Mexico Mission Possible: ¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

From 4 January 2016

. . .Good Morning! Study Time!

Dearest darlingest family and friendlings,

I learn new things about Mexico every day. But. Something that ISN´T new, is their love of parties. I mean, everyone likes a good party, but here everyone REALLY likes parties. The holiday season goes like this: 24th (GIANT Christmas dinner/party/Santa Claus), 31st (Go OUT partying, have a piñata, and stay up until 3-5 in the morning), 6th (the Wise Kings come and leave gifts--like Santa Claus roudn 2--and you eat a Rosca and whoever happens to cut into the rosca and find the Christ Child has to throw a party in February) Feb. 2 (the person who cut the rosca in the wrong spot throws a tamale party and invites everyone). So, vacation continues this week until the 7th! Of course, that doesn´t really matter for missionaries...

On a different note, this week Hermana Bracamonte and I were a bit under the weather for a couple of days, but we pulled out of that and were back working full days in no time. We´ve been working hard to find and teach new people in our areas, and in some ways we´re beginning to see results. We are SUPER excited for the baptism of one of our investigators, scheduled for this week, and we are learning lots about working with the ward to do missionary work. Also, the amazing thing about missionary work is finding people who are genuinely prepared and ready to be accept the gospel, and then watching as little miracles left and right seem to carry them right to the baptismal font. It´s not easy, but I know that ultimately everything we do is managed by Heavenly Father, (NOT ME) and that His plan is more perfect than any plan I could come up with.

Anyway, one special spiritual experience from this week happened just yesterday, when we were following up with a name we found in the Area book that the old Bosques Elders left for us. We went and visited with a sister who´s about 65, and has had a lot of trials and difficulties in her life, which have weighed her down a LOT recently. We sat and she tearfully shared with us her story for about an hour and a half. Then we had the opportunity to share our testimonies about how the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for each of us can carry us through every difficult moment that we have in life. I just wanted you all to know that there are two things I absolutely know: 1) life will NOT be easy for me or for anyone else and 2) because of what Jesus Christ did, it doesn´t matter because everything will be okay.

I hope in this new-year time, you all will find a couple of minutes to put a spiritual goal so that you incorporate the sacrifice Christ made for us--the atonement--a little bit more in your life this year.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU ALL!

Hermana Houghton