FELIZ NAVIDAD Y AÑO NUEVO

I hope everyone had a perfect Christmas, ate a lot of food, spent time with family, and took time as a family to remember the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. I was able to talk to my family Christmas Day over Skype, and it was really fun to see their faces and hear their voices!

It says "Rap is Life."

Here in Bolivia, and I think probably most of Latin America, Christmas Eve is really the big thing. They all stay up until midnight, then eat dinner and open their presents. And we had special permission to eat pork on Christmas, because usually we are not allowed to, because a lot of people get sick from it.

We ate dinner Christmas Eve with our pensionista, the lady who usually feeds us lunch and dinner, with the secretaries and another set of sister missionaries. it was really fun. Then, when we got home, the family we live with invited us to their dinner. They made piquana, which is like a soup that Bolivians eat for Christmas. The granda dressed up as Santa to drop off presents for his 5 year old grandson, so Santa was there when came in. But the 5 year old was already asleep, and he didn´t want anything to do with Santa. it was really funny.

We were not able to find a whole lot of people to teach this week, because everyone was with family or busy getting ready for Christmas, or traveling. It was a little hard. But it was a really good Christmas. My first and last in the mission!

I hope everyone is doing well!

Hermana Wingate and her Companion, Hermana Worthy.

Elder Secretaries, Hermanas and family.

#ShareTheGift

Hermana Worthy and Hermana Wingate

She must be riding this to the wedding! ;0)

So, I am not sure how popular this has been getting, because I only use the internet once a week specifically to email my family. BUT, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been doing a Christmas campaign of #ShareTheGift. As missionaries, we have been showing people the He Is The Gift video, on Christmas.Mormon.org , but there is also a video getting around of the World's largest Nativity scene. Featuring return missionary David Archuleta. If you haven't scene it, you should look it up! It's really precious.

Also, I would like to take this time to announce my engagement to David Archuleta. You are all invited to our wedding when I get home, August 2015. And it will be in the temple, because he is a return missionary. If anyone wants to call David and let him know, too, I would greatly appreciate it.

Last night we had a Christmas Devotional with our mission president and all of the missionaries in Cochabamba. It was really beautiful. President Hansen quoted part of a talk by Elder Bednar, that was talking about missionaries not being home for Christmas, and he said something that really impacted me. Something along the lines of "let your absence this Christmas serve as a witness of your testimony of The Savior Jesus Christ." And that really is what it is.

I will not be home this Christmas, because I know that Jesus Christ is my savior. I know that he died for my sins, or for the sins of everyone who is willing to repent and follow his commandments. I am so grateful to be able to share this testimony with others everyday for these 18 months. I miss my family, and I love them, but I wouldn´t trade this time for anything. I will go home and go on with my normal life, but I am only here as a missionary for this short time. I know that Jesus lives. I know that God loves me. And this Christmas, I am here to help others know these things are true.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, and that you can take time personally, or as a family, to thank God for sending us, His son, Jesus Christ.

I don't think she has been leaving leaving graffiti!

Hna Hansen, Hna Hullinger, Hna Santego all went to the MTC in Bogota, Columbia together. 

Hermana Larsen from The DOES Stake back home.

Oh, Tupiza

Merry  Christmas!

So, today is my last day in Tupiza. I am a little sad to be leaving after 6 months here. But, I am ready for a new area, new people, and new things to learn. I am going back to Cochabamba, in an area in the city. And I am going to be with Hermana Worthy again! She was the white girl companion I had for 2 weeks before I came to Tupiza. And she goes home in January.

Yesterday, before church, we went by someone´s house to go to church with them, and when we turned onto their street, there were Jehovah´s Witness EVERYWHERE! I don´t know how it is in other parts of the world, but here in Tupiza the JWs are super faithful. They have their church services Sunday afternoon, so Saturday all day and Sunday in the morning they go visit basically all of Tupiza. It was so funny. There were literally like 20 in this little street, and we felt so weird walking past all of them. And then, the person we went to visit wasn´t there. Oh well.

A lot of the members have been asking about transfers and if I am leaving, since I have been here for a while. It is really sad! There are so many people here that I really love, and it is hard to leave them. Especially because there is a good chance that I won´t come back here. Or, at least not for a loooooong time.

But, I am excited for the change. I have done my work in this area, and God needs me somewhere else now. He has other people for me to meet and to help in Cocha.

ALSO, I hope everyone is getting excited for CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!! I am so excited. I love Christmas. And the church has a really beautiful video out for Christmas. It´s called He Is The Gift. You can watch it at Christmas.Mormon.org it is super beautiful, and really helps us remember the reason we celebrate Christmas, to remember the birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I hope everyone is doing well!

A member burns the items that she does not need.

Relief Society , members brought items they made thru the year.

Quiriza

Today we went to Quiriza again, for p-day (personal day). It is the first chapel in all of Bolivia, and where President Spencer W. Kimball prayed to see if they should open the church in Bolivia. It´s kind of a big deal.

Also, I feel like a lot of people must be wondering. Since, now, I am halfway done with my mission... I still can´t roll my r´s. It is a real shame.

So, I think everyone and their dog knows that I have been sick, because my mom talks about it all the time. And I have been a little down about being sick. But, I have been praying a lot, and I fasting this weekend about it, and I honestly am feeling really happy. I know that God knows how I feel, and I know that he is helping me.

I can honestly feel people praying for me, and I can feel God helping me, giving me strength that on my own I do not have. I have been truly blessed time and time again. And I know that God is always there to bless me if I am willing to be obedient to His commandments.

It really is beautiful to be serving a mission. I have grown so close to my Savior Jesus Christ, and have truly grown to understand how much God truly loves me, and loves all of His children.

I hope everyone is doing well at home, and is getting excited for Christmas!

IT´S DECEMBER!!!!!

That is so weird. I left my house in February, and now it´s December. And this month I get to call my family for Christmas! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay! And, to celebrate, I am wearing a Christmas shirt (that I brought from home 9 months ago, because I love Christmas), and today my companion and I are going to help a member put up her Christmas tree!!! I seriously love Christmas!

Also, I am pretty sure the Christmas Devotional of the church is this Sunday, but I could be wrong. Either way, everyone should watch it! You can watch it on the internet, I am pretty sure, or you can go to your local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon Church). ( December 7, at 8 pm)

This week we started teaching a lady named S. She is about 24 years old and has a 4 year old daughter. She is super nice and was really interested in talking to us. When we first taught her, she said she felt a warm, peaceful feeling in her chest (the Holy Ghost) and that she felt like what we were teaching her could really be true. We invited her to pray, and she said she felt the same thing, and really believes that our message is true and that this is the true church of Jesus Christ.

She accepted a baptismal date for December 27, which is after transfers, so I probably won´t be here for it. But I am so grateful for the opportunity I have right now to know her, and be a part of her conversion process.

Being in the mission, I have had so many beautiful experiences. I have met so many great people, and truly witnessed miracles. I am so grateful to be here, and I learn so much everyday. And I have truly grown so close to my Savior, Jesus Christ. I wouldn´t trade these experiences for anything.

I know this church is true. I know the it is guided my Jesus Christ, though His Prophet Thomas S. Monson. I know it with all of my heart, and I am grateful to be able to share it everyday with people here in Bolivia. With my Brothers and Sisters.

I hope everyone is doing well at home!

LLAMAS!!!!!

Today I saw LLAMAS for the first time since I´ve been in Bolivia. I thought they would be all over the dang place. I thought I would befriend them, ride them to my appointments, and be Queen of the Llamas. But, I´m really more like Queen of the Stray Dogs... But, this morning we went looking for llamas, and walked like all morning. A member of the church told us we would be able to find a ton, but there were only 6 in total, and they were faaaaaaaaaar away. Worth it.

This week we met a family of 2 parents and 5 sons. The mom of the family was a reference from the Elders. They talked to her in the street, and she said we could come visit her. The first time we just talked to her for a little bit, and she told us she had talked to missionaries before, about a year ago. Then, the next time we came to visit her, she told us her husband, and 4 of her 5 sons are members of the church, but are inactive. THEN, she talked to us about like 10 different members and families in the church who were her relatives. Like, basically everyone.

We have a family home evening with them tonight, and I am hoping it will go well! They are a really fun family. They would be really fun to have at church, too! We´re going to keep visiting them and seeing what we can do to help them want to go to church, and help them remember how much God loves them.

I heard it´s getting a little chilly in Ohio. I am a little jealous. It´s gettin´pretty toasty here. My arms got really sunburnt today when we went llama hunting. But it´s good, because it doesn´t feel too Christmas-y. Because Christmas is coming up! But it being hot,makes me feel not tooooo homesick. Haha. I hope everyone is doing well at home!

Go Shawty, it`s ya Birfday

Sydney's 20th Birthday!

So, this week was my birthday! Thank you so much to everyone who

Presents from Great-Grandpa and Great Aunt Dayna!

emailed me to wish me a happy birthday! And, the secret is out... I
can`t get on Facebook while I am in the mission. BUT, my mom sent me
an email with everyone who posted on my Facebook wall. Thank you all
so much! For my birthday, my companion and the elders in my area
surprised me with a birthday cake! It was really nice, and a great
birthday. And for my next one I will be home! So, I expect double the
presents. Haha. Just kidding. Well, not really...

This week we went to visit the family we met last week again, the one
I danced with. And we visited them with a member of the church. When
we went to introduce him, the mom of the family already knew him! It
turns out that she and her oldest daughter are members of the church,
but just had not been attending for a while. But her younger daughters
and her husband are not members. But they really like having us there
to visit and listen and ask questions when we teach. They are a really
great family.

Also, this week my family has emailed me about a lot of great things
that are going on at home! I can really see the blessings my family
has received from my work here. I know that God is taking care of them
while I am here far away.

I hope everyone is doing well and has a great week!

Person who cooks for Sydney and her companion.

P.S. Pictures And yes, it`s cake. They do a thing here where you bite the cake when it`s your birthday, and usually someone just shoves your face in it when you get close. My comp shoved my face in.

Elders and her Companion bought Sydney's cake!

Dancing Queen and Thank you for the Birthday Wishes!

French fries, ketchup, guacamole! Yum!

Thank you so much to everyone who emailed me this week to wish me
happy birthday! I really appreciate it! I am not sure if I will have
time to reply to everyone this week, but just know that I got them and
I love you all!

So, this title to my blog has two meanings. One, in the internet where
I am, the lady who works here is blasting ABBA, and it is...not my
favorite. The other, I dance this week! At a 1 year old's birthday,
with a bunch of little kids. It was just as adorable as you can
imagine. My companion took a video of it on my camera, but I do not
know how to send it.

We went to visit someone who was a reference from the Elders from our
branch, and they were about to start a birthday party for one of their
grandchildren. So, we were going to ask if we could come back another
day, but they were like "Come in! Don´t be shy!" So, we went in, and
they gave us birthday cake. And there were a ton of little kids there,
and music playing, but they were all sitting down. Then a song came
on, which was kind of like a Spanish hokey pokey, that tells you what
moves to do, came on, and I had all the little kids get up and dance
it with me. And the parents played it like...5 times. Haha. And then
when we were going to leave, the parents didn´t want us to, because
the kids were being entertained. Haha. Babysitting is in my blood.

So, this was Saturday, and Sunday we came back and taught the whole
family. The grandparents, their two daughters, and their nephew who
lives next door. They were all very nice, and we are going to meet
with them all again.

It really is funny sometimes how we meet people. The Lord puts people
in our path for us to teach, and we just have to take every
opportunity we get. Even if I have to make a fool of myself dancing
with little kids.

I hope everyone is doing well! And again, thank you so much to
everyone who wished me happy birthday!

Great sun tan!

Oh NO! ABBA again!

Todos Santos

So, this weekend in Bolivia was Todos Santos, which is basically Dias
de Los Muertos, for those of you who are familiar with Latin American
Culture. I don´t know why it is called Todos Santos here, but my
companion said in Peru it´s called Dia de Los Muertos, too. Basically,
it is a day/weekend where people remember their family members who
have passed away. They visit the cemetery and put flowers and food and
stuff on graves. And they make like, shrines in their houses of people
who have died, with food and drinks that the person liked, and
masitas, which are like cookies and breads. And little kids can go
door to door and come into people's houses, do a Hail Mary or
something in front of their shrines, and take the masitas.

It is an interesting tradition, and a lot of people gave us free
cookies. But, the down side of it was that we could not visit a whole
lot of people, because no one was really home, or they were busy with
family stuff. And there were a lot more drunk people in the streets
than usual.

Also, something really cool, I went to the doctor this week, and they
said I have chronic amoebas (parasites), or something like that. Basically, when I
was sick like 5 months ago in Cochabamba, I never really got better.
And the amoebas invited their parasite friend to party in my tummy.
But don't worry! I got medicine and I am better now! I just have
some...bathroom problems for a while.

This weekend was transfers, and Hermana Rumualdo and I are staying
together in Tupiza for one more transfer, and I am very happy. So, at
the end of this transfer, I will have been in Tupiza for 6 months. And
I am happy to be with Hermana Rumualdo for another transfer, because I
can learn a lot from her. She is a really great missionary. I have
already learned so much her, and I know we are together another
transfer for a reason.

I guess being a missionary is a little more than just wearing
midi-skirts and living in Bolivia. Who knew? Just kidding, I knew
that. But it can really be hard sometimes. You really put all your
heart, might, mind and strength into helping other people. I am very
grateful for this opportunity that I have to be here, and to learn.

I know that this church is true, and I know the the gospel of Jesus
Christ can bless us and our families, if we choose to use it. I am so
grateful to have the gospel in my life, and to be able to share it
with others.

I hope everyone at home is doing well!