Feliz Navidad :)

Hola mi querido familia!!First it was so great talking to all of you yesterday! I know it was short but guess what... I FINISH A THIRD OF MY MISSION THIS WEEK!!! Six months have already gone by and I will be home in a year! SO CRAZY how fast time is flying by!!! This was a great Christmas week!!! Couldn't have been better! We had a party on Thursday as a mission. President was very hesitant in having the party because of problems they have had at conferences in the past, but in the end he decided to do it. We had the spiritual part first which was SO great! President talked about how Christ lived a childhood and teenage years just like we do. That he had to learn how to walk, how to talk, that he probably didn't have friends because he couldn't be like the other children or the other teenagers. We talked about how Mary and Joseph had to be worthy to raise a child in righteousness... that they had to teach Christ the scriptures and that when it came time for him to start his mortal ministry he was prepared and was able to quote endless scriptures from memory... all because his parents taught him. I also had the thought that through scriputre study christ was able to learn his purpose in this life. I thought that was really beautiful and a nice thing to think about that in reality the savior does know EVERYTHING we go through. So that was great! We sang some hymns and I was able to play my violin while we sang the hymns. Everybody loved it I think, and it was so nice to just enjoy each others company and see the other missionaries.All the zones in the mission did skits and that was super fun. If we ever come back to guatemala we will experience the craziness of the busses. One of the zones did a skit about the crazy buses... I will send a picture of two elders imitating a woman with her child tied to her back with a blanket... it was SO FUNNY! The office skit was also great... making jokes about the zones that don't turn in baptisms records and people asking the elder in charge of money for more money all the time. It was a really fun time! After the skits we had a delicious lunch! Lasagna with veggies and bread. It was really good and so nice to have a warm hearty meal:) Afterwards we just got to enjoy talking to everybody. Those who wanted to, could watch the polar express but the majority of the missionaries just wanted to talk to other missionaries. As of like 3 weeks ago we have a senior couple serving in the mission and i am SO SO excited to have them here. The wife is a convert to the church and didn't convert until after they were married. They both have very strong testimonies and with Hna Bautista they are both learning spanish. The wife (sorry... can't remember their last names) gave a talk in spanish... her pronunciation isn't too great but I know we all appreciated her diligence in trying to speak the language of the people here. So that was really great and I am so excited and hope we get to teach with them. It makes me think of Elder and Sister Gale and Byington that served in Michigan and I hope I can be close with the couple here, just like them in Michigan. After our party ended they handed out packages and HOLY SMOKES FAMILIA! I got spoiled this year!!! Thank you so much for the thought, time and effort you all put in to my presents. I loved them all and hopefully will have time to send pics of everything I had. I have bruises on my arms from carrying the packages because they were so heavy. I actually had to pay for three people when we took the bus home because my packages took up two seats!! I thought you'd all enjoy that:) Thankfully the buses are about 10 cents in american money! Thursday night we had our ward party and that was also great. Our ward really pulled together to put on their christmas party. They had acts from various members of the ward. We had a great investigator turn out and menos activos which is great!! Before I forget!!!! Is Sammy home now??? If so somebody tell her hi for me:) Anyway, there is a group of north americans that are here in Guatemala right now helping build housed in Llanos de Pinal (area in my area...) they came to the party and although the majority of them don't speak spanish, they sang a song for the members and they loved it. These north americans also brought tons of gifts to give to the poor people in our areas. It was so great and Cecilia (our convert from last week) was able to receive one of these packages. hna Smith and I were SO grateful for them, and now they can eat a little better for a while and I know they had a very merry christmas:)So Friday we went to help Hna Mary make paches... the typical Guatemala food for Christmas. They are like tamales but apparently different! I will attach pics of them so you can see what exactly they are. Anyway, we helped hna mary prep the food. It took FOREVER!!! But it was really fun to learn how she does it and hopefully when I come home I will be able to make them for everybody. Friday we had a party with our zones. We did a white elephant gift exchange... I got whips haha. Undoubtedly from an elder.... It was fun to see their ideas of white elephant gifts. After we finished we were able to give away the majority of the treats aunt shannon sent to investigators, menos activos, and our bishopric. They all loved the gifts and were so grateful to receive them. THANK YOU AUNT SHANNON!Grandma Doreen! Thank you so much for the stockings!! They are so adorable and I am so grateful to have them. Thank you to everyone else who sent things! I had a fantastic christmas and couldn't have asked for more!!! Hna Smith and I were asked if we were homesick and as much as I miss all of you, I was so grateful to be here and serve these people on christmas. I truly gained a better appreciation of the meaning of Christmas and why we celebrate it. We are all so grateful for the birth of jesus christ but had he not performed the atonement, it would have been just like every other birth in the world. I am so grateful to be able to serve a mission. Zach and Karli, I hope your cruise was fantastic! I loved talking to you for a few minutes! Thank you so much for the package of presents! I loved them all!!Kori! Thank you so much for the letters and the pictures!! I loved that some of your girls wrote to me in spanish! I am going to try and respond to them today! Thank you everyone else for your thoughts and prayers. I feel them every day and I am so grateful to have each and everyone of you!!!! FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!! I hope you all enjoyed your christmas:)Se que vive mi senor Jesucristo. Se que podemos recibir paz y gozo en esta vida por la expiacion de el. estoy agradecida por los templos y que las familias pueden ser eternas. estoy agradecida por espanol... me encanta hablar en espanol y tengo que practicar escribiendo en espanol en una computadora porque es dificil!!! les quiero mucho y estoy agradecida que tengo una familia buenisima!! I LOVE YOU! sorry can't type in spanish quickly enough to continue on... Have a great week and happy new year this next week!! I will be thinking and praying for each of you!!! con todo mi amor, hna nelson