Hermana Riley goes to the Motherland: FELIZ NAVIDAD!

It was so good to call you guys!!! Although it went so fast, but it was good to hear everyone, it felt normal as if I had been talking to you guys regularly. Don't worry mom, it didn't make me sad, just felt so much love for you guys and happy that everything is going well :) I'm glad you think I'm doing well in Spanish haha it was my goal to be pretty fluent before Christmas, just now got to refine a few things haha

The family that got married se llama familia Poot Pereira, husband and wife, they got baptized Sunday morning (yesterday) and confirmed the same day, I spoke in the baptism and talked about enduring to the end, they are so wonderful, I love them so much, they planned to get sealed the following year in January (the end of my mission, maybe I can get special permission to attend!) We found them one night heading to an appointment and we contacted them on the street, they were just arriving to their house, we saw them and the first thing my Companion and I thought "ooo a family!" so we went and talked to them and that's how we started it all, they actually have a background in the church they have family members that are members, so they knew a little bit.

The members here are nice and sometimes helpful. We just have to gain more trust with them, the new year is about to start so we are going to make a better plan of action! Thanks for the advice mom! . I feel like the work has slowed down a bit because I'm still starting out, and figuring out the ropes of our area and the mission, but now we are going to kick it into high gear and turn on the turbo! haha

The district I am in is great, and the zone is cool too, we have some good zone leaders, I am making some good friendships with the missionaries and the members and investigators.

Today for p-day we had a "sisters only" activity yep just the girls, we talked, played sharades and watched the errand of angels, it was fun and cool, during our last District meeting we had secret santa, so we all got gifts, the Elder that had my name gave me a wrapped watermelon and that was my gift, one Elder got footy pajamas, it was so funny!!

Christmas was pretty good, we did a lot of contacting! sharing the message about El es la Dadiva and we carried along the video with us to show people (but we only showed one person) haha The streets were so quiet especially on the 25th, it was pretty much dead! Which seems to be the tradition here in Guatemala, everyone is pretty much recovering from celebrating the night before. On Christmas eve at night we ate with la familia Aguilar

and then we went to another family's house, we had tamales and hot chocolate and grapes, from what i saw i think its a tradition to have grapes yep people here only eat grapes during the holidays and apples too and those that are low income only splurge on grapes for Christmas eve. At night, we got back to our apartment I had bought apple cider so we did some brindis haha and celebrated, at midnight when we were asleep we were awaken by the fireworks HOLY GUACAMOLE they were so loud!! and lasted up until 4 in the morning, (another tradition, people burn a lot of fireworks right at midnight) there were huge bombs (actual fireworks that explode in the air and sound like bombs) I think they gave me a few heart attacks haha also at night I played the role of Santa and put out the stockings and presents and on Christmas day, I made fancy hot chocolate for my comp then we opened presents (my companions says thanks for the presents) it was fun for her to be able to open a few presents, I LOVED OLAF! Thanks Mommy, I took some pics, I got to talk to you guys! :D that was awesome, we then did a lot more contacting, and only had a few lessons at night. Surprisingly we didn't eat a whole lot. And yes That was our christmas.

The miracle we had was the baptism, and it was wonderful.

Things are going great here, and pumped to work harder and be better. I love you guys so much!!! Thanks for all the support, you are the best mommy! and daddy too, and the boys! haha I have una familia CHILERA jaja Thank you guys for all that you do!

I hope you guys have a happy new year WOOT 2015! here we come!

CON TODO MI AMOR DE LAS ETERNIDADES

Hermana Riley