Christmas phone call!

We got our much anticipated phone call on Christmas morning!  Actually we got a surprise pre-phone call the day before to let us know when she would be calling.  What a great surprise!!  Made my day!!!  We talked for a little over an hour but it sure didn't seem like it was that long.  Jacque is doing great.  Her first companion got sick and put on bed rest so she got transferred to Quito.  She is really enjoying it there.  No baptisms yet but she has met some sweet families that she loves.

Thanks so much for all the faith, thoughts and prayers that are sent her way.  She says she doesn't know where she would be without them.  So.......from a grateful mother -  THANK YOU!!!!

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!!

Life in Quito!!!

Hi family!!! I love you all so much! I hope everyone is doing well! So
my first two weeks in Ecuador I spent in a cosal city called Santo
Domingo! Nice and humid! My favorite! But its not hot there so it
wasnt bad. My companion was Hermana Mateo and she is a trooper! Her
dad passed away about 6 months ago, she had 3 months in the mission,
and she is so strong and full of faith and I admire her for that. Last
week she got really sick and the doctor told her she had to rest for 8
days so I got sent to Quito to work with the mission nurses and I am
loving it! And not just because I can speak english now although it is
so great and I´m considering it a blessing even if I dont have a full
time spanish tutor right now! Their names are Hermana Groesbeck and
Hermana Rogers! Hna. Groesbeck is finishing her mission this week, her
parents are coming on Wednesday to pick her up and they will be here
for a week! I{m kinda sad because she is so great and I have loved
learning from her! Hna. Rogers is great too! She has been here a
little over 2 months so we are both pretty new and I am sure its gonna
be a blast trying to understand what people are saying with our lack
of spanish speaking skills! But we are going to give it our best! So
in Santo Domingo we had a baptism for Alicia, an adorable little mom
of two sweet girls and it was eventful thats for sure! We got there
and the water to the font wasnt working so a member from the ward got
up in the attic to I supose what was a well, and we had to fill up the
font with buckets! And when all that water was gone it was only about
half way full and it was kinda yucky with attic grossness and it was
freezing cold Im sure and oh man I felt so bad for her! But she seemed
happy so thats all that matters right? But I love Quito! It is so
green and pretty and un humid and its just so fun! The ward members
are so sweet and loving and I just love being here! I have only been
here for 4 or 5 days so nothing too exciting has happened yet!
Maddie looks so cute and happy to be at school! Im sure she is having
the time of her life! And I see you went school clothes shopping for
her! haha she is so cute! I finally got your Thanksgiving package
today! It was over 4lbs so it went to "mail jail" and I had to go pick
it up and pay to get it out. So just make sure everything is under
4lbs and it has that green sticker on it! And I dont know if everyone
has the address to the mission home but that is where you should sent
mail too! And I was going to give you the address to the mission blog
but I forgot it! I will try and remember next week!
Are you guys all ready for Christmas?? This is my most favorite time
of the year! We should be having a few baptisms on Christmas so we
will get to have the perfect white Christmas! What a perfect way to
celebrate the birth of Christ! I am so so grateful to have the Gospel
in my life and the peace and joy I have from it. Thank you for all of
the fasting and prayers and thoughts that I know are being sent my
way! I don{t want to think about where I would be without them! I know
they are what keeps me going every day! You guys are amazing! Thank
you for all that you do and all of your great examples to me! I love
you all!! xoxoxXo
Love forever and always,
Hermana Nelson