I loved talking to you on Christmas! I miss talking to people who think the same way I do. It didn't make me homesick. We spent the rest of the day at the Gomez's. We weren't allowed to knock that day, we didn't feel like doing weekly planning, and I doubt anyone else wanted to see us as bad as the Gomezs. We had a HUGE gift exchange. I have never witnessed so many thoughtful presents infused with inside jokes in my life. And I taught everyone the pictionary telephone game. We also ate a lot of food and took multiple communal naps.

 

Isn't my comp pretty!? And the girls too. Sorry I haven't been sending pictures. I keep forgetting my camera. But I promise I will eventually. Abraham is an inactive member. He comes occasionally with us. He told me he knows the Church is true but doesn't agree with all of our principles. We are trying to encourage him to go to church more faithfully and go on a mission. He would be such a great missionary!

Hahaha your trip sounds hilarious. Charles sounds like that guy on SNL, what's his name Stephen or something? The one who goes on the news portion to tell people what they should be doing in NYC. haha I wish I could go to the temple!

 

No! I like your emails. And I'm a fast reader, courtesy of you. I just meant that if you ever want me to actually think about anything you write me you should probably print it out and send it to me.

 

Good luck on your diet! I wish I could go on a diet. Or at least exercise more. But we can't have our bikes back because on of the Elders is using Sister Morley's. I hardly buy any food to help me not eat as much but people give us SO much food ALL the time that it's not working.

Hi again!

 

Emily's mission sounds really cool. And different.

 

Everyone thinks our family is very attractive. Go team!

 

Annnndd I get to spend another 6 weeks with my mission mom here in the Grove. Live on the adventures of Smith and Morley! I'm excited for 6 more weeks of happiness and ridiculousness.

Love you!

Hola!

Hmmm Jdubs. They are terrible for missionary work. If we are knocking a complex that has had jdubs recently knock there you can immediately tell because everyone is super annoyed and no one wants to listen. We usually just leave and go somewhere else.

Sergio and Diego are characters! They say some of the funniest things. We still visit them but not as often and I really miss them. One time during a lesson I sneezed really hard and got snot all over my shirt. I thought they would think it was funny and start laughing, but no. They were both horrified. For a while they couldn't talk and then Sergio finally put palm to face shaking his head and said very sadly, "That was hard to see." Haha  good times good times. They're parents are super nice too. They don't come to church right now because the mom works on Sundays and the dad needs to take care of their older son who is handicapped. But when the time changes in January I think the mom will start coming.

They were also very disturbed when they found out that we're not from California. They assured us that we can go to college here and live at their house. When my companion told them she wants to live near her family, they were like oh no problem! You can bring them here too!

Umm, I don't really know what time I will call you. I will be at the Gomez's most of that day. And I will use their stuff to contact you. I can skype. Most people call and skype at the same time so that you can hear better. Sorry I don't know what time.

This week we had a really cool ward Christmas party! Lots of people came, the food was amazing, and they had professional dancers come in and perform. It was so cool! This girl came up to me and told me she recognized me from Idaho. Apparently she lived at Hillcrest too and went to a lot of the same things I did. Now we're best friends. Also, that morning we had a Christmas party with half the mission there! We ate Korean food and watched Despicable Me. I don't know if it's just because I live under a rock but that is a really good movie.

Love you!

Hola!

Prayers in Spanish are the best! We're supposed to say all our prayers in Spanish but I don't like saying my personal ones in Spanish. (Don't tell).

Sergio and Diego Ortiz got baptized yesterday. They are 12 and 10. Sons of a less active family. You should have seen their smiles when they got baptized! It was adorable.

Champurrado is the best! I will make some for you when I get home.

Love you!

----

That week we also got a text that said: "Hi, this is Max Gomez.  Your daughter is here visiting with us.  Just wanted to say hi and thank you for raising a wonderful person.  She's been so important in our life.  She came into our life at the time when we had the most difficult moment in our lives and she's been a blessing from God." (the text included a photo of Ella, her companion, and one of Gomez daughters).

We can do whatever we think will bring people to Christ. But we never really do service because we're too busy teaching people and even when we do ask people if we can help them with something they look at us like we're crazy and say something like, " Why would I ask someone sent from God to do something for me? Also, just so you know, you're wearing a skirt. You don't go outside like that at night do you? Want a tamale?"

I didn't get to watch the broadcast either because I had a baptism. It was the only time everyone in the family and the bishop could do it. I miss the temple.

Lizbeth didn't come this week! Even though we stopped by her house two hours before and she said she would! Sigh, she better feel guilty. She is mid thirties. She is super nice and loves us to death! She is from Mexico but has lived in the States for about 8 years. She only knows a few words in English. Her husband Oscar is also super nice. He is a landscaper. She has a 13 year old son and a 4 year old son.

I know! I am so excited for Max! It is amazing how much their family has progressed in such a short time! Now we just need to convince Michelle's brother Abraham to go on a mission. Victoria got baptized yesterday. First baptism of the mission yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!! It was a beautiful service. Max and Michelle spoke and they both mentioned their baby so the Spirit was very strong. Everyone was crying. Even the non members. Afterwards we went to their house to eat tamales and champurrado, which I helped them make the day before! Victoria is 9. I was going to send you pictures but one of the Elders took my camera because he wanted to clean it. (It was kinda dirty...) So you will have to wait till next week!

Our most distracting lessons are with two boys named Sergio and Diego. Ages 12 and 10. Picture two Mexican Patricks. They are hilarious!!! They are getting baptized this Sunday. So excited. Our lessons get so off topic. Highlights include: their prayers ( I can't keep from giggling during them), the fact that that every person we bring up ever they ask how that person died, and that they are closet feminists.

My Thanksgiving was very nice thank you. I ate waaayyyy too much. I was bursting! And then they made me eat this gross thing that they said was jello but I tell you it was not!!! More like devil jello! It has milk in it! And the Gomez's gave us a chocolate pie and a pumpkin pie. They were delicious. Mmmm. Sorry yours was so bad! I hope you guys feel better! Remember when I used to throw up every thanksgiving? Me and my companion were like hey! This is our first Thanksgiving without our family and then I remembered that I didn't attend last Thanksgiving really either because I was too tired to do anything except ask people what kind of shake they wanted. And you made me a vegan sugar free pie! That was so sweet! Thanks mom.

 

Ummm, apartment. It is very nice. This mission likes shopping at Ikea and Target. I don't know how to describe it. I'll send you pictures next week.

 

Another fantastic Sunday! This week we had 6 people come. Our investigator, Lizbeth came! With her family too! *freaking out ackhhjshdhhdsaj* We have been trying to get her to come to church for forever!!!! The day after I got here, October 9th, we had finally gotten everything settled and so we went out to knock doors. We knocked on her door and she invited us in to teach her. She was the very first lesson I taught. She has a really strong testimony of The Book of Mormon and she loves us a whole lot. The reason we couldn't get her to go to church is because she is super shy and she had a terrible experience with another church. They were yelling at her and hitting her on the back telling her to RECEIVE JESUS. And a lady who was supposed to be taking care of her son there kept hitting and pinching him. Isn't that terrible! So anyways, it was a struggle and she's super nervous to get baptized but I think that we can get her there. We might have to hide it from the ward though because she doesn't want anyone there... I'm just excited she came! I didn't know it was possible to be this happy.

 

Also, yesterday Max Gomez got the priesthood! So now he can baptize his daughter Victoria. Yayyy! Her date is for this next Sunday.