¿Qué Tal, Bolivia?: FELIZ DICIEMBRE!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY DECEMBER EVERYONE! Can I just say that it feels NOTHING like December here because it is still so dang hot?! But I am actually loving the heat now. I got used to it fast, and it really is nice not to have to sleep with 7 blankets like I did in Potosi.

How was everyone`s Thanksgiving?! How was BLACK FRIDAY?! Do you all have your trees set up? I am way excited, because tomorrow I am helping my pension put up their tree. It will be fun.

It is funny, because I just read Stanley`s letter about the panetone and cracked up! That is what everyone is obsessed with here, too! It is fruit cake. I have yet to try it, but everyone says it is good. I am sure I will be eating it for the whole month of December. My comp is from Peru, and she told me that she is having her parents send her some in a package! FRUIT CAKE! Hopefully it is nothing like the fruit cake in the states... yuck....

But YEAH! So only 25 more days until CHRISTMAS! Woah.... how crazy is that?! I get to talk to you guys so soon! I actually really don,t know the plans yet, but I will keep in touch with you as to what time. We will get to skype, I just have to find a member that has really fast internet.

It was actually a really bizarre, somewhat hard week. NO ONE WAS IN THEIR HOUSE. It was frustrating. We would walk from appointment to appointment as they all fell through. Everyone here is now on vacation, so no one is home. Lame. But I also had some great experiences this week. One: PEDRO CAME TO CHURCH FINALLY. So Pedro is this super cool guy that we are teaching, and we have been trying to get him to come to church for some time now, but he always has something to do. However, he came this past week! He is really progressing, and he should be baptized before Christmas IF he keeps coming to church. We shall see. We have a family night tonight with him and some other kids from the ward. Have I mentioned that I really do love my ward. They are really great.

What else????

- KAYLA. BAHAHAHAH So I was teaching one of the recent converts here. His name is Junior, and he wanted to see pictures of my family. I showed him one of you, and he said that you looked latina, and then began to ask me a million questions about you. HHAHAHAH I told him that he was WAYYYY too old for you. So yeah. You have an admirer down here named Junior.

- Mom. Have I told you that all the kids down here LOVE the fake tattoos and stickers that you sent me? They ask me every day if I have more. It is great.

What else????

- So as I mentioned, no one was in their house this week. But there was one day when we had some really really great lessons. I truly felt the spirit in every single lesson that we had that day. I went to bed so tired, but I sat there and really felt great. It was one of those days where I really felt like I had made a difference. Then I realized that that is how I want to feel when I end my mission. I want to end knowing that I did every possible thing that I could to help these people. That I worked so hard. That I forgot myself. That I learned. That I changed. That I helped people come unto Christ. The mission is amazing. It is so hard, but it is so fun at the same time. I hope to be able to live each day here so that when I end, I can feel like I have truly made a difference. - I also learned another great lesson. All of you friends out there that wrote in that little book that Steph sent around to write in, thank you. This week, I was reading it, and remembering all the great people that I have in my life. I have so many great memories with all of you. I was thinking about who I was when I lived at BYU, and who I am now. I really haven’t been being myself this cambio. It has been a really hard couple of weeks, and I forgot who I was. Heavenly Father sent me here to be ME. He sent me here because I can help people that other people cannot help through my experiences, talents, and personality. I need to be ME. All of your letters helped me to remember who I truly am. Thank you!

I hope that you all have a great week this week. LET THE CHRISTMAS MUSIC BEGIN!

Love

Hermana Routsong