Our family got to talk to Joy using Skype on Christmas Day.  We loved seeing her and visiting with her.  She said that it used to sound like people speaking Spanish...now it just sounds like people talking.  Isn't that great!  She is fluent!  We surely love her and love getting these letters.  Today, Jan 1, she has been out for 7 months.  In two more months her mission will be half over.  

Joy on Skype on our computer and her sister Cathering who Skyped in from Iowa

Hi guys! It was so fun to talk to you all yesterday! I can’t believe Christmas came and I almost have 7 months and... a fifth change in the good old Pacifica 2 (District ?). Whooooo!

Actually what is happening is that I have to take all of the ward instead of it being split between the two areas of us and the Elders. The Elders are leaving and only my new companion and I will be in Pacifica.  Our area is already too big for the two of us and now it will be even more ginormous! I don’t know what to do about it. Good thing I have a tool called prayer ;D

We ate chicken sandwiches 3 times on Christmas Eve. That is the tradition here. Everyone gets a loaf of French bread and  they stuff it with veggies and a chicken leg . It isn’t really a sandwich because you have to pick it apart because there is a bone in it.  But it is pretty good. 

We had the Christmas activity as the missionaries of Oriente (the East) on Friday where we played with water-balloons and with water because right now it feels like a normal August day.  

We all got shirts with ourselves in the middle of them and it is pretty funny. 

Thanks for all the photos and the letters. I am so glad that everyone is so happy. Even when there are times of hardship, we can put a smile on and know that God knows what is best for us. 

I am so grateful for the gospel and that I have it in my life. I want everyone to have what our family has. I’m sure that this is the truth and that is why I am here. I know that this is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and I love it with all my heart. I am so grateful that our family is eternal and I am so grateful that I have this once in a life chance to share these things with the people here in El Salvador. Haha, something that Presidente Vasquez said is that we are the only missionaries who get to teach El Salvador… because that means Savior. We smiled. 

I am always trying to strengthen my testimony and I know that it is something that takes time but with prayer and fasting and the scriptures and with the Church, we can do it. We can strengthen  our testimonios and make them unbreakable. 

I LOVE you all!

Hermana Ashton