HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025


 Wow, I can't believe that we are already into a new year! We hope that you all had a fun celebration with loved ones, and are using the new year as a time to take stock and ponder what the coming 12 months will hold in store for you. As we work with missionaries who are preparing to go home, one of the questions that we ask is for them to give us a "12 month vision" of where they are going to be in a year. In 12 months, we will still be here, and hopefully a lot more comfortable in our responsibilities!

In Spain they have a new years tradition that when the clock chimes 12, that for each chime, you eat a grape. Each grape is supposed to bring you luck for one of the months for the coming year. President and Sister Heckmann held a video call with all of the mission at 10:30 on the 31st and then we pretended that it was actually midnight, and ate grapes so that we could go to bed and get up and go to the office the next morning. It was kind of fun. However, my poor Brenda got some sort of nasty stomach bug and was up quite a bit during that night. I had her stay home on the 1st to get feeling better, and walked to the office by myself to see about getting some work done. It was amazing to walk through Barcelona that morning because there was absolutely zero traffic. I crossed what is normally the busiest street in the city against the light, because there was no reason to wait for it to change! It was a really weird feeling. 

It has been interesting in the office this past week because the heat isn't working. We've been working in our coats, and when our hands get to cold we hold them over a little space heater that puts out about as much heat as an eskimo blowing out a match. Of course the people who are supposed to come and fix that kind of thing are all on vacation over the holidays. The Christmas season goes all the way to January the 7th here which is "Three Kings Day". We're told that tonight there will be a huge parade through the streets as the 3 Kings ride camels and throw out candy. Tomorrow is the holiday, and so we will have another easy day to go to the office because there will be no traffic again. 

President Heckmann wanted to give a Christmas gift to the office staff and so he bought tickets to a concert in a concert hall that was designed by the famous architect Gaudi. It is truly a remarkable place, and the music that was played was phenomenal. It was a string ensemble that played music by Vivaldi. The talent was incredible. Before the concert, we went with President Heckmann to dinner by taking the metro downtown. After dinner we wandered the streets a little and saw a concert before the concert, so to speak, as a choir was performing in front of the Cathedral of Barcelona. We then met the Elders and a couple that is called to work with the Service Missionaries in Spain. It was a really fun evening. 

I'm kind of sad that our year of studying the Book of Mormon in Come Follow Me has come to a close, but I am excited to really dig into the Doctrine and Covenants this year. I hope that it will be as rewarding as the Book of Mormon has been for me. I have always loved the Book of Mormon, but 2024 was special for me. I know it is true, and I love the testimony that it bears of our Savior. I hope that you have felt its power this year as I have. 

I hope that 2025 is a banner year for each one of you, and that you will feel our Savior's love for each one of you.


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