Dec. 21- FELIZ NAVIDAD

Merry Christmas this week, everyone:) I love you all very much and I am praying for you to all have a wonderful CHRISTmas this week with your families:) In the true spirit of Christmas I have decided to organize this email like a Christmas card for my week:) 

This is a pic of me looking right into the sun after we did a cool service project on Tuesday:) We helped out a school for special needs children-- I LOVED IT. I loved it. I loved it. It was amazing being around their special spirits:) I missed my job at Chrysalis a whole bunch. In the distance of this pic you can see Popocoptl which is a super cool Volcano:) The missionary in the picture is one of my Zone Leaders, Elder Stumpf. 

This is us being cute in front of a Christmas tree with one of our investigators and her granddaughter:) They are really great, she is Lulu and she and her husband are basically members already, they have 6 months attending church, they are just waiting for her Divorce to go through so that she and Ciro can get married and they can both get baptized:) 

This is me picking mandarinas ( I cant remember what they are called in English at this point). This nice member, Hermana Mejia, always tells us to pick mandarinas and give them to the investigators to help them make the decision better to get baptized, haha. I love it. 

If I could use one word to describe Mexico, it would be CATHOLIC. or, if I could choose a phrase to describe Mexico, it would be: Praise the Virgin Mary. Haha, but seriously, they are so catholic here. And Catholics worship the virgin mary. I dont know how they got it in their mind that she is more important than the actual Son of God she birthed, but asi es. They have these little statue shrines EVERYWHERE of the virgin mary, so one day I decided to selfie with every one we passed. (when there werent people there to wonder why the Mormon white missionary was selfying with Mary)

We had divisions this week with the Hermanas Capacitadores (Sister Training Leaders) and I was able to stay with Hermana Skonnard in her house for the night and work in her area for the day. It was AMAZING. She is from Utah, and is just wonderful. I learned so much from her and it was a needed break:) Plus in their house they have this magical boiler thing that heats up hot water so that it actual comes from the shower head and you can have a HOT SHOWER. It was the most amazing tender mercy. My favorite Christmas present so far. My first hot shower in 5 months. My first shower that wasnt from a bucket in 2 weeks;) 

In Hermana Skonnards area, this is their chapel:) It was one of the first churches to be built in Cuautla, so it is really old. And because it is so old they had to build it so that it looked pretty Catholic to be passed by zoning laws of the city at the time, haha. I dont know why I find this so funny- but I do:) 

We had our Ward Christmas party and it was great:) They broke piñatas and I loved it:) Turns out, they break piñatas here for like every type of party. They asked me if we break piñatas in the States and I was like, ''Uhhh.. if its Mexican themed'' Haha. 

This is the Bishop in our ward:) I still dont know what his name is. #fail but he is really nice and supports us well as missionaries:) Turns out this area of the mission, Zona Cuautla, is going to change to a different mission, the mission Mexico, Chalco. So, we will probably be leaving Cocoyoc soon :( 

This is Hermana Lizano and I being artistic in front of this random lake that I just saw for the first time yesterday, but apparently its been in our area the whole time, haha. 

This is this HUGE butterfly I found in the street two days ago. I thought it was dead, then 2 seconds after this picture was taken it started moving and I found out I have a deathly fear of butterflies I once thought were dead;) Haha. I screamed. It dropped. We walked away. Moving on.

This is this crazy hill we hiked up on Saturday. We got lost (Even though Hermana Lizano didnt want to admit it) and I thought this weird path reflected well what I want you guys to imagine me walking through;) 10 feet behind hermana Lizano because she walks so dang fast. It might be a peruvian thing. 

This is my first snow fall in Mexico:) My amazing sister Beth made me an ''open when you miss Utahs winter'' letter and inside were lots of handmade paper snowflakes so I could feel a little bit closer to you guys with my own snow here in Mexico:) 

Yet another artistic pic;) 

Here is a better picture of the Volcano Popocoptl :) 

This is me being the happy missionary that I try to be everyday:) 

I love you all so much and I hope you have an amazing Christmas week:) Remember the real meaning of the season and enjoy it with your families:) I am so grateful that unto us a Savior is Born. I love you all:) Merry Christmas!

Hermana Swallow