The Best Year of My Life!!

                                                                                                                          Dec. 30, 2013
Hola mi familia maravillosa!! It was so wonderful to see all of you on Christmas! You all look amazing and I am so proud of you!!! I hope you are all enjoying your winter break! Please enjoy the snow for me!!

 On Christmas, after I finished skyping with all of you, we went to Concepción to celebrate with all of the missionaries! I played fútbol! The elders were surprised when we showed up with a team of sisters, but than we showed them that sisters can play too! I love fútbol, especially in Chile, but it was weird to play on Christmas in the heat outside. I also receive a lot of cards at this activity. I got all of the pictures from Nana, and the sweet letter! Congrats on their mission call!!!  I also received a card from the primary kids and youth, Sister Neuder, Sister Houghton, Sister Capener, and Sister Fisher! I love them all so much! Thank you all for thinking about me on Christmas and for being so thoughtful! This Christmas was amazing! I was able to celebrate the Savior and His life more than any other year because I was so focused in teaching His Gospel and this was the greatest present along with skyping with my family. The true gospel of Jesus Christ is a gift that we have every day! And it is absolutely the greatest gift ever! 

 

As we are preparing for the new year, I have been thinking a lot about the past year! This year has been the best year of my life! There were some trials and difficulties, but the Lord has strengthened me so much as I have been serving my mission. My mission has changed my life and I am so grateful that the Lord gave me this opportunity to serve and to share His true gospel. He continues to change me every day. This next year, I get to keep basking in the warmth of His gospel as I get to share it for the majority of this coming year.

 

My new years resolution is that I can be a better missionary every day with more dedication  and diligence in doing the Lord´s work and sharing with as many people as possible. Sometimes I let fear get in the way of talking to everyone, but not this year! I know if I am more diligent in using the Lord's time with wisdom, I will be able to serve Him and His children better. I only have this coming year to do so as a full time missionary, and so I need to take advantage of this sacred time. I am grateful that we can repent and change and become better every day with the help of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know He lives, and that He loves us and that He suffered so that we can repent, and He will help us become better everyday! I will be better for Him and for our Heavenly Father. 

This week was harder to work as we lost two days of full work. We had a hard time entering in houses and finding new people to teach, but Hector and Valentina came to church on Sunday and are progressing towards their baptisms! Please pray for them as they prepared for the 11th of January. Carlos wasn´t able to come but we will visit him this week. Jose wasn´t able to come either, but we are still working with him. We will begin working with Marcela again this week. Please pray for her that the Spirit can help her stop smoking, and that she can gain a strong testimony. Please pray that we can find new people to teach. Thank you for all of your prayers! Sorry I ask you to pray for a lot, but I know that with more prayers there is more power. Heavenly Father acts according to the strength and power of our faith. He will do many miracles as we put our faith together!!! 

I love you all and I pray for you daily! Thank you for everything! What are your New Year's resolutions? I know you can achieve all of your New Year's resolutions!!  In Chile, everyone has a huge New Year's eve dinner and there is a lot of noise and fireworks at night. Thanks for the ear plugs haha!! I love you!! I hope you have an amazing New Year's eve and New Year's day!!! Hasta luego!