Mi Familia!!!!!  Merry Christmas from Lima Argentina!!! This is Limas town Christmas tree!  How AWESOME IS THAT??????

Ok so I just need to take a quick second and tell you about my amazing stroke of genious!  I took theses pictures of my perfect little ninos in Primary.  We made over 200 copies of these pictures and we are passing them out to as much of Lima and Argentina as we can before Christmas.  It is my Christmas present to the Argentines.  Seriously people, just take a moment and drink in the magic of this adorableness! Our message on the back says, "Do you want this kind of joy on your face?  You may want to read El Libro De Mormon!"    SWEET RIGHT?

Okay first and foremost. HOLY HOLY HOLY HEAVENS TO BETSY. I GOT YOUR PACKAGE!!!!!!!!!!! AND LET ME JUST TELL YA.... I honestly dont think Ive ever been so grateful in my entire life!!  Man my heart strings. Que bonitaaa. Me encanta. Best christmas ever. :):):) 

second... 

SO TRANSFERS WERE YESTERDAY... AND GUESS WHOS STAYING IN LIMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????? THE FANTASTIC FOUR LADIES!!!!! ME,  MY BEST FRIEND LATINA, FUNNIEST CHICA EN EL MUNDO, QUINTANNA, HERMANA ZENDEJAS MY  AMERICAN AMIGA, AND HERMANA CENTENO MI OTRA LATINA AMIGA!!!!!!!!!!!!  My heart is singing IM SO HAPPY! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH FUN WE HAVE TOGETHER! And for christmas.. were gonna have a sleepover... and have the cutest devotional by ME (MOM.. IM GONNA COPY YOU:))  See mom and dad,  all those Christmas deovotionals you gave us while we acted like we didnt care? really did have a payoff! ABout skype.... okay. So HQ cant skype her familia.. :( So its just me! We have some members in Lima who have comps with skype.. SO IM PLANNING on the 25... but IDK what time. :/ Haha everyone is almsot tooo chill here and late for everything! So im gonna figure it out and let ya know next monday!! :) Argentina time= forget that time exists and do whatever you want whenever you want, grrrr, ok its all about the positive attitude people ;)

Oh man this week. FREAKING HOT. My body is dying!! Its slowwwwwwwwly adjusting to this weather. Its soooo humid. My body is constantly sweating! BUT I HAVE A HUGE STASH OF DEODERANT (thanks mom, everyone in Argentina thanks you for that) THANK THE HEAVENS. :)  We'll be out for like 20 minutes and were dying!! SO LOTS OF WATER!!I feel like I drink gallons and gallons of water just to make it through the day.  GAHHH!!

This week I had another amazing I LOVE PEOPLE experience. On Thursday we got a call from this girl, Mayra who is from a less active family. So we went to her house that night... wondering why a little 10 year old wanted the missionaries over so badly? This girl is the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen. Her eyes just sparkle. It kinda breaks my heart she can't go to church because HQ was telling me before that SHE SETS HER ALARM every Sunday to go to church and she tries to sneak out.. but her mom always catches her and pretty much forbids her to go. Anyways.. we shared a scriputre with her and said a prayer. After the prayer Hermana Quintana asked a question which truly came straight from the heavens. She asked Mayra if she was feeling sad. This sweet little 10 year old broke out in tears. She said that her parents had recently been seperated and shes sad because she wants her whole family to be together for Christmas. There was one day when the dad came to pick her up but her mom had a nervous breakdown.. and ended up in the hospital. Ah man. My heart broke for that little girl. She was soo broken. She just wants everyone to be okay. Shes worried for her mama. She has sooo much on her little shoulders. As I was hugging her.. I thought in my head... WHAT SCRIPTURE can I share with a 10 year old who will understand and apply it to her life?!! AND THE HEAVENS OPENED AND GOD SAID TO ME ONE WORD, ONE NAME. PAUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PAUL TERRY-  MY BROTHER PAUL!! MY CUTE LITTLE BROTHER PAUL THAT WRITES A SCRIPTURE ON THE BOTTOM OF HIS SHOES TO HELP HIM REMEMBER WHO HE IS.  MY PAUL WHO WRITES "I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME" ON THE BOTTOM OF EVERY PAIR OF SHOES HE OWNS!  So thats what I did. I shared Alma 26:12 with her and repeated to her over and over.. we can do all things through Christ. Christ is watching little Mayra in the night. When shes crying. When she feels lost. When she wakes up in the morning. When shes praying and feels like shes not getting an answer. I felt sooo much love from Christ for her . As a representative of Jesus Christ, I am able to feel this love that I cant even explain. Its too much for me at times!! Sometimes after these experiences, I just feel exhausted.  When Padre Celestial fills you up with how much love he feels for people, I think its almost more than the physical body can handle.  But I'm always so grateful for the chance to try to grasp his heart. 

Anyways I went home that night and cried and prayed for that sweet little spirit. I was crying for her pain.  But then Heavenly Father picks me up and tells me, My beloved daughter Marie, you are feeling what Im feeling when I see my children like this. I JUST KNOW. I JUST KNOW. GOD IS NOT GONNA LEAVE US ALONE. I PROMISE. I PROMISE. I KNOW THIS BECAUSE ON SATURDAY MAYRA TOLD US that her parents are back together and shes so excited for Navidad. God listens to our prayers. Hes always making the way for us. WE JUST HAVE TO TRUST. AND WHEN GOD SEES THAT WE TRUST HIM... HE POURS OUT HIS BLESSINGS FOR US!!!! Its the most beautiful cycle! FIRST THE PERFECT ACCEPTING FAITH OF HIS WILL, THEN THE MANIFESTATION OF WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE CAN DO! And Im horrible at explaining things and I know my grammar stinks... BUT I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT GOD LOVES YOU. TRUST HIM. TRUST HIM. TRUST HIM.

Remember Jorge? The less active we started visiting MY FIRST WEEK HERE? WELL GUESS WHAT??? HES NOW THE 2nd counselor in the bishopbric. How amazing/perfect is that?!!! He went from a man who became less active after his mission, feeling lonely and sad... TO A NEW MAN WHO LOVES THE CHURCH! Familia... I gotta tell you about a miracle. OKay... so I pray to Padre Celestial , [What do we need for the less actives and the members to thrive in LIMA?[ and then I had a random thought about student council. I was like.. WHAT. NOW IS NOT THE TIME MARIE. TO REHASH STUDENT COUNCIL! BUT then it hit me!! STUDENT COUNCIL WAS ALL ABOUT BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER, UNITED AS ONE. AND HOW DO YOU DO THAT???!!! Activities. Activities. Activities. 

So one time when we were visiting Jorge I told him about my idea and I felt so dumb about it because it felt like it would be IMPOSSIBLE to carry out.

BUT YESTERDAY HE CAME TO US AND HAS HE COOLEST PLAN FOR A NAVIDAD FIESTA FOR THIS SATURDAY!! ASADO...TONS OF HELADO AND TORTA(amazing Argentine food)... GAMES... NATIVITY... AND SINGING BY THE ONE AND ONLY HERMANA TERRY (SORRY LIMA, IM DOIN IT)!! DUDE IM SOOOO EXCITED!! WERE INVITING SERIOUSLY ALL OF LIMA!!! THis is gonna help the ward sooo much. WE NEED IT.  FUN HEALS PEOPLE.  I remember mom told me that once and I thought it was lame, but now I think its so important! Because we have like less than 20 active members. GOD HAS A PLAN FOR LIMA!!!!!! 

I wanna share you a quote I read in the BEST BOOK THAT MY FRIEND SYD GAVE ME. :) 

Father, where shall I work today? 
And my love flowed warm and free. 
Then He pointed out a tiny spot 
And said, “Tend that for me.” 
I answered quickly, “Oh no; not that! 
Why, no one would ever see, 
No matter how well my work was done; 
Not that little place for me.” 
And the word He spoke, it was not stern; 
He answered me tenderly: 
“Ah, little one, search that heart of thine. 
Art thou working for them or for me? 
Nazareth was a little place, 
And so was Galilee.” 
--Meade McGuire

Family. I know this is where I need to be. The people here need loving and tending. And little by little the church will grow and the baptisms will come. Wherever we are called to serve I HOPE we can remember that GOD LOVES ALL. And we need to PUT OUR TRUST IN HIM that he has placed us in the right place. :) 

I wake up to a song stuck in my head every morning. It fills my whole soul with joy and peace and Im ready for the day. CAN YOU GUESS WHAT SONG IT IS?!! The song that MOM PLAYED OVER AND OVER ALL MY LIFE AND IVE ALWAYS HATED... BUT NOW IM IN LOVE WITH. Ladies and gents... moms fav song, THE REAL ME by Natalie Grant. 

"BUT YOU SEE THE REAL ME.. HIDING IN MY SKIN, BROKEN FROM WITHIN.. UNVEIL ME.. COMPLETELY. IM loosening my grasp. Theres no need to mask my frailty, cause you see the REAL ME. WONDERFUL! BEAUTIFUL!!! IS WHAT YOU SEE WHEN YOU LOOK AT ME! YOURE TURNING THE TATTERED FABRIC OF MY LIFE INTO A PERFECT TAPESTRY!!!"

Oh I hope we can remember that Jesus sees us as wonderful, beautiful, precious children. Always always always remember that you beautiful creatures. :)

Well I think this email is a little too long. :) LO SIENTO. 

So I just gotta say... the mission is so fun. Again, fun is healing and brings people together.  What a beautiful lesson about clean wholesome wonderful fun!  Like I learn something new about myself every day. I get to feel Gods love for me and his children every day. AND sometimes I get to just cry it out. Cry out all of my worries and discomforts that come from the mish. And then I get to tell God that I trust him and tell him that I will forever endure any kind of PAIN because it opens my soul to Jesus Christ. :)

You bet your bottom dollar that I belt out "PART OF YOUR WORLD" CADA DIA DURING LUNCH WITH THE OTHER HERMANAS!!I I WANNA BE WHERE THE ARGENTINES ARE, I WANNA SEE WANNA SEE THEM CHANGING!" Sometimes the hermanas laugh, sometimes they are silent. I just tell myself they love it, it helps me!!!! I LOVE MY LIFE!!!

K last thing. I was studying in Luke today and found the most beautiful words that came from the mother of Jesus Christ, Mary. I want to be like this woman. We all need to be like her. She lived her life in sacrifice of her son.  So can we.  I hope we can have the love for the Savior like she did. 

 46 And Mary ^asaid, My soul doth ^bmagnify the Lord,

 47 And my spirit hath ^arejoiced in God my ^bSaviour.

 48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his ^ahandmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me ^bblessed.

 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great ^athings; and ^bholyis his name.

 50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

 51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the^aproud in the imagination of their hearts.

 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of ^alow degree.

 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

 54 He hath ^aholden his servant Israel, in remembrance of hismercy;

LETS US ALL SING AND REJOICE OF OUR LORD, THE NEWBORN KING!!! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS MY DARLINGSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PEACE AND BLESSINSS!! FROM HT IN LIMA ARGENTINA LIVIN THE LIFE. XOXOOXOX JESUS LOVES YOU XOXOXXO  SO DO I!!!!!!

I am totally and completely unrepentant that I opened this amazing Christmas package as soon as I got it, and Im so glad I did!  Im loving the fun things.  Thank you so much!

I eat alot of this!  Be jealous---or not!

Alot of teasing and goofing off.  I did not know how fun a mission could be!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A MESSAGE TO CARRY ON CARRY ON CARRY ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!