Feliz Navidad - December 23, 2014

holy cow. it's almost christmas! 

i am so excited to spend another christmas here in the mission. yesterday the entire mission got together to celebrate and we heard two people from every zone talk about an experience that they had sharing the gift and then a special choir came and sang and then we all had lunch and had a talent show afterwards. hermana smith and i sang love is spoken here with our zone leaders and a few other sang in mayan and i few did funny christmas skits. it was so much fun! then when the program ended the entire mission split up and went out to sing in different parts of centro to bring the christmas spirit to everyone and to share the gift. 

also this week has been FILLED with activities! there are three different areas in our ward where there missionaries and we've gone to each farmers market and set up a booth with a tv and speakers playing he is the gift and because of him, we even got a chorus together of members is our ward to come sing. it was such a success! we received a bunch of references and a few of them are so ready to receive the gospel.

also saturday was the best day is mission history! our stake ward misison leader rented a bus so that all of the missionaries and the ward missionaries could go to tixcocob, a tiny little branch that belongs to our stake where there are only 15 or so members that go to church. well anyways we all got onto the buss and when we got there we went to the "house of prayer" because there aren't enough people yet for it to be a church and we wrapped up books of mormon and pamphlets with wrapping paper and went to the middle of tixcocob to sing christmas carols and give out presents to all those that came to hear us. then when the activity ended the bus went to the church just in time for emmanuel's baptism! it was such a great night. no one in emmanuel's family came to support him but all of the members were there to support him and he gave his testimony afterwards and just thanked his friend gabilu and hermana smith and i for helping him change his life. HE IS SO GREAT. we are going to have a family home evening with his family soon so hopefully they'll turn around and get excited and get baptized too. 

the work is great here in chichenitza and it keeps growing every day. i hope i stay here forever, or well at least 4 more months. 

well i love you all so much! have a merry christmas and remember to keep sharing the gift with others.