Christmas, Ocho Principios, & SKYPE

Hi!

This was a really great really busy week full of great things.

Giant Nativity

We had Ocho Prinicipios (training meetings) almost all day Wedesday and ALL day Thursday. They were really long, but also really good days. We started off the meetings Wednesday morning watching an elder running down the street chasing a bus...We were very confused until another elder got off the bus and started running towards him- the bus took off with his companion! haha And we ended the meetings with Presidente taking us out to ice cream on Christmas eve. #Ilovethatman

Speaking of Christmas: I love Christmas. We had a glorious day. Presidente and Hermana García invited us over, so we spent the day in the mission home. (!!!) We ate American food, sang Christmas songs around the piano, gleaned all the advice we could out of Pres. & Hna García, and skyped our families.

Shout out to my family: I love you people. 

After we dropped the other sisters off in their pueblo (#firsttimeI´veseenapueblo), dropped the assistants off in their area, and then went home. 

It was a great Christmas. 

Also, after Christmas we found this really great family. And we´re sure there are more like them out there. And we´re going to go find them. Because that is what Christmas (and the gospel) is all about; bringing hope and joy and a new beginning. 

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas. Happy New Year!! I love you all!!

Nick Hartley´s Converts

¡Vale la pena!

Hermana Wilson

White, Temples, & Mexico

¡Que tal!

This week was one of those crazy, not normal weeks again (I feel like I say that a lot-anyone besides me feel like crazy has become the new normal??). And it was so crazy that I´m going to bullet-point this letter:

-We had 8 Principios which is like a multi-zone training meeting every morning for like a week. The best part was getting up at 4 in the morning to go make pancakes for everyone with the zone leaders. Just so you all know, elders eat a lot of pancakes. And don´t have all that great hygiene skills if they aren´t reminded. 

Foto Zona Campeche

-President showed up and anounced that we were going to have BAPTISMS (that´s literally what we said "vamos a bautizar gente"), and that meant we spent the rest of the week tracking down every possibility and getting them interviewed. Then we had a giant Tarde Blanca and a lot of people got baptized. One of our part member family investigators named America got baptized. She´s a doll. (Also check out the gringas baptizing America, my comp even wore red, white, and blue...jajaja) It was so cool to see all kinds of people from all walks of life decide to follow Christ and get baptized. We literally had people there from 9 to 95. It was pretty awesome. 

Baptism of America!...which in real English would be America´s Baptism...

-We had divisions and I was staying in the area with Hna Vega...but my comp took the phone with her...and we figured it out when President took us home...that was embarrassing. But on the plus side, he then decided to take us out for ice cream. He´s a great person. 

-My companion got a zit on her eye...(I think it´s actually called a stye??) and I totally did surgery on it and a bunch of green gunk came out. She also lost her voice which makes singing hymns a lot more entertaining. 

-I discovered that I could have a future in hege trimming. Although I recommend wearing long sleeves because plants make you itchy. 

-The Mexico City Temple got rededicated and it was just amazing. We got to go to the cultural celebration Saturday night (I officially have decided I want to be Mexican), and then the dedication Sunday (which took the place of normal services. (Oh and Mexico has its independence day tomorrow woo for Mexico!!)

-And then we got to go the Temple today!!!! (Hence why I´m writing on a Tuesday...) And it was as great as ever. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the temple. 

Misión México Mérida

Reunited and it feels so good! 

She bought me a little baby cake...and a candle... I love her

I am loving life. The mission is the hardest thing I have ever done, but also the best, I see miracles and I am so so so happy. What else could I ask for?? 

¡Vale la pena!

Hermana Wilson

Mi mama Campechana Hna Fatima

We´re basically pirates...

Responsabilities, Privelges, & The Reason I´m Still in Chuburná

Dear People, 

 We had zone trainings every morning this week, so we had a little different of a week. Also it was different because for the first time I had to GIVE some of the trainings (Hi, I´m still a mission-baby, are we sure this is a good idea??) Hah I may have accidentally started speaking in english at one point, but it all turned out okay, and I enjoy being able to teach the other missionaries. 

Including intercambios. I´ve decided I love them. I got to work with Hna Barraza this week. She´s a sweetheart, and I think we all need to be more like her. She has a way of helping people realize that they really matter, that they´re important. LOVE HER.

Also, Hna Torres and I got to go help out with a primary activity in Centro with Presidente, and Hermana Garcia and the assistants. The activity was called ¡Niños a la mision! and for our part of the activity Hna Torres and I taught them about our schedule, being obedient, how to handle stress (we totally did relaxation exercises with 60 children), how to prepare spiritually for a mission, and how to avoid big sins. And let me just tell you....it was a blast. #capacitadoraprivelegios

I love children. Why can´t we teach herds of kids all the time??? Also, Presidente talked to the kids about how they need to go on a mission and then come home and get married as soon as possible....

To quote Hna Torres, "¿Hay calor verdad?" 

Hna Torres, Yo, Hna Manning, Hna Gutierrez, Hna Garcia, Presidente Garcia

I learned last night why I´m still in Chuburná. Hna Elizabeth, my favorite reformed less active, told us that before cambios she was praying (a lot!!) that I wouldn´t get changed ("No llevas mi gûerita").

It´s pretty evidente that she has a lot of faith (almost seven months worth). haha. I love her. 

So what I keep realizing in my mission is that the gospel really is the answer. The pure, simple, basic doctrine. We´re not converting people to the side-affects of the gosple, we´re inviting them to come unto Christ and be CHANGED. That is what conversion is, a complete change, of desires, hopes, actions, everything. And I know that I have a long way to go, but that is what I want. I want to want those things that my Heavenly Father wants. I want to lose myself so completely that His Will becomes my will. 

Because that´s when the miracles come. And that is true joy. I love being a mission. I love you all. I love my Savior.

¡Vale la pena!

Hermana Wilson