Feliz Navidad

Hello,

This week went by a lot faster than my first week, which is great.  There is so much adjusting to do on the mission.  Every transfer, every new area, every new mission president.  I am learning a lot. 

So this week we had a Christmas party with the whole mission!!! It was so great.  We had a devotional at the beginning with lots of testimonies from the people that are dying (missionaries that are going home) next transfer.  I am still getting used to the dialect of missionaries...It's pretty funny.

 Here is what I have learned from the missionary dialect so far...mom is trainer, grandma is trainer's mom, dying going home, greenie or verde in Spanish new on the mission, white wash is when two new missionaries go into a new area without anyone with experience.  That's all I can remember so far, but it's so hard to get used to people saying, "Oh! She is my mom!" Haha. 

But anyway, back to the Christmas party, I had a real American lunch full of stuffing, sweet potatoes, potatoes, green beans, turkey, rolls, and pumpkin pie!! It was so good.  In the CCM I guess you could call what I had American food, but it did not even come close to this meal.  They even gave us leftovers too! That was pretty much the only American thing I have had on the mission, but I think it was good enough to last me.  I love Mexican food even more!  It's pretty funny every time I go to a member's house to eat, they question the amount of salsa I put on my food. It's not even that spicy!! Haha. 

Anyway, after lunch, we got to perform 10 minute skits.  They were all so funny.  One was of a returned missionary and he called President Maluenda and asked how to hold a girl's hand, and President Maluenda answered the phone call and said, "Don't you remember from the last training we had?" It was interesting to see President Maluenda like that. He is pretty funny :).  Then we got to have a gift exchange from gifts that the mission parents sent.  We each got 2! Since it was the last Christmas of the Maluenda family, they made it special for all of us missionaries. 

The next day was exchanges. I found out that I was going to be in my area and I was basically going to be the Senior comp, so I was to drive.  That was pretty interesting because I usually just follow Sister Messer around, not knowing my way, but we had maps and we only got lost once! I was with Sis. Ingleby. She is featured in the picture with the chalk board that says Merry Christmas.  I learned so much from her, and we were able to work so hard and talk to so many people.  We each were able to give each other commitments.  Sis. Ingleby also lives in the apt. with us. I love her so much! 

The rest of the week was filled with lots and lots of tamales (yummm) and people being really busy, but I know that everyone has their agency. Even when people said they were busy I would be annoying and give them a little lesson on the restoration.  The people are so nice down here that they never shut the door if you just keep talking haha. 

Yesterday at church it was pretty strange because we didn't have a piano player for the opening song.  It was literally the worst song I have ever heard haha.  Latinos tend not to be very good singers at all haha that's why they always tell us to sing for them I guess.

I challenge all of you to read Alma 29 this week.  It talks about the reason we should be serving a mission.

Love you all,

Hermana Findlay