F A I T H - 5 letters that brings miracles!

Christmas Entertainment!

Hola to my favorite people on the planet! I hope your Christmas was wonderful and you partied hard! And....HAPPY NEW YEAR! Can you believe it is almost 2014? Wow I can't. This year went by so fast and sooo many crazy things happened...like I am on a mission...in Nicaragua. Oh the paths of life. I had a wonderful Christmas full of FOOD. So Christmas morning I kept the tradition going and ate cinnamon rolls! I opened presents and listened to Christmas music. I received the package and the SUITCASE full of gifts. Oh my gosh, I felt like the biggest spoiled brat on the planet. My family is just straight up love. I got the suitcase the day after Christmas and I can't even express my feelings of gratitude and love I feel. To the Young Women and the Primary, thank you so much for the time and effort you all put into writing me cards and wishing me a merry Christmas. I will admit, as I read the letters, I felt so loved that I cried. Tears of joy of course. I have loved the war heads and my comp tried one and about died hahaha. Don't worry I took pictures of her first experience trying a warhead. As I looked at all of the pictures and cards, my heart was just so full of gratitude for all the love and support I have from our ward. You all probably will never understand how much this meant to me. So thank you again! Our ward is seriously amazing. And then the suitcase....wow I cannot thank you enough! I loved EVERY single thing that was in that suitcase. Seriously that was one of my favorite Christmases of my life. Peruvian chocolate, a chocolate orange, Clorox wipes, a new skirt, hand sanitizer, calendars, footie socks, a BACK Scratcher...honestly life can't get any better. I learned this Christmas that it isn't about the gifts, but your loved ones that make a happy Christmas. I loved seeing and hearing your lovely voices and am so grateful for the opportunity I had to talk to all of you! Thanks again all SOOOO much!!

Christmas Cheer with Herbie!

Christmas Dinner!

This week has been a week of learning. I have learned the only precious gift we can give to someone and especially to our savior, is time. Every second of my life I can't get back so I need to use my time wisely. Heavenly Father has given me this time on the Earth so I need to respect and fully utilize his time. Many times we waste our time on things that are of little importance...excluding watching the Bachelorette and Duck Dynasty:) This week I was reminded that I only have this time in my life to serve here in Nicaragua as a sister missionary so I need to utilize my time wisely and work my hardest. My little sacrifice of time is nothing compared to what Christ has done for me. In no way can we ever pay back our Savior because every commandment we obey or anything that we sacrifice, he blesses us 100 times more. My mind is continually blown away by the love of our Heavenly Father.

I have seen many Christmas miracles this week. So on Christmas morning, Hra. Mendez was planning on talking with her family on our phone but of all mornings our phone decided not to work. Well, we were freaking out because we had been trying to fix the phone for 2 hours and her mom was going to call soon. We each had said personal prayers but then we decided to pray as a companionship. We prayed with all the energy of our hearts for the phone to work. After praying, we turned on the phone and it worked! Faith is a power and by faith miracles can happen. When we just have a little faith and ask for something, through that faith, miracles will be brought to pass. Faith is a real power that we all have an access to. All we need to do is just believe.

In addition to this miracle, I saw a miracle in church yesterday We had five investigators, five recent converts and three menos activos come to church!  It was so awesome! The Lord´s hand is definitely in this work.

Christmas Mission Party at the Hilton!

So because I am in a foreign country crazy things happen. So we were walking to a cita and a moto drove past us with men blowing kisses and singing "I like to move it." Well side note, motos are a motorcycle with some sort of seat contraption attached to the front. (Sorry it is difficult to describe). Well these two men started to speed up and act all cool. They turned the corner of the road and the moto flipped over and they went flying! Thank heavens no one was seriously injured, the driver had a gash in his head. But after we walked away, I was dying of laughter. Hahaha, that is what you get for trying to impress the chelita. Also, I finally got proposed to! I was walking in the street and a man yelled "Will you marry me?" I didn't reply and just kept walking which kinda ticked him off but I didn't know what to say without busting out laughing! 

Sushi in Managua!

Today for P-day Mendez, Ligia and I finally went to eat at El Sushitto! It was so good! So one of the things that has changed about me on my mission is that I will eat anything and I eat all the food on the plate. I ate fish eggs and who knows what else at this sushi place. It was so good! Still, so full but oh well. It is sad but I literally have the stomach of a cow, its disgusting. Yolo only 14 more months of this. #prayingthatIdontgetfat #forgothowtousehashtags.

Well, I hope you all have a Happy New Year!! I will talk to you next year! hahaha, I remember Dad would always say that to us and I always was so scared and sad as I child thinking you were leaving and I wouldn't see you until next year. Oh too good. But really, party it up! Missy don't kiss too many boys :) Have so much fun on your cruise this week! Not that I am jealous or anything...esta bien. Try to get as tan as me! Probably won't happen! Pues I love you all so much!!! Every day I marvel at the wonderful family and life my Heavenly Father has blessed me with. Love you all so much!! Happy new years!!

Christmas in Managua!

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Howell