FELIZ NAVIDAD!!

Familia,

FELIZ NAVIDAD!! It was fun to chat and see you guys on Christmas. I love you guys like crazy. Miss you lots. It´s good we don´t talk everyday or this mission thing would be a lot harder. Talking was great and all, but the 26th was harder to focus on the work and the people. I felt fine, but just harder to focus...I´m feeling more back to normal now. (Or missionary normal haha).

SANTA!

  

First, things first I have to thank you for that GORGEOUS pic you sent to the mission. We had our mission Christmas party on Friday. It was a great day. We ended up playing some random games in the beginning in jeans )which was weird by the way=, then we watched a movie! After that we watched a slide show with photos that our family sent to the mission. It was hilarious because so many missionaries had like their missionary pics, or nice portraits, or baby pics, and then all of a sudden up popped a picture of me, that was all zoomed in of just my face making a super ugly expression ha. I died laughing. Especially because this slide show was shown to our entire mission. I could just imagine the family huddled around saying, "which picture can we send to embarrass her?" It was hilarious also because my companion leaned over and said, "What was your family thinking? Why would they send such an ugly photo of you?" Haha. Made me laugh. (For those who know Danika well…she seldom takes a serious picture so of course we had to send one with her making a face…since that is just who she is…at least the mission will all remember “Hermana Wright”…and it’s not that “ugly” as her companion would say. J)

The 24th of Diciembre la Mama de Arnoldo (Arnoldo’s mom) invited all of us missionaries in Juayua to have dinner at his house for Christmas (11 missionaries!). And me and Hermana Najera have never met his family. So this was really neat. It was neat because we all went over there and we sang a hymn, us missionaries shared our testimonios and Arnoldo shared some thoughts as well about prayer and some experiences he had. One of these was he was praying really hard that his mom would have vacation so that he could spend time with her. Because she works in San Salvador during the weeks and only comes home on the weekends. When he finished his prayer, his mom called him and told him that she got vacation for the week of Christmas and was going to be home for over a week. God answers prayers. They´re real. His mom then shared some thoughts and she said she´s so grateful for us and for everything because she´s seen a huge change in her son. She started to cry and so did his sister, and the spirit was strong. It was really beautiful. 

Then Arnoldo was baptized Saturday and confirmed yesterday. His mom came to his baptism and it was really beautiful. Arnoldo is tan pila (so strong) and some people that knew him before have said he´s changed significantly. Yesterday night we taught la mama de ARnoldo and she started to cry again and said that she is so grateful to Dios (God). She never thought that her son would be the first one to change and come to Christ, but it´s something she´s been praying for for awhile and she´s so grateful for Dios. 

This is why I´m here. To help others come closer to Christ. To help others listen and accept this Gospel of Jesus Christ. And this is what brings true happiness in this life. When Arnoldo passed his bautismo(baptismal) interview on Tuesday, that was the best Christmas present and honestly the only thing I wanted. I was so stoked for him. And I´m excited to continue to help him grow in this Gospel. I am here because I know this is true and I want to share it with whoever will listen. Because I know with all of my heart that this Gospel brings peace and happiness and joy in this life, despite our struggles and trials. I know it with all my heart. And I love it. I´m happy and stoked to be working hard with my companion and praying to continue to mejorar cada dia (improve every day).

Love you lots fam. Keep it real. Enjoy the snow!! I´ll enjoy the mosquitos.

Love,

Hermana Wright

Dinner at a member´s house for la Navidad...this picture is hilarious because seriously every picture I have from this night, Hermano Jorge is taking a picture of something else.