(December letters from Danie to family)

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Did you know that I have the best family ever :)  Thanks for writing to me every week and encouraging me to keep going :)  The mission definitely has it´s ups and downs but that just makes me want to keep going because I am experiencing the mission in it´s entirety. Okay I have no idea if that is a word haha :D so concerning skype, I have no idea what is going to happen but it is quite possible that I will not be able to use the camera mechanism.  It was a rule from the last mission president and our current mission president hasn't said a thing. We will still be able to talk though and that is the most important. There is an elder here who chose to extend his mission one more transfer and I think he is missing his third Christmas with his family. I definitely could not do that.  Christmas here is pretty unique.  They don´t celebrate like we do but It´s kind of cool :) I am currently planning with the other sister missionary who is training with me in Catamarca, to do a little something special for our companions :)  Even though I have to make the Christmas spirit here I am more than happy to do it :)  It is kind of super weird to think about what is happening at home right now. Ward parties and everything, I just don´t quite believe it.  A lot of times I feel like I am in a dream and one day I will wake up in my bed in Utah again not being able to remember my mission.  It really is so dream like.  I wanted to send something to you all for Christmas but the mail is currently on strike right now (it has been going on for two or so weeks) so I can´t send a thing. The keyboard also just went crazy so I can´t make faces anymore. 

I do have some exciting news though! We have four people with baptism dates and the ward is really starting to befriend our investigators.  They are also starting to attend church more and we are seeing lots of miracles. Even one of the people we simply invited off the street came to church yesterday :) so cool!!!!!!!  One of our investigators name is Mario.  He is so, so, great!  He arrived at the chapel on his own will, meaning we didn’t have to go look for him and he is looking forward to coming to church next week too.  It makes me so happy to see people changing their lives. Right now he is trying to quit smoking and he is really coming along. 

We are also teaching a Baptist person.  it is kind of a miracle because everyone here is Catholic.  Oh we also met a Muslim person the other day.  This weekend was the festival of the virgin of Catamarca.  it is interesting that all these people come here for something 

"religious" but they bring their drinks and smokes and get all dressed super immodestly...for the virgin? Really?  I don’t think they do it for her anymore.  It is kind of sad, but one thing they will do, is remember her when the missionaries try to talk to them. They had a big parade and people walked all the way from other provinces in order to see it.  The blisters on their feet were crazy!!!!!  

I don’t know what I am going to do when they make me change companions...she is so perfect.  We have our differences, almost every day, but the communication we have is just about perfect.  We work things out quickly so that we can just keep working.  The other day she asked me what she was going to do when she found herself with a companion that didn’t help her be obedient because I am also helping her remember what we need to do while she is wanting to do other things.  I told her that she would be okay because the spirit would take my place and she will be able to be that person for her kids someday as long as she listens to the spirit now :)

The bug bites aren’t so bad now so don’t worry so much about that :)  I have to go for now, but tell the elders hi for me okay? and make sure they have a Christmas tree in their apartment :)  I LOVE YOU

 Love always,    me :¡

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     It seriously makes me so happy to hear from you guys every week :)  Thanks for taking the time to do it.  I don´t know how some missionaries make it through the mission without the support of their families. So first of all...I loved the quote you shared :) and also, I received my package!!!!!!! :)  Thank you thank you thank you!!!!  My companion says Muchas Gracias as well :)  When she saw that there was something for her she opened it up immediately and threatened to open my things for me if I didn't open them myself haha. She has already eaten all of the goodies haha , and is trying to figure out what to do with the sock now haha.   I ended up opening my presents early because the other sisters in my apartment just recently told their parents about the poorly functioning mail system here and I didn't want to be the only one with gifts on Christmas.  I shared goodies with them and we even found a little Christmas tree to put in our apartment :)  They were so excited about the calendar with chocolate haha, and they fight over who gets to eat the chocolate every night hahahaha. I am saving my chocolate cereal for Christmas :)  (You pretty much made my day by sending that haha, and I read my little quote book constantly. It is almost a regular nightly routine here to dance like our little solar powered elf as well hahaha. Needless to say we are enjoying every little bit of Christmas we can get :)  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!  :)  I have the best mom, everyone in the apartment agrees.  I told the other sisters I was sure you would have sent them something too if you had known I was living with another companionship but that you sent the package months ago so there was no way you could have done anything.  We shared everything all the same anyway :)  Thanks for the stickers too!!!  We can never get enough of those here.

I love your selfy haha ,and the picture of Grandma and grandpa as well.  Tell them thank you for me :)  I will do my best to send a little something in an email to them.  I wish I could send letters but even if I had time to write them I wouldn't be able to send them with the way the mail system works here.  I can´t believe what I am hearing about someone being too rich to go to jail...this world is going down hill fast...  We hear a lot of sad things here in Argentina as well, just today the garbage men decided to go on strike like the police, the medics, and the mailmen have been doing...they left loads of garbage in front of our apartment this morning.  How kind of them right?  I don´t know much about the president here but all of the people working for the government here are not very happy with their salary.  I am not sure if it is valid or simply greed.

I received emails from the Henries and Grandma Andrus this week :)  Tell them thank you so much!  Also Peter just recently informed me that he finishes in a week and a half. That is super weird.  You will have to ask Spencer if he knows a kid with the last name Martin.  He is really tall and has bright blond hair and really light blue eyes.  He went to Alta while Spencer was there and lives about five minutes away from us. We have two Draperites, Draperans? serving here in Catamarca, pretty cool :)

Tomorrow we have a mission Christmas party. Christmas parties always do fall on my birthday haha. I feel pretty lucky to be able to celebrate with everyone in the mission together. I don´t think I will tell them it is my birthday but I will take advantage of a fun day.  Supposedly we are going to have a water balloon fight.  I know, weird right?  Normally this time of year I would be doing things with snowballs not water balloons. That just tells you how warm the weather is here. I am still dreaming of a white Christmas here...but with lots of people dressed in white instead. Our investigators are putting up a good fight but in the end I know we are going to make it :)

The other day we had a lesson with a less active lady,who was basically condemning all the bad people in the world saying that hookers and sinners don´t belong in the church.  Who is the church for then?  Well after about ten minutes of trying to help her see how mistaken she was the conversation was going nowhere.  We tried to talk with love and everything saying, don´t worry about them, don´t let people like that make your decisions for you etc.  Then finally I shared a scripture on Charity and told her that I loved her as my sister and I really hoped to see her in church.  The whole atmosphere changed.  I actually really felt that love for her even though it was my first time meeting her.  She didn't end up coming to church but I think we left her with a really good spiritual experience.  Maybe she will come next week. I am doing my best to work with investigators but God seems to always put me in the path of all the less active people so I work a lot more with them.  I like it though. They are all just as important and they all need to come closer to Christ :)  Well I still have to write Dad so I gotta go, but I love you so much!!!!  Happy Christmas!!!!  I´ll let you know about calling on Christmas, next Monday, I think president is going to inform us about everything tomorrow :)  Talk to you soon!!!!  Love always, Danie

--We had a great Skype chat with Danie for Christmas.  Her companion is a “kind of famous” singer from Spain, and they were asked to perform some musical numbers together over the holidays.  Danie sang one of them for us when she called and clever Spencer used his phone to video it for us.  It was so beautiful and we couldn’t have asked for more.  Also, Danie said that on the long bus ride with all the missionaries, on the way to the Christmas party she fell asleep.  When she woke up she said everyone on the bus was standing up looking at her.  She didn't know what was going on until they all started singing happy birthday to her.  I guess they knew it was her birthday even if she didn't tell them.  It made her day.  Our extended family Christmas parties have always landed on her b-day in the past, leaving less time to celebrate her, so she found it humorous that the mission Christmas party was on her day also.  As the Mom, I am grateful to know they found a way to celebrate her.

(Letters from our Danie, after Christmas)

Thanks for your email.  It was fun to hear about how Christmas went for you guys this year. It was a pretty crazy day for us, but I enjoyed it a lot. I know this sounds terrible, but I am kind of grateful that it is over, because it was a huge distraction for me.  We are still struggling to baptize here in Catamarca and I want to give it my all before we go.  At least we are gaining more of the members´ trust. I had to give a fifteen-minute talk on the book of Mormon on Sunday, and while I was grateful for the opportunity because it meant that the bishop trusted us, I was kind of panicking. It was really good for me to do it though because I learned a lot. 

I loved hearing about your fun primary incident. It´s funny, I kind of had one too. There is a little girl here named Sofi, I think she has seven or eight years. I don´t know. She is super sweet and wicked smart.  Well the other day we  were playing sports with some members and investigators and she was playing with everyone.  I was feeling kind of down because I couldn't play very well, my self esteem was pretty low because of my appearance as well, but all of a sudden she just started talking to me and I had myself a new little friend :)  It made my day. It is so interesting that right now, when I was just beginning to have some real success elevating my thoughts and only thinking about the mission in every moment, (I was trying before but it wasn't as much of a goal as it is now) I can tell that Satan is trying to throw whatever he can at me.  I am doing my best to not let him win though, and I can feel the help of our Savior in each and every moment.  Speaking of new year resolutions, it made me feel good to read what you said and see that my goal was in line with my missionary life.  I made a goal to use the atonement more fully.  Each and every prayer I say I am trying to reflect on the mistakes I have made so I can confess them to the Lord and improve.  I can already feel it working. I know it isn´t January first but I just felt like it would be the best way to improve in consecrating every moment for the Lord.  

It is cool that Spencer was able to record the song.  I´ll have to do a better job of it when I get home.  I really am losing some talent here but I will have time to develop it more later.

I can´t believe Grandpa Greg changed the rules to white elephant. I am glad you all had a good time, especially everyone wanting to make sure that everyone else got something special.  It is kind of the opposite of what I see happening here.  Everyone is trying to keep everything for themselves.  Hopefully I can work with the spirit well enough to be able to help them see that they can actually be happier in giving than in keeping.  It all depends on the spirit though. I am doing my best to qualify for it every day and I notice a difference from week to week, but it is definitely humbling to realize how many weaknesses I have and how much I really don´t deserve it at all.

I am glad to hear the house is going so well. I am excited to see more pictures in the future. Also if you get the chance I would love a picture of the plaque on the tree and a picture of our house that you guys are living in right now. I will do my best to send a picture or two your way next week.  The sister that puts pictures on facebook is out of town.  Sorry, but don´t worry I didn't forget. :)  Anyway, for now I've got to go, but I love you so much! I am so glad we got the chance to talk for Christmas because I am motivated all over again to keep working and help my brothers and sisters here have what I have there :)  I love you mom!!! Until next week :)

Love always,Me :)

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Hey mom :) I really loved your email :)

Thanks for reminding me to realize the things I do well.  I took some time to focus on that today and it helped me realized that with the help of God I have accomplished a lot.  I wrote to dad about that but I failed to mention that I really owe it all to our Savior.  He has helped me change so much :)  It is pretty crazy to think that I am coming up on a year.  I have started just saying to everyone I have about a year in the mission, because I am just going to keep saying that until I finish haha. That way they won´t be able to remind me when I get closer to that time to come home...I can´t afford the distraction.

I have to tell you about a sweet family I recently met.  We are teaching Maxi, an 18 year old boy and his dad Walter, along with two sisters, Karen and Augustina.  They have gone through a lot of trials as of late and it was so neat to listen to them tell their story and feel so powerfully the love that God has for them running through me.  They told us they opened the door because they felt they could confide in us and saw sincerity in us.  The dad talked about us being some type of friend, and I told him it was more.  That he is my brother and I felt the power of the words as they left my mouth.  We are family.  I really feel like these people are part of my family.  I want to help them all.  I want to help sweet Maxi, who is just a year older than Spencer and lost his grandparents (they passed away) and even worse his mom (abandoned her family for another man after being married for 18 years)  and then had a horrific accident that almost killed him.  I want to help him know why God made it so that he could live even after the doctors didn't think he would make it. I hope his sisters can feel the value they have in God´s eyes, and I want their dad to feel added help from God to raise this family without a spouse.  He is such a good dad to them and Maxi cracks me up because he is covered in tattoos and scars but is the sweetest little guy ever.  I knew I had people here that needed me to make the decision to serve a mission.  I will have to tell you more in the weeks to come. I am already running out of time.

I love you so much mom :)  I love you more and more every day that I am away.  Don´t you worry all the hugs I sent in cards and letters are headed your way in real form and even more :)  I hope that made sense.  I´ll talk to you soon!!!

Love always,

Me :)