;) have a great week, and know I love you all!!!

Talk to you guys in 2016!!!! :):):):)

Love,
Elder Hammond :)

Opening our Christmas packages from home and decorating our piso!

The reason for the package adventure

In the middle of nowhere on the package adventure

Hammond with jamón :) Everyone calls me that here.

My Christmas stocking and Utes tie

Christmas Eve Dinner and my awesome tie from the members and investigators!

La Familia Corrados on Christmas Eve

Brother/Previously Elder Cabrero that served with my dad.  He served us lunch for our mission Christmas meeting.
Small world!

Almeria District at lunch on PDay. Elder Layton next to me, Elder Harvey, Hermana Herrera, Hermana Smith and my companion Elder Rex is taking the selfie.