Happy week-after-Christmas and Happy New Year!

It was so awesome to be able to Skype with everyone last week, although I cried like a baby it was really because I was so happy to see my beautiful family. I love you all so much and you mean a lot to me. 

The rest of the day on Christmas was pretty tranquilo, mostly going around collecting food and becoming mas gorditas [bigger]. I think Christmas Eve we ate 5 torrejas each, and Christmas day about 7.  The Hondurans believe in leftovers and in feeding the missionaries, so we have been eating well this week, haha.

Visiting continues to be difficult with the holidays,  but we have also seen some great success. This week we found an amazing family and shared the Proclamation with them, which they loved, so we will see where that leads us. [The Family: A Proclamation to the World]

We also continue to teach Wendy, who arrived at the church one Sunday out of the blue, told us she is looking for peace in her life, and how does she become a member? She continues to be really positive and has a baptismal date in the next few weeks. 

Tonight the celebration continues with the burning of fireworks into the night and at midnight they burn these big doll things stuffed with fireworks symbolizing the old year. We will see if we even sleep tonight. 

This week one of my favorite lessons was when we shared the story of Nephi when he was commanded to build a boat in 1 Nephi 17. I can only imagine the faith it took for him to accept this challenge and without doubting ask, "How do I start?" instead of questioning the words of the Lord. In our lives the Lord has asked us to build our own "boats", but hasn't left us helpless. He will show us the way to make the "tools" that we will need to do His will, and we will be blessed immensely for it. I am so grateful to be a missionary!

Happy New Year and have a great week! Pday is Monday again, so I will write then.

Lots of love,

Hermana White

Skype session from our end in West Jordan.

Skype session from Tegucigalpa sometimes was pixelated.

A torreja. "Christmas Eve we ate 5 torrejas each, and Christmas day about 7."

Amy made Eva's Mountain Man breakfast on Christmas.

Amy's email received Dec. 24th.

Bliggity Blog

Feliz Navidad! This week we had Pday today instead of Monday for the holiday. It was a long week and a half without Pday but we made it!

Things are good here in Teguc, Christmas is in full swing. It seems like we just walk until we get to a house and they feed us. We have eaten Nacatamales (picture attached), a traditional Christmas food, every day for the past 4 days and we expect the same for the next few days. Another traditional food is called torrejas, which is like french toast with honey. Its pretty good. Other than that, we haven't had much success with investigators, no one is home these days which is a bummer.

Last week we had a great Christmas Devotional/Fiesta with our mission, where President Bowler gave us some great messages about the love of our Savior for us and the people here. Afterwards we received gifts that some families of missionaries sent us, which was really sweet. Socks, a scarf, toothbrushes, candy, and other good stuff - that was so nice of them.  

Also, a couple weeks ago our zone sent to have jerseys made with all our names on the back. They were supposed to say H. or E. and our last name, but mine came out with Ho.Withe? So close. It made me laugh pretty hard. I think I'll frame it.  

Well, this week to get me in the Christmasy spirit I have been studying The Living Christ, or Cristo Viviente, which is an amazing document. I love the testimony that the apostles give of our Savior and Redeemer. No one in the history of the world has had more influence among the children of God as He has. Through Him we are saved from sin and can inherit a grade of glory semejante [similar] that or our Father, together with our families for all eternity. Through Him we can find true peace and comfort. Through Him we can do all things. I am so grateful for this Christmas season that I get to spend as a missionary and to be able to share my testimony of Him every day. I love this gospel, I love this work, and I love the people of Honduras. I know He lives and loves us. I hope we all remember the true meaning of the season and can take a moment to reflect upon the blessings we have received through Him today and tomorrow. 

Welp, I hope you all have a wonderful week and a Feliz Navidad! Can't wait to Skype tomorrow!

ALSO a family in our ward has the same fabric nativity that mom has and I got super excited. Photo attached.

Hermana White

 Amy's new companion, Hermana Delgado, from Sonora, Mexico. 
This is at the mission devotional/fiesta last week.

 Woops. Should say "H. White".

 Same fabric nativity that Eva has.

Nacatamales

 They have their own fireplace.

Written Dec. 14th, but not received until Dec. 24th.

Hello all! I hope you all had a great week. Things round here were a little crazy busy, but a good kind of crazy busy! Wednesday were changes. Hermana Aldama went home and I got Hermana Delgado! She is from Sonora, Mexico, and is super great. She is my 7th companion in less than 7 months, and my third Mexicana! She's got 12 months in the
mission. She is my first companion who is taller than me! 

Christmas is in full swing, which is good and also complicated. Lots of people are leaving for vacations right now and won't be back until mid-January or February, which also means we are losing investigators left and right! It also means we get to share messages about Jesus Christ, and a lot of people's hearts are more open to that right now. There are lots of lights up on houses and Christmas trees. 

A cool thing they do here is that beneath the tree a lot of people put up a nativity, but it's more like a miniature Bethlehem. It's really involved and some of them are huge! One of them we found here is the nativity and also the story of the Old and New Testaments (see picture below). The hermana told us it took her 5 hours to put it up! Its a cool tradition though. The other great thing about Christmas is that everyone's heart is softened and the members are giving us lots of food.  :)

Well, I don't really know what else to add because I feel like everything is pretty routine here. I am doing really well and am happy. The work is going, although the time of the Lord is sometimes slower than we would like. The Lord is so merciful with us and is giving us miracles and reminders that when "ye are in the service of your fellow beings you are only in the service of Him". I am so grateful for this time I have to serve Him and to be amongst His children here. God is so great to us. 

Have a wonderful week!

Hermana White

During her computer time today Amy created a Skype profile to call home on Christmas, uploaded these pictures, and replied to our letters, but apparently ran out of time before updating her blog. Hermana Aldama finished her mission last Wednesday so Amy received a new companion, but she didn't tell us about her yet. So for this week's blog entry, here are key parts of what Amy wrote to Eva:

Sounds like you had a great week. Yesterday was the Primary program here. I helped the kids practice on Saturday by playing the piano for them because their pianist was sick, but luckily she was better for Sunday, because it was a little rough. I thought about you lots. The program was really cute. There are only about 15 kids and the hermanas went all out. The ninos had matching red ties and the ninas had cute headbands that one of the hermanas made. I wish I would have gotten a picture.

Tell Alicia [Amy's piano teacher] "Hi" for me! Also thank her for all her patience when I was taking lessons. I owe a lot to you two for helping me learn the little that I did, and for the both of you not killing me for not practicing. I am repenting about that now as I have had to use my talent here in the mission.

I don't know which day we will Skype yet, whether it will be the 24th or 25th, but we will be skyping from the church. I made a new username and password. Maybe you guys could log on and make sure that it works. I will let you know next week what time and everything. I am super excited and hoping that it will work without any problems! 

I love you lots. Do something nice for the missionaries in our area and make them feel appreciated. Enjoy the snow and the baking! 

Much love, 
Hermana White

Their "rein-door".

With Hermana Aldama, who finished her mission on Dec. 9th.

 Apparently this is Amy's new companion beginning Dec. 9th.

This Christmas box that we sent to Amy on Nov. 3rd arrived on Dec. 4th.  
It weighed just under 17 pounds and cost $94 to ship.

La Semana

I don't have hardly any time, but this week was great! I got the package and was overjoyed! Especially about the shampoo and the donut?  [Someone included one of Eva's homemade Halloween donuts.]  Thanks family.

It has been chilly around these parts and I have actually worn sweaters and a jacket most of the time. Its super uncharacteristic for my perception of Honduras and the mission. 

I loved the Christmas Devotional last night and hope you all had the chance to watch it. It was fun to see Temple Square. I loved the messages from the general authorities of hope and peace in our Savior during this holiday season. 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here and it's been fun to share the message of our Savior with the people here. 

Things are good. This server we are at is weird and I don't know if this computer will recognize my camera. I will try to send pictures next week! 

Lots of Honduran love, 

Hermana White