A Very Happy Birthday It Was!

Hi everyone!

Thank you so much for the birthday wishes!!!  And especially thank you to everyone who participated in the box my mom sent by posing for pictures!  It definitely made my day really super special.  It was so fun to see pictures of everyone!  Because we went to pick up our new trainee on Thursday, I was able to go pick up my packages from the mission office that day. Otherwise, I definitely wouldn't have received it on my birthday; things are really backed up because of Christmas and what not. I especially loved the banner! So very creative.

So, we went to the training meeting on Thursday and we got our new companion, Hermana Gifford.  President and Sister Samuelian actually brought a cake to the trainer's meeting as well. I was really surprised they remembered my birthday.  It made me feel super loved.  All in all, it was a really great day!

a bunch of hermanas at the transfer meetings

Goodbye Hermana Macias...she went home this week

Our new companion is so awesome!! Her name is Hermana Gifford and she's from Draper, UT. She just graduated from high school last year.  She went to the Mexico MTC. It's been a blast being in a trio so far!  I'll have to send a picture of our bedroom sometime; it's pretty funny with all the beds lined up next to each other, like a sleepover every night. Our bedroom actually got switched to the living room in order to accommodate it all. It really has been awesome, though. One thing I really like about Hermana Gifford is that she asks a lot of questions. I remember when I was a trainee and my trainer asked me if I had any questions I always said no. But Hermana Gifford actually takes the time to really think about, and come up with, specific things we can help her with. I just think that's so cool!  To me, it really shows that she wants to learn and wants to improve as quickly as possible.  We're super excited!

Jessi's (someone they're teaching?) birthday is actually today so since ours are so close together, we had a combined birthday dinner over at their house. It was super fun!  We made really yummy food and tortillas. There's this hispanic tradition for birthdays that the birthday person has to "bite the cake" meaning they literally put their face in the cake and take a bite out of it. As part of the tradition as well, someone shoves the person's face into the cake. It's pretty funny. So we both participated in that!

Party at Jessi's!

  The bite

After the shove

This Christmas season has just been so special. I hope everyone has had the opportunity to see the "He is the Gift" video!  It is wonderful. I love the message. As a mission, we've also been memorizing The Living Christ for the Holiday season and it's been so amazing. That document is so doctrine packed. I think now, more than at any other point in my life, I really have come to understand the Savior and the eternal significance of His life and, most especially, of His Atonement. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be on a mission and for this time to really get to know my Savior.

  

Have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Meise