December, 30, 2013    2nd week in Colorado

I never know how to start these letters.  So much happens throughout the week but when I sit down at a keyboard I can't seem to remember anything! I guess I can start with Tuesday, Christmas Eve....

Because we are whitewashing the work here is completely hard.  And especially now because it is the Christmas season.  We set appointments but people cancel or are never home, which is understandable I guess.  We knock on doors for hours and hours, but people never have time to talk to us and always say come back later (which is something at least.)  So on Christmas Eve we really were not able to talk to very many people, so we tried to make it a day of service; which is what our mission prez. told us to do all day for Christmas anyways.  Earlier in the day we went back over to Cecilia and Myrna's house and helped them make tamales for Christmas! (Cecilia is the woman getting baptized and Myrna is her daughter.  They are like our family here and love taking care of us.  Even though Cecilia doesn't speak english, I feel so comfortable there and just love their whole family so much! And they have the cutest little toddler, Domitrio, who is absolutley adorable!  I will have to get pictures of him.) 

   Anyway, back to tamales.  They were so fun to make!  At first I couldn't do it all and they all just laughed at me! haha but then the dad, Juan was super patient and helped me out.  By the end of the hour I was Awesome!  The best tamale maker you have ever seen.  Then we went out caroling with the English sister missionaries in our area, Sister Peacock and Sister Nielson.  It was a lot of fun and truly invited the spirit.  And the hispanic families always invite us in and try to load us with food haha.  They make a traditional bread with tons of cinnamon and sugar on it, I can't remember the name though.  So I had quite a bit of that and also a lot of sugary guava juice haha.  The hispanics love their sugar.

  Then that night the other sisters spent the night at our house.  Sister Lister is in Holland for 2 weeks visiting her son so it was nice to have some company.  I love those sisters!  They are fun to be around.  Christmas morning we still kept to our schedule and did all or our studies, pretty boring.  But language study was a lot more fun because the other sisters sat in and just laughed at me trying to sound hispanic.  Man, this language is a killer.  I cannot, for the life of me, sound good!  But I am learning!  To make up for my lack of rolling R's I just have to put a "D" in pretty much every word, which helps a lot. 

   Anyway, after studies we baked!  We thought it would be a great service to bring people treats and let them know that we care.  So we had a lot of fun just messing around in the kitchen and listening to some new church music that Hna. Noffz got for christmas.  Then we each took turns opening presents!  I have to say, every single present I got was from divine revelation.  Serious.  I needed everything the fam gave me and it made me so happy!  Now I wont have to buy new perfume(mine broke in Mexico), new bodywash, or new mascara! So thank you so much guys!

  The rest of the day we delivered treats, then went over to Brother Wait's house to skype the fam.  Brother wait is one of our ward mission leaders, he is over the spanish because he can actually speak spanish.  And he is one of the coolest people ever!  Both Hna. Noffz and I just love him!  I feel very lucky to get to know him.  Skyping the family was great.  But they didn't even set up a correct account beforehand haha.  But eventually they figured it out (sorry, I just had to point that out guys)  But it was great!  It didn't make me sad or anything, just happy.  While I do miss everyone back home I love it here, and the Lord has blessed me so I only focus on the work.  But it was a little hard for Hna Noffz.  She hasn't talked to her family in 10 months and her sister just got married on Saturday.  Her and her sister are so close and it was really hard for her not to be there for the wedding.  But she is great and knows she needs to be here. 

  Then we ate the tamales for dinner that we helped make!  They tasted amazing!  I loved it.

The rest of the week was pretty much like normal.  We try and try to find people to teach and work so hard and honestly get a little frustrated at times.  But we know that this is where we are supposed to be.  It is supposed to be us who cleans up this mess here and meet all of the people.  This area has so much potential and is about to explode!  It is time!  We want to get a spanish sacrament started in our ward, it would help the hispanics so much.  Can you imagine going to church faithfully every week but not really being able to understand what is being taught?  That is why so many people here are less active or just don't want to be baptized.  A spanish sacrament could change everything and get so many new people coming and into the gospel.  We have already talked to President Murdock about it and are just waiting for his reply. 

   But even with no one to teach, we have truly been blessed for our efforts.  Cecilia is doing great and is getting more and more excited about her baptism!  Her spirit is truly amazing!  And we had another miracle this week!  Her grandson, Alex, who is 14 wants to get baptized now!  At first he was hesitant because of pressures from his other family not to get baptized.  But he wants a better life for himself in the future and really wants the gift of the holy ghost.  He has such a sweet spirit and I knnow that this step of faith will help him for the rest of his life.  So, I guess Hna. Noffz and I are on a roll!  We have had only 2 investigators and both of them are getting baptized!  Yay haha. 

  But we are hoping for the rest of the area to start getting better now that the holidays are over.

Funny story for the week.  So you know how I live with 2 giant poodles?  Yeah well they are like dogs from hell.  Wait I'm a missionary and shouldn't say that.  Replace that word with Heck.  They seem all nice and friendly at first but they are truly monsters.  They get into anything and everything.  EArlier this week they got into Hna. Noffz bag and we found dozens of opened tampons all of the snow in the back yard!  And I think they stashed some because they keep popping up again at random times.  Then this morning, while I was in the shower, they got into my bag.  And basically destroyed everything.  for real.  My pamphlets were gone, my mascara(don't worry my old one) was bitten in half, chapstick was ruined, pens eaten, literally everything.  But the worst was that they got to my bible.  Yes, they destroyed the word of God.  The cover was completely ripped off and chewed!  Good thing I am a missionary and have been blessed with love and patience, or those dogs would not be here anymore.  And to top it off, they have had so many accidents in sis. Listers bedroom, where they sleep.  It is completely disgusting.  But we don't have time to clean it up until our pday.  Lets just say, this is why we are not allowed to have pets on the mission. 

   Well, I love it here and love the people.  The language is coming, slow and steady wins the race right?  Every day my testimony grows so much stronger!  There are too many miracles to ever ydeny the presence of God in our lives!  I love everyone so much and am so thankful for the support that I have! 

   Love,

   Hermana Adair