december 29

*2 new posts today! last week's and this week's e-mail. lots of pictures at the bottom of both posts. leave us your e-mail address if you want a high-res copy of any of the pictures. enjoy!

Yup it is almost the new year!! Can you believe it??

Christmas was absolutely amazing. We had zone meeting in the morning and we brought a white elephant gift. But the great thing is that my zone has the mission home in it. So Hermana and President Asay were so super nice and opened up their home, even with some of their family in town, to have a big Christmas lunch. So we also brought either a dessert or a side dish. And Hermana Asay made the Ham! But of course she goes up and beyond and makes everything else, including funeral potatoes - I forgot those even existed!! So we had our zone gift exchange. Ate. and then we sang Christmas Hymns. It was just good feelings all day. I am definitely one of the lucky ones.

Afterwards we went out and worked. We visited the older hermana and sang some songs to her and read the Christmas story to her. It was great.

We, once again had to be in early (because the streets aren´t safe on the holidays) and so we invited Brittany, President´s daughter to come over. Pretty much we had a girl's night. haha.

But this Christmas was great because there were no commercials. We knew why we were celebrating this day. As a missionary I thought more about Christ, why He had to come to the earth and what He did for us. The entire reason why He came to this earth was because He had to fulfill the plan of our eternal father.

Church was great yesterday. Gloria came with her little babies. After church Lily and her daughter, Rocio, walked with home with Gloria and her little ones. I watched them walk away together and I thought: THAT is why we work so much during the week, with the heat and the long hours. Because you get to see people helping one another as they are coming unto Christ. I love the gospel. period.

Well, it was super fun to talk to you all. I miss you all sooo much.

Well here´s to another week on the mission field . . .

loves

Hermanita Urban

PICS!...

this is Celeste, Oscar and Luna. I love them. Christmas Eve. (about 2 hours before i called ya´ll!!):

our little Christmas eve celebration. we totally found chips and salsa!!! (we went out of our way to find some, they are close to impossible to find. this is the first chips and salsa in a LONG while, and you all know I eat that stuff for lunch and dinner alone):

my excited "I can´t believe I am going to eat chips and salsa" face:

Little Lily Asay. A granddaughter of President Asay. It blew our minds talking English with little kids. Hermana asay said that lily had to have been drawn to me because of my blonde hair. haha. I loved her!!!:


The mission home christmas tree pic:

cool random door. not in my area:

the mission home all croweded:

me with brittany, Hna Asay and Hna Tracy:

(some of these aren´t the pics i meant to send.)

oh the last one in hna tracy and a stray dog. not unusual. we went to eat at this side-of-the-road asado place:


the sidewalk asado: