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Monday, December 30, 2013

December 30, 2013

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year! I hope everyone´s Christmas was very special and it was enjoyed talking with family. I know that that was the highlight of mine.

Quickly, Happy Birthday to Becky Smith and Ryan McKell! I`m way behind on birthdays, but I hope they were wonderful.

So let`s see. We really couldn`t get into houses at all on Tuesday or Wednesday. People were very busy getting ready to celebrate Noche Buena. They really don`t celebrate Christmas day here. The tradition basically is that they stay up until midnight Christmas Eve, eat dinner together as a family, open gifts, go out and light off fireworks, and then they go to sleep. By Christmas day it`s pretty much all done. 

Tuesday we made visits to some members and in the night time we went to the first counselor in the mission presidency`s house, President Mendez, for dinner. His house is pretty small, but we all (this half of the mission) seemed to fit in there. It was three zones and I was able to see some of my best friends in the mission. We did a secret santa thing within each of our zones. I had Elder Cunningham, my district leader, and I bought him a nerf gun. I know I`m the coolest. He loved it and I`m pretty sure he lost half the darts within 10 minutes. We got back to our room around 9:30 and the lady that we rent our room from came to our door and asked if we had eaten yet. They know that we come home around 9 and that we aren`t with our families so they invited us to come eat dinner with them early. She was nervous when we weren`t in at our normal time and went looking for us at our pensionista`s house. So we went over and had another dinner with them...we were technically in our house still.... we couldn`t help it. She is such a sweet lady.

Wednesday was fun. It started rough because I really struggled sleeping through a bajillion fireworks and loudness outside my window, but we got up and H. Lasike opened her gifts and after our studies we went to an investigator`s house for breakfast. We got permission from our pensionista so we were clear haha. Then we went around and visited members until lunch and after lunch we went to the chapel for the talent show with President Marler and his wife and 3 other zones. They wanted to spend Christmas with all of their ¨kids¨ so they spent the morning with the missionaries in Trujillo and then made the 2 hour drive to Chimbote to spend the afternoon with us. After the talent show we had a testimony meeting where a few of the missionaries shared their testimonies. Then we booked it to our area to Skype with our families. And that is what really made Christmas the happiest. Sure do love you all!

Thursday, surprise! Interviews with President! I always love interviews, really. It was good to sit and talk with him and then his wife.

Then, Friday.....Luis Davila had his baptismal interview. And so did a man named Joel that we have been teaching. Both of them passed. Luis said he still wanted to wait and that he would talk with his wife. So later that night we went to their house and we were talking with them. He was still undecided, but long story short, just before we left, he basically proposed to his wife in the way he told her that he wanted to be baptized with her the next day. 

Saturday the Davila family and Joel were baptized. I got my family. The best part of it was when they bore their testimonies - and this couple that was breaking up when we found them - stood together at the pulpit and you could see that the Spirit had worked miracles in them. Then Sunday they all came in their skirts (girls) and the boys in their white shirts and ties and were confirmed.

Merry Christmas miracle! I love you very much! Have a wonderful and safe new year.

Love, Hermana Butterfield

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