2 weeks left in training

Hna Hernandez told me she had a Mennonite dress, I thought she was exaggerating until she brought me this dress which she had literally bought from Mennonites in Casas Grandes. You better believe I rocked it the whole day.

Hola everybody!

This week was another good one! I have two weeks left in my training period (the first two transfers) so that's pretty crazy! Theoretically, in two weeks I could get a new missionary to train (they definitely shouldn't trust me with that...but it's possible). Things are getting more familiar and the weeks are starting to go faster and faster.

Yesterday was fast and testimony meeting and multiple people in the ward got up and bore their testimonies about how they too were seeing the miracles and blessings of the ward's 40 day fast! Me and hermana Hernandez decided we should too, to thank everyone and bear our testimonies of the power of the fast and the miracles we have seen. I was nervous (as all who know me know, talking, in general, and especially in front of large groups of people is not my strong suit) but made it through! After the meeting, 4 separate people came up to me to tell me how much my Spanish had improved! I guess Julio's Spanish/English coloring book really has helped! Not sure if it says more about how good I've gotten, or how bad I was (most likely the latter...I was (am) struggling). 

 After weeks of begging (literally since my first week in the field) I agreed to spend a pday getting our nails done.I planned to just wait while Hna Hernandez did hers, but while she was getting hers done, the mom of two recent converts (she isn't a member) finished with her previous client. I took one for the team and asked her to do mine. 

We have definitely continued seeing miracles this week! People in the streets accepting our message, families committing to baptismal dates, and lots of powerful lessons. 

We are teaching a man named Gilberto who has a rare disease which is slowly taking away his ability to talk, walk, and slowly think as well. For him, speaking takes much effort and time, and that, mixed with his inability to walk well, often gives the impression that he is drunk, which has led to many difficult and sad situations. Because of this he has been afraid to come to church out of fear of scaring the people there. Last week he finally agreed to go, and though he felt a bit out of place, he left the meetings with a huge smile on his face. Though he has some things he needs to overcome, he is working to prepare to be baptized :)

We've decided to start eating healthier. Breakfast on Tuesday was salad and oatmeal.

This week I also got a couple packages from my mom (thanks mom!)  She sent Christmas music, a little Christmas tree, some lights, and a few gifts for me and to give away. Our little house that we live in is now lit up with the lights from the tree and the few others that we have. It's a bit strange. I'm in a different country, in the middle of the desert, with no snow, speaking a different language, away from everyone and everything that I know, but yet I can still feel that Christmas is near. The spirit of Christmas and the joy it brings is a worldwide thing. It's amazing the peace and love you can feel when everyone remembers the Savior, even just a bit more. As I have thought about this it has made me think of the way the world could be. Imagine if we would remember Him in this way all year long. We could feel this joy, this peace, this "Christ"mas spirit always. For many of us, this is a promise that we have made. That we will ALWAYS remember Him. If we would only keep this promise, we could feel this joy each and every day. 

I would like to invite you all to do this. Remember Him. Bask in the glorious spirit and joy that this Christmas season brings and learn from it. Think about what it is about Christmas that makes the world just a bit brighter. Think about all that He has done for us. Remember not only His birth, but remember the reason He was born. To give us an example. To suffer for our sins. To die for us. To rise again. To conquer death, that we might all live again. To show us the way home.

I love and miss you all!

Hermana Naatjes