Dec. 28- Happy New Year!

This is me Christmas morning with a traditional Mexican Christmas drink called Ponche. It is a bunch of fruit in water with sugar cane:) And they serve it really hot because they think it is funny when the white missionary burns herself and flips out. 

This is my BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL family on Christmas day:) I was so grateful for the time I had to talk to them. I think I might have cried more than I talked, but I was so grateful and happy:)

After talking to my family, I looked like a WRECK but we went to another members house to have another party:) I think it is because they didnt want us to be sad and homesick alone in our apartment:) This is the piñata we broke, it was made of clay! So sick! They let me fill it with the candy to mark off another thing off my list of Mexican things to do;)

This is me eating Kanya (sugar cane) It is delicious. I get that it literally is straight sugar, but it is just so good. You just bite it and suck the juice out and then spit out the fibers. You literally just drink sugar. I love it. Dont tell my Dentist;) 

This is the entrance to one of the members houses. But I also think it might lead to Narnia some of the time, or possibly the Shire. 

This is me and Hermana Zelaya:) She is from Honduras and is really amazing. She is in my district and she and her companion share the same building as us, but are in another ward. But we still see each other a lot:) She has some knee problems and actually has to go home this week to figure it all out, but she is an amazing example of strength and positivity to me:)

Here in Mexico they celebrate on the 6th of January the three wise men. I am not actually sure what to call it, actually.. they just say that this day is when the wise men pass through on the way to baby jesus and they also leave other presents for the children on their way:) One of the traditional things they eat for this holiday is Rosca, which is bread with a baby Jesus toy hidden in it. Whoever gets the piece of Rosca that has the baby Jesus has to feed everyone tamales on February 2 :) I have no idea what the meaning behind the tamales or the date is, but we celebrated early with another member and I ended up getting the baby Jesus, haha. 

Today for Pday we went to this beautiful tourist place called Tepozlan, and it was so fun seeing all the different vendors! One guy was giving out samples of the drink he was selling and the samples were in this baby clay mugs. I wanted the mug and not the drink, but it was not to be, haha. 

This is me by some of the vendors and the beautiful mountains in Tepozlan:)

Me in front of the old Catholic church in Tepozlan;) 

And everyone says you have to try the 'Tepoznieve' (Ice cream from Tepotzlan) so we went to get some today and I got a three-for-one pic of me with the Weird skeleton lady, the tepoznieve restaurant, and the creep couple macking out. Woo-hoo;) 

I love you all so very much:) I hope you have a wonderful week and that everyone can think of some good New Years Resolutions. Maybe you can ask yourself ''How can I be a better Disciple of Christ this year?'' ''How can I serve in my calling more fully this year?'' ''What would I like to study and understand more about in the scriptures this year?'' or ''How often will I commit to serving in the temple this year?'' 

I love you, have a wonderful week:) Happy New Year!

Hermana Swallow