Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Feliz Ano

Buenas! I can't believe it´s only been a week since the phone call, it already seems like way longer. That was pretty cool though right? In May I promise to have some more Spanish prepared so I can speak it for you...or you can just wait until I get home, I might not remember English by then anyway...kidding. I told my companion Pop-Pop's jokes...she cracked up. I tell her alot of stories (that's what you do when you walk all over the place 8 hours a day) and she thinks our family should have a reality show. The rest of my Christmas was wonderful. More singing and then we ate Christmas dinner with a family in the ward. How was it having the missionaries over on Christmas? Did you give them any references...I'm sure they asked, or wanted to at least. I was thinking about last Christmas and how much has changed since then. And then I was thinking about next Christmas and how different things will be in a year. Funny how time just goes right on by. It's still so surreal that I am on my mission...in EL SALVADOR. Anyway, I received the package from Grandma and Uncle Scott (and Gummie Bears from GG?) THANK YOU! Everything is awesome. I have no idea how I am going to eat all the cookies but my companion and I are working on it. The journal is GORGEOUS and all the Elders envy the pen. And the CD is awesome! We listen to it at least once a day. My parents should get one of those, it´s a great description of alot of the emotions of the mission. Thank you! How's everyone doing? How's Zach, I feel like I know nothing about him or his life? I'm so happy the Christmas season went by wonderfully...that's not a word-Oh well. I'll be looking forward to my homemade beef jerkey and pictures. It was a little weird hearing how mom got all this stuff for the kitchen...I remember the days when dinner was fishsticks and cambells chicken soup. Haha. Mom cooks better now :) When I come home I will have to teach her some of the latin dishes I've learned how to make...sorry but they will probably involve alot of ham. Daddys emails this week were pretty funny. I especially enjoyed reading about Alyssa's pet names for Jared. Sounds like they're doing really well which is awesome! I'm excited to get to hang out with her more when I get home. Looking forward to it. And while I'm on the subject of Jared...which makes me think of Zombies. Let him know that I think I have seen some real ones down here. Some of the drunks have zombie like behavior. It's kinda creepy. Also, alot of the businesses here are well fortified for such an invasion, I've got some ideas...just thought I'd let him know. Daddy also sent me pictures of SNOW! I almost cried. Here it feels like the middle of summer. My companion mentioned how this was going to be the longest summer of my life. I entered the MTC in October when it was still warm, left Provo right before the cold hit, my six weeks in Guatemala were like fall and now I am here in the blazing sun of El Salvador for a year and a half, I will get home in April just in time for summer again. It's going to be like a 2 1/2 year long summer. He also asked about when they celebrate New Years here and made a comment about how since they're Latin it's probably all week...he's right but really its ALL MONTH. There have been fireworks almost every night since I got here. Christmas eve was the worst and I hear it's going to be even crazier tonight. The way I understand it is, the 24th is their Christmas. They spend the night with family and friends and at midnight they open presents...on the 25th they just sleep. Then all week there are parties and stuff but the night of the 31st (tonight) is like the real holiday here. Everyone stays out all night partying with friends...I wont sleep tonight that's for sure. But what can you expect from a country where the buses are like a nightclub-black lights and loud music. Speaking of the bus..story time: This week we had a new missionary training meeting with the President. We had to take a bus to get there. So my companion and I get on this shuttle-it's a city bus but it's smaller and faster ( the buses are just painted school buses and the shuttle is a van...almost all of them say "Jesucristo" somewhere in HUGE letters)-and they pack people in, 50 people in a bus made for 25. So we´re about to get off and I'm tucked in behind my companion, she hops off and a I am trying to get out behind her this woman stands up and blocks the aisle so I can't get out. I'm trying to let here know that I need to get out but she wont move. I look out the window to see H. Perry looking for me so I knock on the window. She starts yelling at me to get off the bus...well yeah, I understand that I need to do that. I was panicking a little bit but I really lost it when the bus driver closed the door and started to go. Just picture me stuck between some random lady and a bus seat, yelling " No stop! I need to get off!" in Spanish. It was crazy. Anyway, the bus driver stopped, opened the doors and I got off. And with that it's just about time to go. It sounds like you've been updating my facebook. Could you let people know that if they email me I need their address. Right now I need an address for Nalani and Keelan because I would like to write them back. Oh and I have a challenge for you. We did it as a mision but I want you to try. Read the Book of Mormon (in your native language...hehe) and highlight every reference you find to the Savior...I'm doing it right now. It's such an amazing experience. We're members of the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-Day Saints and we profess the Book of Mormon as the most correct Testament of Him we have. I know that if you want to increase your faith and come closer to the Savior, you can do it through the Book of Mormon. Oh yeah, you have until April Conference to finish...so start now. I love you and pray for you, Hermana Victoria Giossi

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