Hey everyone!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! This is really the best time of year and I feel so blessed to be out serving. 

Christmas was way different but Sister Hazen and I tried to keep it as close to home as we could. We bought a pack of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls to make on Christmas morning and ended up eating all of them in one sitting. whoops. We attended 45 minutes of church and we had about 15 people there including us and the bishopric. It was small but the spirit was so strong and what better way to remember Jesus Christ than partaking the Sacrament?

We got to Skype home and It was the best Christmas present ever. I loved seeing my family. I'd like to think nothing would change while I was gone but I got the news that my brother is engaged and although I am sad I wont be at the wedding I am so excited for him. My mom sent me a video of him proposing and I watched it here in the El Paso Library with no sound and teared up. Kevin getting married is probably the biggest Christmas miracle...just kidding.

The numbers have been super low at church since it is winter break but we are still seeing great things.

Last Saturday we got a text from a former investigator and she told us she was ready to learn more. Her name is Sahlma and  when she was previously being taught by the missionaries her family got super angry and told her she wasn't allowed to go to the church anymore. She told us that her relationship with God wasn't the same after she stopped meeting with the missionaries and she knew this is where she felt the spirit. She wants to be baptized and she is willing to take the steps to get there. I am praying that her families hearts soften.

We have also been looking for a less active named Josh ever since I got here but we had no phone number and he lives outside of our area so there is no way to contact him. Last Thursday we got a call form the military Elders and Josh was driving by and saw them so he pulled over and talked to them. he gave them all his contact information and said he wanted to come back to church! They sent his number to us and we were able to meet with him and he came to church on Sunday! 

So funny Christmas Eve story. 

Back story: Sister Hazen and I moved our mattresses to the living room to sleep by the Christmas tree.

We spent the entire day with the Senior missionaries and we didn't get home from caroling until 8:30. By the time we finished dinner it was 9:25 and we really needed to go home for curfew but Elder and Sister Anderson insisted on showing us the nativity video with Breath of Heaven playing in the background. In the middle of the video Elder Anderson got up to answer his phone. Sister Hazen and I knew right away that is was our zone leaders. We could hear Elder Anderson say "their mattresses are gone? oh no they just moved them out to the living room". We said a quick prayer and ran home. We called our zone leaders and they told us what had happened. They had stopped by to deliver a Christmas package but nobody answered the door. Our car was parked out front and our bedroom light was on. They looked in our window and saw our mattresses were gone and assumed the worst-that we had been kidnapped. haha. 

They almost called our mission president but last minute remembered we were with the Anderson's all day. My favorite part was when Elder Contreras told us he felt like a mom that had lost her children in a mall. It's good to know how much they care about us. haha. Kinda creepy Elders....

It was a crazy week but I am so glad to be out here.

I want to commit everyone to reflect on 2016 and create some spiritual goals for 2017 so that you can come closer to Jesus Christ. I know as we prepare ourselves on Earth that Heavenly Father will bless us more that we can comprehend.

I love you all! 

Love 

Sister Nye 

Happy New year from my Christmas cat and me! (She returned him to his home)