Jenna's Mission in Mexico: December 28 It is a Wonderful Season!

Christmas dinner... with a few of my favs.

tea and platanos fritos (fried bananas).

I'm pretty much obsessed with teas here, I drink manzanilla at night and hierbabuena every morning. with the occasional cinnamon apple and raspberry. yumm

Christmas Eve

I had an awesome christmas/birthday week. filled with lots of cool experiences!

Well one of my favorite things that happened this week was finishing El Libro De Mormon. Honestly it was such a blessing to have the challenge to read it cover to cover before Christmas. I am grateful that our president gave us this challenge, because this experience has helped me in so many ways grow closer to my Savior. When I finished the 24th, during personal study, I decided to say a special prayer again, like Moroni invites us to. I already knew that it was true, but I wanted to really FEEL it again.

I started to pray, and I felt the spirit so strongly, in a way that I hadn´t felt in a long time. It was like a warmth that started out in my heart and spread to my whole body, until my hands felt super Hot.

I know. Without a doubt, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It is the most correct of all books, and if we read it, we will become closer to our Heavenly Father.

It was translated by the prophet Joseph Smith, and I will be eternally grateful for the sacrifice of the prophets of old, and the early saints of this dispensation for making it possible that we have those sacred words today. Because the Book of Mormon changes the lives of all those who read it with real intent.

I know, because of the Book of Mormon, that Christ Lives. I know that He is my savior. I have the faith and the pure hope that one day I will see his face. I won't have words in that moment to express my gratitude to Him, but I know he will understand what I feel. I know that I can show Him and my Heavenly Father the love that I have for them when I serve them with all my heart. When I do the things that I know they want me to do, I can feel that same burning spirit that I felt while praying, and help others feel it to.

It was a wonderful experience, that I will treasure all my life.

I am so grateful that I will have my family for the eternities, because being out here away from you makes me realize that I can't imagine an eternity without you guys :)

Anyways, that was the 24th. On the 25th, it was awesome getting to talk with you!!! Its motivating really to see your faces and hear your voices again. :)

After we went and got food together, with the other hermanas. Went to a wing place, which was great, and because it was my birthday they gave us free dessert and this guy dressed up like a chicken wanted to dance with me... that was awkward because obviously I didn't. (I didn't know if it was a girl or a guy in the chicken suit ;) hahh ). but it was funny. basically we spent the day talking about our families and Christmas traditions at home. and then at 6 we went out to work. and we found a little miracle.

The sneaky chicken

We went to find some people that we had talked to the day before, and turns out that they gave us the wrong address. I was kinda annoyed because they seemed really good at first. but then the little old lady who opened the door let us in, and we explained who we were and what we do and she just starts crying. Shes like "I just feel this peace, You guys are like angels sent to us. because you came looking for someone else and we really needed this on Christmas" it was super cute, and we were really excited. I think she really needed to feel the spirit of Christmas, and needed some hope in her life. There is nothing better that we could possibly do on Christmas day than spread the Love of Christ.

I decided that every Christmas, not just on the mission, I want to be able to have a little experience like that. I want to go out and visit someone, or invite someone over, to share with others the hope that Christ offers us.

We had a lot of fun this week too just being with the other missionaries, and with president and Hermana Whitehead. I am so happy, and so grateful for this gospel.

I have a ton of New Year´s resolutions, because I have a TON to work on haha. But I would love to hear some of yours this next week!

love you guys all the much. it was awesome to see you, can't wait till mothers day again!

love Hermana Schneider