January 8

I don´t have my Missouri address on me, but once I it I´ll email it to you. One of my Hermana´s said she would send some pictures to you guys.

The sweatshirts look great! I´m glad they turned out so well! Maybe Kortney can pick up on my old hobby! It makes for great gifts and cheap ones at that!

I´m excited for Rylee to play basketball. I´m sure she´ll love it! I always loved basketball, but especially at that age. I actually shot a couple of hoops today while my laundry was cleaning. :)

That treat that Dad made for New Years sounds REALLY good; my mouth started watering a little! But I´ve discovered this thing that they have at la tienda (the store) called a Bueno Bar. It´s made my the same company that makes Nutella, and it´s so good! Apparently they have it in the US, but I´d never heard of it before. If you ever come accross some in a gas station, do yourself a favor and get it! Es muy delicioso! :)

Also, if we´re going to do Christmas gift exchange I´d like to get a name before my 6 weeks are up, just in case there´s something here in Mexico that I could get for them.

Yay for you Mom for doing ragnar! I hope that when I get back home that I can do something like that. My hamstring will have plenty of healing time out here since I don´t do much running :) Let me know how it goes!

Sometimes its been really rocky, but I´ve been able to get through. I´ve noticed that singing hymns really helps me. Every time I get in the shower I start singing hymns because that´s usually when things get the worst. One hymn that´s been really helpful is "Come Thou Font," the one that we sing in youth choir. There was one night that I was really beating myself up about not being able to teach and started questioning my testimony, but then these lyrics came into my mind, "Let thy goodness as a fetter bind my wondering heart to thee. Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Here´s my heart, oh, take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above." I know that the church is true, and I cannot allow Satan to get me down. Being a part of this church has brought me to realize so many things about myself and in the midst of hardship has been able to turn me around.

I´m really grateful for my companions. My companions and the other Hermana´s in our house were really helpful this morning and so sweet. Hermana Laycock let me borrow a pair of her socks since mine were all dirty, and I could tell that even though it was something small, it was big since it came from her. She´s never been a sensitive person, but I can tell she cares about me. Hermana Montgomery just started to talk to me, and it really helped me get my mind off things. The other Hermana´s in our house-- Hermana Brown and Hermana Pentalute--told me that I looked really nice today and that I looked beautiful. They´ve all helped me so much and have been so patient with me and even though sometimes things are rough in our companionship I´m so glad to have met them because they´ve brought out the worst and the best in me, and I´ve never been able to talk to anyone the way I´ve talked to them. I can see that each of us has grown so much.

I´m also really grateful for my branch president, Presidente Jewell. He is the sweetest man and I can tell that he cares about my well being. I always feel so uplifted everytime I talk with him. He has an amazing Spirit about him.

I´ve also become really grateful for prayer. Prayer has become such a big part of my day and I´ve realized how much scripture study and prayer are hand in hand. Every time I pray I ask for help to make it through the day and to feel charity for those around me. I don´t know how I´d make it through the day without getting on my knees every morning.

I´ve grown to absolutely love the people here at the CCM. Everyone´s so friendly and loving. On one of my first days, a Hermana came up to me and hugged me and said, "I don´t know you, but I love you." Her name is Hermana Jones. She´s really good a playing piano and me, my companions, and her companions are going to sing "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" at the next Tuesday devotional. I absolutely love her, even though I hardly know her.

Another person I´ve grown charity for is a young man by the name of Elder Dunlap. I think we´ve talked twice total, but we see each other almost every day since we play voleibol (volleyball) during gym time. He´s a short, smiley, and enthusiastic person and his radiating joy puts me in a better mood. He puts a little ray of sunshine in my day :)

I've learned a lot here. It´s been really, really hard, but I woudn´t trade what I´ve learned for anything.

Oh! And my companion Hermana Laycock´s uncles name is Scott Laycock, who´s in the Garden something Stake. She doesn´t know what ward, but if you could let Adam know and tell me if that´s his bishop that would be great! :)

Hermana Candland