HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR...... Wow will we really be in 2011?! When I first came to El Salvador it was 2009 and I thought the time would never come when it was 2011. And here it is, just around the river bend.

OK so did I get some SWEET letters? Si (that means yes). Megan in Italy (how in the world do I write you there, haven't the slightest) and JESSICAAAA WOOD ( fastest letter writer EVA) please I will write when I get to a post office, but in the rain forest it's kinda hard to find those......

Just to clear up some questions. Here in the mission, in my mission specifically the rules are really strict. I get on the computer once a week. mondays. 1 hour. I can only write family, but my mom (so faithful) posts my letters so the whole WORLD can read them (which I found out they do.....this week the new missionaries came and one of them told me he had been reading my letters since he found out he was coming here.....should that weird me out??)) so no I do NOT facebook. Google.Chat. I hardly email. I do not listen to any music or watch movies or anything that is not related to the church. But really it is great. YOu would think that living under strict rules like that would make someone feel held back or constrained. But I feel the opposite. It's like the string on a kite. It seems to be holding the kite down, but actually if we cut the string on a kite, the kite will fall. These rules, commandments are what allow us to become closer to God and the more we live the higher we can become.

So this week was a little rough tracking. Or finding people to teach. Everyone seemed to be Catholic this week (they are only Catholic during Christmas and Easter). I had a funny experience. Christmas Day we were knocking doors. It was my turn. I knocked. Waited. Finally this chubby girl came to the door. She was like 12. OK by this time my Spanish has gotten a lot better, not perfect at all but I feel I have at least mastered introductions, seeing we do it like 30 times every day. So chubby girl comes to door right. She sees me and her eyes get big. (This isn't too uncommon, to have a white giant knock on your door would cause your eyes to grown too) I just smiled and asked her what her name was. She shook her head and said I don't understand English. I looked at my comp from Peru, I was sure I had asked her in Spanish. Hna. Flores then asked her the exact same question- same words and the girl said her name, all relived that she could talk to a Latina. Hna Ramirez just started laughing and sat on the ground attempting to control herself.

Christmas was great. We tried to sleep through the crazy fireworks that went off all night. I read the account in Luke 2 and had a special little moment Christmas Eve to remember the real meaning of this special day. This year I have grown to know the Savior better than ever before. As we try to walk in his shoes. As we try to be his hands for others we truly come to know him.

LOVE the work of God. Love family. Love friends. LOVE the GOSPEL. HOORAW 4 ISRAEL>>>>>

Hna TAvenner