The things unsaid

Hello!

It was so fun talking with family during Christmas. :) But I found that just as when I often skyped my friends while at college that after ending the call, there was still so much I wanted to say!

I think I answered all the typical Honduran questions- the food, my ward, my companion, my area, etc. But one thing I failed to mention was the fact that I´m not only living here in Honduras, but that I am also serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

I recently (ha, yesterday) completed 7 months of my mission. I think it won´t matter how much I´ll have, I still wake up in the morning in awe that I am here, in Honduras, serving the Lord. How blessed am I?!?! 

It doesn´t matter how much time I have- I am literally learning something new everyday. That´s something I love so much about the church- whether we are new converts, spiritual giants, like my dear father, or me, who was blessed enough to be raised in the church.

One of my converts said, "Hermana Snelson, you are so lucky, I wish I could just put everything that you know in my brain!" And I realized that there may be a lot that I know, but I´m still a far, far way off. We aren´t perfect, and it´s wonderful! Each of us have the opportunity to repent each and everyday, to put our imperfections behind us and start new and better. 

I love that in the church, no one is better than the other. We are imperfect! But, through this mutual level, we are each able to help one another be more perfect- and I can´t think of a more wonderful way to serve others.

I am grateful everyday that I am here, in Honduras helping others. I love that I have such an incredible family and incredible examples in all of my siblings. I pray for each of you everyday and hope that all is well.

  And now I present you with a bunch of Christmasy pictures :)

 My cute comp made me breakfast Christmas morning!

I decided to dress in Christmas spirit for the Christmas party in English class. Plus my landlord knitted me this sweet Christmas hat (that several people commented were also the colors of Mexico) so I wanted to wear it out :)

We destroyed a pinata with my zone.

The lovely pinata before it was destroyed:

   At Chili´s restaurant... in Honduras :)

 

With my lovely Zone

 This is the only picture of me at Sofi, Jose´s little sister and Miriam´s daugherts house :) so Merry Christmas in Honduras, enjoy this picture of me with a water cooler :)

All of my love,

Your little sister, daughter and friend

Hermana Snelson :)

Merry Christmas!

Hi everyone this is my generic e mail this week! I'm excited to talk with family in 2 days! Just wanted to let you know how much I love you, and wanted to wish you a very, very merry Christmas!

We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son." (The Living Christ)

Love you all so darn much!

Full of Christmas Spirit!

Funny story: I finished reading and replying to all the e mails I had gotten this week, and was thinking, "man, I guess I´m ready to log off!" until I realized I had not written my family. Haha sorry guys! I guess I´m just excited to tell you all about my life face to face.

Anyway, we had a lot of exciting things happen this week. The mission had a Christmas party complete with everyone singing Christmas songs, Christmas sweaters,

 

 turkey and mashed potatoes (a typical Christmas dinner here. Happy Thanksgiving?) and watching "The Santa Clause." It was fun seeing my friends, making new ones, and just hanging out with some swell missionaries.

The ward also had their Christmas party! Which meant more turkey, ham, and mashed potatoes. I´m pretty sure I ate enough mashed potatoes this week to feed the entire family (including cousins!) at Thanksgiving. Not that I´m complaining, Hondurans just like their mashed potatoes!

We also went Caroling with our Zone. It turned out to be really great to contact people. We go up to one house (a member, or an investigator) and all the neighbors hear us and come out and I just ran up and we started handing out pass a long cards and pamphlets. So it was really great. Plus I got to hang out with my awesome zone. We have a really great zone this change and if I leave in January, it´ll definitely be something I miss.

We also got to go to the temple again with our investigators. There is so much power in just sitting outside. There is talk that we might get to go in January which would be amazing. Honestly, people ask me what I want for Christmas and if I could just go to the temple, even to do baptisms, I would be over the moon and back again.

I love you all so much. Truly my testimony and belief in this gospel has strengthened so much in this short time (almost 7 months!) here in Honduras! My service has as confirmed everything I have been taught the last 20 years of my life and I feel so blessed everyday to be a part of this marvelous work.

I'm excited to talk to family on Christmas! Here we are will our fun Christmas tree!!

The week in pictures

Due to me being short on time.... this week will be full of pictures and little stories :)

Number of Christmas trees we helped decorate: 4.

 And in one house they went all out- we even changed the curtains to Christmas colors! But they fed me tamales after, so it was okay :)

 

  

 Thanks to Bees recipe book, I learned how to make apple crisp in the microwave. We love it! For dinner the other night, we made coffee cake and apple crisp. You know, welcome to living on your own :)

 

About every month Hermana Flynn and I switch clothes for a week- I bring a bag for her and she for me and then we get our clothes back the next p-day. Well, her companion Hermana Vasquez used one of my skirts, and my comp used my clothes that day too. So pretty much no one was wearing their own clothes this day :)

 

  We went back up to Picachu again, that really pretty high look out where there{s the huge Jesus statue. Obviously, we took a lot of beautiful pictures.

I just love standing up there, looking out in the city and thinking, "Wow, I get to live in this beautiful place"

 

 

 

Random Aubrey fact: I STILL love swinging on the swings. I could probably do it for hours. 

 

 

That is all folks! Love you all so much. I truly am so grateful everyday for the love, support, and happiness I feel each and everyday thanks to all those people I am blessed enough to have in my life.

The church is true! And I love you! :)

Hermana Snelson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The week everything changed

Hi everyone!

Thanks for the card from Brooke, the darling card from Rachel Chow, and the letter from Aaron

Alrighty. 

Things that happened this week:

1) It got suuuper cold! Like... probably 60 degrees, but that´s with Humidity and wind.

  For the first time I went tracting wtih socks, tights, and 2 sweaters! And I just bought a hat the other day, but today it randomly warmed up so it´s normal skirt and short sleeves again. For the moment anyway. Everyone says it gets really cold during Christmas (well, cold for Honduras) but I´m definitely enjoying it!

 

 2) Hermana J. got her wisdom teeth out, which actually wasn´t too exciting and just really miserable for her. She was on liquids for 4 days after, and she´s still not able to eat hard things, but doing fine

3) Thursday night we got the call... we were having changes. Hermana C. and I were walking to the Salinas´ house where Hermana J. had been resting while we were working. The phone rang- it was the ZL´s. 

Hermana C. started freaking out and saying "no no no!" so I answered the phone. We put it on Speaker. "Hermana J., will be going to Mira A (my area is Mira B) and will be with Hermana M. Hermana Snelson will be staying in Mira B, and will be receiving Hermana Z., from California. And Hermana C.... will be going to Dahnli as a Sister Training Leader!"

CALLED IT.

She didn´t want to believe it. I told her 2 weeks ago I thought she was going to become a Sister Training Leader to which she made silly excuses like, "I can´t be a Sister Training Leader... I love to shop too much!" Ha! :)

That night we got home and had 2 people´s stuff to pack up. It was pretty crazy, and even crazier the next morning as we ran around the house stuffing last minute things in her suitcases. We dropped of Hermana J. with a member where I met my new comp, Hermana Z!

Things to know about Hermana Z.:

-She has 13 months

-She was previously in the south (choluteca) and up in Dahnli

-She was raised in Orange County

-Her parents are Mexican, so she grew up speaking Spanish and English

-She is an art major, and studied at a community college

 

 

And we get along really well! I was explaining to someone who asked if I missed Hermana C. that I just don´t really miss people. It´s like a giant bowl of ice cream. My chocolate sauce (haha, we called Hermana C. chocolate because she´s brown) just left, but I got caramel. They´re both sweet, delicious, and wonderful, but they both have different things to enjoy. This is most likely going to be my last change in MiraFlores, so I´m just going to enjoy every single moment and make every moment count!

With changes, brought along this friend. I had been told that Connor M. was coming and he made it!  We went to Timpview together and he played football!  It was fun to see him his first day and to be able to tell him how awesome his Trainer is.

I´m doing so great! Working hard, and loving the gospel and the love and support I get from everyone.

Love you!

Hermana Snelson