Cheers to the New Years!

Dearest Family,

On this last day of December in the two thousandth and twelfth year of our Lord, I sit at this computer and email...

It has been a good year and we have fought the great fight.
We are beginning a new and it is sure a great sight.

The start of a new year, to learn and to grow,
to laugh, to enjoy and new experiences to sow.

I'll be in Texas, the Lord's work shall I do
You'll be in Provo, living life too.

Each new year states a brand new slate
New goals, dreams and challenges are at our fate

Accomplish them we will, the work may make us sore
but hopefully all of them, will mold us like Christ a little more.

Did you like my poem...yeah I just wrote it. its the rapping skills coming into action. ;)
Okay but in all seriousness...

What a wonderful time of year because we have the chance to re devote ourselves to a new "season" in our lives. As the year comes to an end I hope that you are enjoying the last day of this awesome year. I hope you are looking forward to the year of 2013. The ring of that number just sounds sweet! I think that sounds like a really good year...:) I hope you all have goals to become a little better to improve in areas of all aspects of life. Not only in physical but in spiritual as well.

I love this quote from Conference...

"This is the exchange the Savior is asking of us: we are to give up all our sins, big or small, for the Father’s reward of eternal life. We are to forget self-justifying stories, excuses, rationalizations, defense mechanisms, procrastinations, appearances, personal pride, judgmental thoughts, and doing things our way. We are to separate ourselves from all worldliness and take upon us the image of God in our countenances." (Robert C. Gay - What Shall a Man Give in Exchange for his Soul Oct2012)

God and Jesus don't ask much of us for in return we gain such a greater reward. I hope one of your goals is to read the book of mormon every day. Did everyone sign the paper? I hope so.

Well this week has been a bit rough because everyone is busy but we still found a lot of success. It was fun talking to you all on Tuesday but it seriously feels like it didn't really happen and it was forever ago! :) I don't know if it feels that way for you.

I received your package - Kate and Nick! I loved everything in it. It was so silly. I enjoyed the card and the pictures from Kinley and Kylee. Thanks! :) Hna Koerner and I already finished a game of words with friends. We do everything way fast at night and played from 9:40-10, two nights in a row. Lets just say...I still have it but Hna Koerner is good. I won barely because my last letter was I and hers was q. It think final score was 372 (me) to 321 (her). It was a lot of fun. We are going to play in spanish next. I took a picture but I forgot to bring my camera.

This week I had the best food of my life and the worst...:) Which one do you want first? Good first. I ate the BEST Pupusas ever this week! Nubia (juan solano's wife) made them. From what I have heard they are the best in Texas. Hna Rivera is from El Salvador where they are made and she said that they are the best ones she has ever tasted. She has a business from her home. They were dang good. We ate like 6. She kept bringing us more and saying eat eat. Yum. You can look them up on line and see a picture if you want. She also made us this homemade hot chocolate. It was quite tasty as well.

As for the Grossest...Saturday night we were knocking lots of doors for a few hours cause we couldn't get any appointments. We end up going to a ward member called the uribes to welcome them to the ward. She said oh I am making dinner let me feed you. We had a dinner an hour later with Tio and Tia Perla (Hna. Rivera's aunt and uncle) but you can't deny these people...so we are like okay...) She gave us Oysters...then Clam Chowder...then Artichoke dip with chicken and potatoes...I was dying. To finish it off, she gives us Fruit Cake...and I couldn't do it. Sorry Grandma...I know you like it. I ended up sneaking it in my napkin and putting it in my purse and then throwing it away. Hna Koerner was asking how did you eat that? I told her what i did and she was laughing so hard. She told me I kept looking over and it was less and less and less and I was thinking HOW is she eating this cake! haha The oysters were sooo NASTY! YUCK. ahhh. I thought i was going to die. I was choking them down. They looked like HUGE Bugs. ewwww. okay haha. Sorry, I am done. It was quite funny. After we left we were both like I can't believe we just ate that! We go over to Perla's and we just ate a normal dinner but they were telling us about how they eat snake and iguana in El Salvador. Tia Aida said " I am going to make Iguana next time and then you are going to ask what is this and I am going to say...Oh Just Chicken! :) I love them they are such great people! :) She said she misses hearing from her. I told her that we would call her to see how she was doing and that we would come and visit them.

One cool thing... I was telling Hna Koerner about our traditions and about the book tradition. She bought be a book for christmas and we read it on christmas eve. It was Belle and Rapunzel in winter. It was so thoughtful of her.

I saw my Greg Olsen Signature on my calender today when I hung it up. I was like why did my dad sign my calender then I was like Oh MY Goodness that is Greg Olsen! haha :)

When we were knocking doors, we go to the first one and the guy tells us he doesn't need a prayer or a picture of jesus.
The next let us in, told us a lot of stuff and then invited us back to teach them. They are Potentials and it is a family of 4 kids and the mom. They are great. We are excited to visit them this week.
The next door was also great and invited us back to teach them. Another Potential
The next was yelling when we knocked and yelled WHO IS IT? We said the Missionaries and he said WHAT DO YOU WANT. I said to say a prayer with you and your family...he said they were having a problem right now so no. I was really glad they didn't let us in! :) haha

We met these little girls and they were all drawn to us. We asked if we could pray with them. They said yeah. Then I said we have something for you. One of the little girls says "No, I don't take candy from strangers!" haha I said oh i don't have candy. I have a picture of Jesus. She said oh we will have that! :) It was quite funny. :) We met her mom and are going to visit her as well.

It was an awesome week! I got to get going but I am excited for this year because I have a whole year of being a missionary ahead! :) I love life!

Well remember who you are and to whom you belong to.
Off Finding the Tens of Thousands!

Love you! :)
Hna. Rife