The Grinch Stole Christmas, and brought summer.

Hola familia!

It´s Christmas. I oh-so-hope that you´re all enjoying your Christmas and families.

Here... It´s different.

It´s kind of like the Grinch Stole Christmas. There´s little decorations. There´s not much Christmas Cheer. 

It´s hot. Really hot. Hot and sweaty, even at night, and we´ve been without a fan since winter.

And, (I´m sad to say, mom) that my package didn´t arrive, so there will be no presents under our paper tree--at least from my family.

BUT, I would remind you, in midst of all these seemingly non-christmasy things, what happened with the Who´s when the Grinch stole their christmas: 

it came anyway. 

It came without presents. 

It came without Christmas Cheer. 

I´m sure it could´ve even come if it was 40º C (104º F) outside, like it is here.

It came without all of those seemingly ¨Christmasy¨ things.

It came, just the same, because those things aren´t what Christmas is about. 

It´s about Christ. 

It´s about the gift he is to the world. 

It´s about the cheer he brings to people and families worldwide. 

It´s about celebrating what´s really important with those who are really important.

And so I´ll pass Christmas here. And I´m not sad one bit. Because this Christmas I´m going to spend thinking about ¨Christ¨-¨más¨. :)

This year I hope you, too, can spend more time thinking about Christ and giving the best gifts. 

Watch these most-excellent videos right now, and maybe you can share it with your family in FHE, or with friends later.

The Reason Behind Christmas http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2874125972001

The Christmas Spirit http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=911161814001

Mucho amor,

Elder Turek