Feliz Navidad!

This is our "normal" picture.

Playing.

I love Christmas and she is the Grinch!

Classic.

Our scary snowman... Hermana Penaloza threw a snowball at me right when she took the picture, classic.

This is a terrible picture of me, but this is our investigator Henry, he rocks, also he wants to marry me... its kinda hilarious, but I think we are going to give him to the elders!

When you don't have a fireplace, or stockings, draw them! We are just the most festive!

Mini houses!

email 12.16.13

Mi familia! 

 

I am just filled with love and joy and all the good things rights now.  I got the stomach flu this week, really bad, so we had to stay in for a couple of days, but it gave me lots of time to think and read and pray and also nap.  The good news is I ate real food this morning.  Also something very shocking happened...get ready.  So I called the mission nurse and told her I was sick and she said that 20 other missionaries had called in the last two days with the same thing, I guess there is a really contagious virus going around...so she said to get some fluids and easy things to eat.  My companion, being Mexican, asked me if I wanted bread or rice...I chose rice!  I am really becoming Hispanic, its the best.  But the good news is I am all better now! 

 

Like I said, I have been doing a lot of thinking this week about so many things, and they are all random and scattered.  First and foremost one of our progressing investigators, who rocks, Jesus Castro, called us and told us that he didn't believe the Book of Mormon was true, or that Joseph Smith was a prophet...so that was a dagger to my soul.  But after we had a good cry and ate some chocolate I decided I needed to read my scriptures.  I continued my reading in John, and I had a revelation.  How many times was Christ rejected?  Literally every day.  Even right after he raised Lazurath from the dead, people would not accept him as the Christ.  There are people who rejected Christ, and there are people who are going to/have rejected me.  But the good news is, its okay.  It is there choice, it doesn't make the things I teach any less true, its their agency.  Of coarse I will do all I can do to share what I know, and promise blessings, and all that good stuff, but when It comes down to it, its all okay! 

 

We had a Zone conference this week, which are sometimes hard for me because they are ALL DAY long, but such is life, I am getting really good at meetings.  But we had a training about prayer.  And I decided to try a little experiment.  I have started saying my personal prayers out loud.  It has changed everything.  Sometimes in the past I have said them out loud if I really need help or I am really emotional, or whatever, but it has really helped me turn my prayers into an open conversation with my Heavenly Father.  Best. 

 

We have really been gearing up for Christmas in our neck of the woods.  First of all it snowed two more days this week, and it is freezing!  So that is really Christmasy.  We took advantage of this and took some awesome Christmas pictures, that I will send you, and also made a Snowman...best day ever.   The snow melts pretty quickly here, but there is some lingering patches...so that's fun.  We also made gingerbread houses, which are just simply adorable, and this morning I made a giant batch of sugar cookies to take to zone p-day, so that will be the best of times.  Thank you for all the Christmas stuff mom!  I will show you a picture of our apartment, we put together the whole Christmas chain, it is just so festive in there. 

 

As for Christmas, I am getting really excited to see you!  I am still planning on 12:00 my time!  And I don't know if they have a Skype account, it might be better if you can just set one up for me and then send me the info.  We have been invited to a bunch of people's homes so we are going to go party hopping and deliver treats and put bows on our head, its going to be very classic don't worry.  Also we are going to read the nativity together and sing and mostly just be cozy.  The sad news is that Hermana Wyeth is leaving for Argentina, she has just been waiting for her visa, so she wont be here.  But Hermana Penaloza is going to hang with us and we are going to be a trio for two weeks.  So that will be really good! 

 

Also I got the package from Alyse and Chad, but I didn't open it yet, but thank you in advance!

 

And yes next Monday we will email and grocery shop, but only for like half the day, and then our real pday is on Tuesday, I think so we can romp around and have a good times, and then Christmas is also for enjoying.  It will be the very best!

 

I love love love you guys!  I am so grateful for you and your examples.  I am so happy to be a missionary.  Thank you for supporting me in this.  Thank you for helping me have a merry Christmas, even from across the country.  I am so grateful for my savior.  For his atonement.  For the opportunity that I have every day to be better, to be more like him.  I have figured out that it really is a choice.  I can choose to be more like him, change my desires, give him my will, let him mold me, or I can do it on my on and struggle miserably.  I really think it is as simple as that, its our choice.  I love my savior very much, and I love this time of year that we have to focus on him, on his life, and share that with everyone.  Have the best week ever!

 

I love love love you!

 

xoxo Hermana Riley Jane 

email 12.12.13

Mi Familia-

FELIZ NAVIDAD!  this is just the best time of the year, you all know how I feel about christmas time, I am in heaven.  Not my average year, but better in different ways. 

For Christmas we can skype or google or whatever!  We are going over to a members house at noon, so it will either be around 12 or around 1, depending on who goes first.  I don't remember my skype or anything, so if you want to set it up and email me next week with log in info/instructions that would be awesome.  

The craziest news is that I have officially been on my mission for six months!  De verdad!  I have no idea where the time went and it is still flying by.  Mostly I love it.  

This week we had a challenge to find new investigators, as many as we could, so we did A TON of trackting.  Which i LOVE.  It is so fun to meet new people and find people who are ready.  I think we found 15 new investigators this week, so we have our hands full.  One who is particularly prepared is Teresa.  She is just the cutest.  She has two daughters and is BFF with one of our members.  She saw us walking down the street and called us in and wanted to be taught, so that was a miracle!  

There was a "huge" storm here, which didn't end up being so huge...but it did snow a little.  Yesterday church was cancelled and we weren't allowed to drive, it was a little over-kill, but made for an adventure.  We walked to our hood and taught some lessons and found some new investigators, and someone even fed us dinner.  It was a great little adventure.  We did freeze on the way home, but we had a lovely time singing Christmas songs.  

I have been thinking alot about repentance this week.  I was reading in Helaman 13, and it hit me.  We are not asked to be perfect, we are asked to repent.  We will always be able to repent, always be able to be better.  As long as we are trying, and repenting, and changing, there is not much more we can do!  

Also the good news is I ate tongue tocas, he the tongue of a cow was on my taco, and I ate it.  It kinda just tasted like meat, but more chewy and with taste buds...

Happy Christmas everyone!  I hope you are all doing really festive things, because you know how that makes me feel.  Sorry this letter was so scattered.  I love love love you! 

xoxo Hermana Riley Jane

hiii

My sweet baby Genesis!

Tongue tacos, yum!

Happy six months ice cream palooza!

Our investigator Ivan, he lives with Flor and Jose, he is the best!

the HUGE storm....

I am Grateful!

Grandma and Grandpa! (they are on a service mission teaching at Southern Virginia University so they were able to schedule a time to go visit Riley!)

SNOW!

CHEESEBALL- Thank you LeAnn!

Grateful list

Sister Seegmiller!

email 12.2.13

This past week was the best!  I am so thankful for everything.  Mostly I am just thankful that I am here in Virginia being a missionary.

It sounds like Thanksgiving was fun!  I am glad you got to go up to the Cabin with the cousins.  And thank you for the pictures kenna!

Thanksgiving was interesting...Hermana Sevilla was sick, with 102 fever, so we ended up staying in all day.  BUT we had the best day!  LeeAnn Goettle is an angle, she mailed me a CHEESEBALL!  That is right, she mailed me a cooler with a cheesball in it, AND all the things to make my very own cheeseballs!  I cried, she is a saint.  So on Thanksgiving I decided that I was just going to cook/bake, and then we would deliver.  So I pulled H. Sevillas mattress out to the front room, turned on Christmas music (thank you mom!) and I made cheeseballs, and cake, and chicken, and all manner of yummy things.  We also made a giant grateful list (ill send the picture), watched some cheese mo tab Christmas movies (thank you mom), and the best Zone Leaders in the whole world dropped off Ice Cream.  It was so much fun!  We made some deliveries, and then ate dinner with the Del Fins.  It was such a happy day!  

Lunch with Grandma and Grandpa was the BEST.  They are just so darling.  H. Sevilla loved them too!  It was nice to see a familiar face and get some real good love-filled hugs.  They are just so fun, having all their adventures.  Also Grandma gave me some essential oils for headaches and sleeping, what a gem.  And we got to see the finished book!  And also eat Panera, so there is nothing more I could ask for.  I love them!  Also the day they were here it snowed!  Like real life snow.  It all melted, but still it was fun.  

Also I have really really good news!  I started dreaming in Spanish this week! It is real life, I have had two dreams completly in spanish, I could just cry I am so happy.  The first one was a couple of days ago.  We went on exchanges with the a set of english sisters, who I love, and that night I dreamed in spanish.  The exchange was so fun.  I was with Sister Seegmiller, she is my favorite, she is friends with my old roommate Abbey. It was neat to help someone else with their area and also in English.  We had a wee of a time.  

On Friday we had another Epic Zone meeting.  Elder Harris trained on sanctifying ourselves.  He talked about letting out trials set us on fire.  We are going to have them regaurdless, so why not let them change us.  He talked about setting ourselves on fire with our missionary work, and let others see how bright we can burn.  Very inspirational as always.  

We have not made cookies yet, but today is p-day so hurray!  And yes I have been decorating!  Next week we will send pictures!  

As far as Christmas I don't know yet.  We need to talk to some people so I will get on that this week!  But you know we are listening to Christmas music around the clock.  My compy comp is being good to me and getting in the christmas spirit...she used to be grinchy before, but she is on her way!  

I can't believe I almost forgot!  Yesterday was the biggest miracle of my whole life! We had 7 of our investigators at church, and we didn't even have to beg anyone!  Yes, we reminded them, but 7 came!  I almost cried.  The Lord is really working with these people.  We are working hard and trying to love our guts out.  Christmas time is the best for that.  So life is good here in da burg!  

I love being a missionary.  I am so grateful for you and for your love and support.  I am happy.  I love love love you all! 

xoxo Hermana Riley Jane