December 1, 2014- Week 17 in Atlixco!

Hey! Happy December!

So...I'm just going to start this email by saying that Jeronimo didn't get baptized on Saturday. But only because he wants to be baptized this Saturday so his family can come! And it also happens to be Hermana Traylor's birthday this Saturday...so it will be a great day! We feel good about it because we know that he is even MORE prepared now :)

So Tuesday, we had intercambios, and Hermana Garcia from Chiapas came with me :) We had a great time, especially in our lesson with Jeronimo :) (They are always the best lessons) It was really cool, because we talked a lot about repentance. It's amazing, because we have seen so many changes in him, and now, he's saying that his family and friends keep commenting on the change :) And he says, "I think they just want to experience the change too, so looks like we've got some work to do!" He is a great missionary, and we know that he has experience conversion because of the desire he has to share the Gospel. It is absolutely beautiful to see.

Thursday, we had more intercambios, and this time I went with Hermana Kraczek! I love her! She and I were in the same district in Cholula, so it was great catching up with her again. It was also good timing because she needed help doing her BYU application, which was due today! So crazy! So I helped her with that. So weird to think that school still awaits us after all this :P But we had a great time preparing for a ward activity, and she is a great missionary. She works so hard, and even though she gets down on herself, she really is amazing. I felt super blessed to be with her and learn from her. My companion was able to visit Jeronimo's son for the first time on Thursday too! She said it went really great, and that he's excited to see his dad's baptism :) Hopefully one day, we'll be able to see a picture of all of them, together in the temple :) That would be the best!

Friday, we started more intercambios (the last ones!) and Hermana Poot came with me to our area :) We had a really great lesson with Karla, the other investigator who has a baptismal date for this Saturday. We're still not sure if she's going to be baptized this week, because she hasn't been coming to church, but on Friday, we were able to solve some of her questions. And I think that these questions are the ones that kept her from getting baptized 9 months ago. I know that she still has a lot for searching to do, but I do know that she's starting to see the "whys" of the Gospel and the blessings. But pray for a miracle! We just may have 2 baptisms this week :)

Saturday was the long day! There's always one during the week haha! But we got to help a less-active put up her Christmas things!! I almost felt like I was home putting up our own Christmas tree and hanging stockings... that's one thing I love about the members and people here. They try SO hard to make us feel at home, and really, I do feel like that right now, they're my little make-shift family :) I have grown to love this ward so much, and I'm so grateful for all that they do.

Sunday: Well, Jeronimo loves church :) He's going to be just fine after we leave. He also gave Hermana Traylor and I "little presents of gratitude" last night. He said, "I just can't repay you two for what you have given me, but I'm going to try." If only he know that the privledge of knowing him is enough. We also met this new hermana, Karla, who is amazing! Right now, she is taking care of 3 kids under the ages of 3 (one isn't her's), her mother-in-law who has cancer, and her husband can't help her because he works out of town. But she is so optimistic, and has so much faith in God. We left her house just thinking wow. God's children are so incredible, and so strong. A lot of times, I leave lessons thinking that they teach me more than I could even teach them, and Karla was definitely one of them.

Today is the first day of December! I can't believe it! Hermana Stellmon asked us to think, and plan about how to make this Christmas special. I think we have it all figured out...and I'll be excited to tell you all about it after December is over :) But we started it today, and...I know that this is going to be a great month. Make sure not to forget Christ this month. Do something to make this Christmas different from all the others, make it a Christmas to remember. I promise you won't regret it :) I love all of you so much! Have a fantastic week, and make sure to watch the First Presidency Christmas devotional on Sunday! 

Love Always,

Hermana Smith

Scripture of the Week: Mosiah 5:8

Photos:

-So...I found out on Wednesday that my mission mom, Hermana Muñoz, went back to Peru this last week. She was going to finish on the 10th, but I think that for visa reasons, she had to go early. I'm not going to lie, I was pretty upset because, well, who knows if I'll ever get to see her again. But, luckily I took this picture with her at the last transfers meeting, so I least we got one last one together :) I'm going to be forever grateful to this amazing woman, because she helped me start my mission out right, and helped me to be a better person. I love her, and I'm definitely going to miss her.

-Zone Activity with some of the hermanas!

ALSO! The Church is doing this great campaign this Christmas, called "He is the Gift". You can go to christmas.mormon.org, watch the videos, go through the links, and then make sure to share it! #ShareTheGift Help others to find the real reason why we celebrate Christmas :)