Thanksgiving!

First, I am sorry that I did not write much last week. I took the time to write to a number of friends and answer a lot of their emails. I am sitting in the mission offices right now as I read your emails and write to you and don’t have much time. This is an amazing city. It has been a very fun day, walking around Centro with President and Hermana Stutznegger, my companions, Hermana Jones and her companion Hermana Vazquez (she needed a glasses replacement). Then we went to this amazing artisans market where you can find everything Mexico handmade. I bought a sweet Mexican blanket, a pillow case, and two little tiny nativity sets. I am thinking I will look for bigger ones next year when I am close to coming home. That way, I don't have to worry about saving them throughout my mission. We met up with a few of the Elders there as well and Elder Miller found a sweet poncho. We will be spending the night at President's house because Hermana Wong has a few other tests at the hospital early tomorrow morning.

For Thanksgiving, the Hermanas in the mission were able to spend the day with the Stutzneggers. They are so wonderful and take very good care of us. A few of the Elders helped prepare food as well. This mission has the best missionaries! Thanksgiving was fun and I enjoyed counting blessings and remembering how much we all have to be grateful for. Gratitude is more than something we supposed to have, it is a gift, and allows our hearts to be soft. I am grateful for you.

A few weeks ago I made the decision to focus and make this the best Christmas ever because I am in the service of the Lord. What better way to celebrate Christmas than to share the message of Christ's birth and His restored gospel? :) I will be better about taking pics of the area and traditions etc. I am just trying to be careful and not draw more attention to myself with a camera than I already do haha :) Do you realize that this is my last week of repeated days in the mission!? Next week I will have completed a third of my mission. It is going by so fast, which both excites and scares me because there is still so much I need to do. It is HARD to keep investigators. Most people in my area work all day, every day, and have little time for religion (even if they claim to be set in a religion). But, I am going to just keep trying.

Speaking of trying, training a new missionary is hard work but I love my new companion :) I am training Hermana Carrasco. She turned 19 in September and is from Ecuador! So, my trainer, Hermana Llaguarima, is from Ecuador and now my first “hija” is from there too! Three generations haha :) Hermana Wong is with us as well. Hermana Carrasco is so sweet! She loves to talk and my brain was fried from a Spanish overload that first night, but she is eager to help and participate and I love her :)

More info next week, sorry! Love you so much! Hermana Jones

This was when we went to the offices last Monday to pick up Hermana Carrasco! This pic includes my trainer, Hermana Llaguarima and my new companion, Hermana Carrasco.

 ...and Hermana Wong!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the Stutzneggers (photo cred to Sister Stutznegger for the following pics of the Hermanas together)

Comfy clothes :)

Thanksgiving was sooooo nice. I am grateful for the Stutzneggers! (photo cred to Sister Stutznegger)

This is how we do it. We were storing a bunch of food in our fridge for a member -- not a lot of people have fridges -- but the door wouldn't close so we propped it closed with a chair and the microwave.