Hey,
The holidays sound like they have been fun for everyone and the family letter looks great Mom! I love the plaid picture! haha Everyone´s family pics look so good--I´m going to print it out and hang it on the wall.
It´s been an up and down week :-/ I don´t know if I have the flu or food poisoning or what, but I was throwing up last night and I've been trying to sleep most of today. Poor Hna Fuentes, what a bum way to spend preparation day. It must have been something I ate--we ate a lot with members in the past 48 hours and I don´t think my body liked it...or something I ate. Blah. Hopefully it will pass. There´s too much work to do.
New´s Years here was crazy. Fireworks and bombs and bells going off until after 1am. And it didn´t help that we are right smack-dab in the middle of it with where our piso is. The walk to church yesterday morning was an experience I NEVER want to have again and one I will try to erase from my memory for the rest of my life. Blah. The world we live in can be so sad to witness sometimes.
But that´s depressing, so here is a fun story I shared with President from last week..."This past week on preparation day, we were walking back to our piso from a hike when a woman passed us and smiled really big. I missed it because I was looking elsewhere, but my companion saw her and told me after she passed. As we were deciding what to do, she ran us down! We found out that she is a member from Mexico and living there with the Basque husband and their baby girl. She served a mission in Mexico over 10 years ago and has been less active for the past five years. As we talked about the work now and as she told us stories from her mission, we saw her face light up and the happiness of the gospel in her eyes. Her family is only here for a month, but she invited us over any time and we got her phone number. Later in the week, we couldn´t find a female member to accompany us on an appointment. We called everyone we could think of and everyone on the list we have. Suddenly Monica, the lady we met, popped in my head and I suggested we ask if she wanted to accompany us. We called and she did! During the lesson, I could see the Spirit testifying to her of the things she needs to change in her life as she testified to our investigator, Aner. She promised she would come to church while she´s here in San Sebastian. She came yesterday! We are going to set up a visit with her and her family this week. What a miracle to be a part of the Lord´s work as a missionary! You are never forgotten or lost to Him."
A tradition they have here for New Year´s is called "doce uvas" or the twelve grapes. As the bells toll midnight, you eat a grape from each chime, which is one for each month and for good luck and prosperity and such. I would love to participate in it one year...but it will have to be not as a missionary because we turn into pumpkins at 11pm. haha But I hear it is very fun. Some day.
I know I am forgetting some things I wanted/was supposed to tell you, but my head is pounding and well, I´ve felt better :-/ I need some "animo" as they would say here. It doesn´t translate directly, but it´s like excitement-- getting animated. It´s a popular saying among missionaries, as this is what we try to do with investigators, recent converts and less active members and the gospel. haha
Well, I think we are going to get some necessary food shopping done and then I´m probably going to have to crash again. Next week will be better! Thank you for the pictures, email and animo! I love you!
-Hermana Dalton
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