Teach All Nations: Merry late Christmas!

Hola familia!!! Another week in beautiful Huauchinango has come and gone and love y'all one week's worth more!

This week was definitely hard. After a great week like last week, it seemed like everything went wrong this week. Paty and Ignacio were loving the gospel (the taxi couple; Paty is the one who heard in her mind "The true church is La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias" 10 times). Well, we received a text from them completely out of the blue that said that they made a decision to keep going to their old church. We were shocked and confused. So we practically ran to their house to see what had happened. Turns out they had heard some weird things about the reformed church and polygamy, and about baptism for the dead in the temple that freaked them out. So, we taught them with all our hearts the best lesson that we could possibly muster. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best we could do. By the end of the lesson, I felt like my heart was sitting on their coffee table. And before we left, they were nodding their heads in agreement with us. So, we thought all was well.

Unfortunately, the next day we received another text that said they had made up their minds and don't want us to pass by anymore. It was so sad. I love this family so much... I felt like they squished my heart! And to add to the sad news, we had to drop another progressing investigator who we've been teaching for a while, and only 3 of our investigators showed up to church when we should have had more than 10.

This week was just a lot of hardships. Today, it forced me to think about whether all this is a punishment from something we're doing wrong or a trial of our faith, to refine us and make us stronger for the future. After thinking for a long time about this, I am sure that it is a trial of our faith. We are being obedient with exactness. We are striving to have the Spirit with us at all times. A few weeks ago, we received what we perceived as a witness that we are going to baptize every week, and I think right now the Lord is testing our faith to see just how much we believe in and work according to His power. Even though we don't know who we are going to baptize this week, we have a goal of 1 baptism, because we know it is His will to baptize someone in Huauchinango this week. Faith!!!

But, good news! We had a baptism! E., the wife and mom of 2 recent converts was baptized on Saturday! So wonderful!

So I'm doing good! Life as a missionary is crazy. Sometimes I can't believe how many emotions I feel in one day. But it's the best! I am happy! Also, I GOT YOUR PACKAGES!!! We had a zone conference this week, so I finally received my packages from the zone leaders! One from Mom, Brooke, Grandma, and Aunt Lizard, plus cards from Erica and Hna. Afualo. It was so funny - I traveled the 1.5 hour long journey back to Huauchinango with my arms FULL of boxes! I felt so loved! :) You all are seriously the best!!! I can't tell you how happy it made me. Also, I never wrote this in an email, but I got my package from Kell a few weeks ago. It was SO dang cute! My first package in Mexico. :) I took lots of pictures but they are on Hna. Zenteno's camera and she has forgotten it every week. Haha. One day I'm gonna send the pics of Kelly's package and you'll see how cute it really was.

Anyway, I love you all so much!!! You're my favorites! The gospel is true! Never forget how important is is. It is the MOST important, literally the only thing that matters.

Con todo mi amor,

Hna. Snyder

Merry late Christmas to me!