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Saturday, January 9, 2016

Yay Christmas! Happy New Year!

Habanero Pepper Eating Challenge


Habanero!!

Vegas House
Christmas Dinner



Hey family!


It was really good to talk to you on Christmas. It still doesn't feel real to me, kind of like a dream. I miss hanging out by the fire and having nothing to do haha. Missionary work is WORK. Go figure. It was fun hearing about your lives from your actual voices and seeing your faces. Only 4 1/2 short months until we do it again for the last time! 
Christmas was a good day, we spent breakfast at Bishop's house, and they were really nice to us. We played cards and ate and called home. After, we went to the Vega family's house, and they fed us lunch. There is this challenge that the Vega family affectionately calls "the Habanero Challenge." They like to see the missionaries suffer and so every time they have a group at their house, they do this challenge. It's pretty simple. Whole habanero, eat it. We joke that it's how you become fluent in Spanish. So we did it. FIRE. It burns bad. Like can't-breathe-for-multiple-minutes bad. I'll try to attach the video. I was crying and sweating and everything. But I handled it pretty well comparatively speaking. Aka at least I didn't puke. After the Vegas, we went to another member's house, Hna Arriaga, and she had invited 3 coworkers over too. So naturally we taught them:) We spent the rest of the night caroling with some Elders and Sisters from our zone. We had a lot of fun, and it was a memorable Christmas. 

Thanks for all you do and the support I get. I really am doing good, I don't anything, I'm trying to work hard.  
Lately I've really appreciated how much the Gospel blesses our lives. We had a lesson with a less-active member and his 8 yr old son who we've been teaching so he can be ready for baptism. We asked the 8 yr old if he wanted to be baptized and he said yes, and then turned to his dad and asked if he could baptize him. His dad, for various reasons, is not worthy to do that and it broke our hearts when he said "I would love to but..." Then being really perceptive the 8 yr old asked if it was for the same reason his dad couldn't eat the bread in sacrament meeting. It made us really sad to see that this man couldn't be the priesthood authority in his home because of the choices he had made. Before my mission I really didn't understand the kinds of blessings we receive from following the example of Jesus Christ and accepting His Gospel. 

I already told you everything! We haven't really done a lot since Friday, and I told you all of the important stuff. 
Here's a funny story, at service last week, I helped this old guy (he seriously had a walker) find shoes. After he asked me  "do you have a boyfriend?" I said no, I'm a missionary. He asked "are you married?" I said nope, I'm a missionary. "Do you do dinners?" (like asking me to dinner) I almost choked. I said yep, but not as a missionary (and in my head I said and not with old stranger dudes that I meet in basements on Lake Street). Awkward. He said "Oh I understand, I was just offering." Ew. I didn't know how to react except to shiver and gag a little. At least he was nice about it. 

So that's my life a as a missionary right now. I'll try to send some pictures and a video!

I love you, Happy New Year!
Love, Emily

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