"I couldn't help but to let my thoughts drift to thinking about the usual Zerilli Christmas day"

I want to start by saying how amazing it was to Skype with all of you on Christmas. That seriously was the best Christmas gift!! You have no idea how much that meant to me. I miss you all incredibly and to see your faces and be able to talk (or not really) with you made my Christmas!! Especially because Christmas here doesn't really exist. No seriously, everyone celebrates Christmas on the 24th until all hours of the night/morning, on Christmas they sleep!

Christmas eve was actually really fun. We only received 2 invitations that day but honestly that was all we needed. Around 3:00 we headed to a recent converts house to celebrate with him and his family. He's 18 years old and his name is Andres. He had previously asked me if I knew how to make those "marshmallow cereal thingies" and obviously I knew he meant Rice Krispy Treats! I brought the ingredients to make them to his house. For dinner we made carne asade skewers, tortillas, and plantains and it was delicious! We talked about family and Christmas and enjoyed each others company. Then it was starting to get late so we needed to make the Rice Krispy Treats. Well, it turns out that neither one of their light bulbs work. We were in the dark. Luckily mom had sent me mini flashlights, hahahaha, like how did she know that I would be needing those? That's all we had to use! I started to melt the marshmallows and everything on their stove which really was this little carbon metal thing that got extremely hot. I was sweating so bad as I mixed the marshmallows as fast as I could so that they wouldn't burn. I was so hot, I felt like I was going to die...I kept thinking "if I don't have a heat stroke now, I never will!" Eventually, we had chocolate Rice Krispy Treats and everyone thought it was a really fun experience. Hermana Herrera took pictures the whole time and in the pictures we saw that in the end, the carbon had got all over my face. I had black marks everywhere. Hahaha we laughed so hard. It was quite the experience and I've never honestly made Rice Krispy Treats in that type of setting before hahaha.

Christmas eve smores, carne asada,
(roll your r) Rice Krispy Treats in the dark

living up to my gringa name! and yes...we couldn't see the carbon on my face until after the photo with flash.
Christmas morning...I look so bad hahaha!

After that house, we visited with a family of our ward. Their daughter is serving a mission in Mexico right now and wanted to have the missionaries in their home for Christmas. We had a small family home evening about the story of Christmas and ordered a pizza. It was absolutely perfect. I felt such love in both of those houses and was grateful that I had someone to celebrate Christmas Eve with.

Christmas, however, was really different! After my companion and I finished our Skype calls, we returned back home to have lunch. I enjoyed my nice pb&j (haha) and headed out to go visit people. Well, we didn't really visit anyone. We talked with a few people in the streets but even the members rejected us! Honestly, Christmas was really, really hard for me! The culture here is just different. I couldn't help but to let my thoughts drift to thinking about the usual Zerilli Christmas day agenda as I walked from house to house, looking for someone to share a message with. In the end, we visited with Andres and his family again haha That was nice. And we visited a menos active (less active) who gave us some type of food that was the saltiest thing I have ever tasted in my entire life. She gave it to us with pork rinds. Yes "it". I can't tell you what it was, but mom, I finally used the zip lock bags that I keep in my backpack hahahaha:) Well, that was our Christmas. Yes, it was different and yes, it was hard but it was Christmas nonetheless. I was able to remember my savior and that's why I'm here serving The Lord...to spread His gospel.

This next week is New years! I cant honestly believe it. The rest of my mission is in this next 12 months and I'm determined to serve it well. One scripture that I really love is one that Parker sent to me in his Christmas letter. Philippians 3:13-14 " Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ."

I think that this is my goal for 2016. Every day is a new opportunity to reach out and make a difference. In my life right now, that's through sharing the gospel. To be a representative of Christ. Your lives are different. How will you use your time? I invite you all to make a goal for this year. Not about your weight, haha; but about your time, your influence, your attitude. This is a new year! A new opportunity! I love you all so much and am thankful for all of the love and support I receive every day!

Answers to some questions I get in emails...

Q- Who does your laundry now?
A- Um the lady who lives in front of us offers to do our laundry and pretty soon she's going to give us her washing machine when she buys a new one...so then we don't have to wash our underclothes by hand anymore. hahaha nooo!! Washing machines here are so different. I don't even know how to explain it:)

Q- Is the area you are in poor?

A- No the area isn't poor. Its kinda just normal? But then there's the really really nicer area that I like where the Stake President lives. We don't go over to that area.

Q- Do you get to eat a lot of fresh fruit?

A- We don't eat a lot of fruit here. In Aserri I did. Papaya is good if it's in a drink. People make their own drinks here for every meal. Natural drinks with fruit are my favorite. I don't really like the ones with syrup and water...its like cough medicine, no bueno!

Q- What do you do on P-day?

A- On pday...here...there's nothing. Buy necessities. Write home. Clean our house. Eat. I write in my journal usually. Nothing special.

Q- Are your clothes holding up?

A- My clothes are doing good. I avoid my long skirts because with the sweat they stick to my legs and it's really uncomfortable. hahahah ew I know.

COWS!!

Definition of "do it for the photo" I stepped in a pile of ants. Here they bite!! it was awful.

Opening my Christmas box from home..my face is still burned from the night before, LOL! My companion didn't get a gift from home, so she was very happy with the stocking my mom sent her and says thank you...Also thank you for the shoes, I love them!!