Merry Christmas...and a happy new year!!

I wasn't able to wish you all a Merry Christmas last week I am so sorry but I used my internet time to talk with my family! I hope that you all had a great and merry Christmas but remembered why we really had Christmas! This Christmas was quite different out in the field! But it really was one that I will never forget! I am so grateful for the opportunity to be serving right now you can really see the hand of the Lord in the work! These last two weeks have been great, we always have someone to talk to with right now we are just having a problem with them progressing which is hard! This gospel has always been so easy for me so I never understood how some people just don't  really think that they need it because it truly is my life and I wouldn't change it for the world! The Lord has been here with me so much and I have never felt closer to him before! He never leaves our side sometimes we just walk a little bit farther away from him then we should! This week we had a baptism all set up and ready to go.. but when we went to get her for her interview she didn't want to get out of bed.. and then the next day we went to talk with her and she said that she doesn't want to talk with us right now... super sad.. so this week we are just trying to pray for her a lot and put our work in the Lords hands! Also we have an investigator that we have been teaching his sister forever! And he has always just kind of listened but never wanted to change. This week we were talking with him and I asked him why he has never come to church and he couldn't think of an answer so I challenged him to come to church this week and he said that he would! And he did! It was so good! During sacrament we were talking and we have a missionary in our ward that is leaving this week so he was talking and he leaned over and out of no where he said... I want to serve a mission.  What do I need to do? It was great! Haha I said well first of all you need to get baptized.. haha and attend church every week, quit drinking.. and he said perfect I want to do this.. it was so great! Haha and we haven't even talked with him at all about this.. THIS IS THE LORDS WORK!!! This week we were walking and the spirit hit me that I needed to talk with this lady that was sitting on her porch... I kept walking and the spirit told me again so I turned around and started talking with her. Turns out that she works with the past bishop and has kinda been talking with him about the church. We haven't been able to talk with her again but she was great! And it goes to show more the Lords hand in the work! Also this week I was able to say the 1st vision in Spanish without looking at the pamphlet! It was so great and after I said it the investigator said wow that was beautiful! It was a cool experience! This last Saturday night we had a Christmas dinner with the ward, it was so much fun! really! The ward here is great! This time of the year is an amazing time because we really can think about Chirst so much! I am so thankful for this Christmas, we just had a small dinner with a Menos activo pizza! It was good and then had the wonderful opportunity to talk with my family.  I am more and more thankful for them everyday! I have been so blessed to have been blessed in this gospel my whole life! This mission has been so hard and pushed me to my limits but every time I feel like I have fallen I am somehow lifted... THIS IS THE LORDS WORK! And I can't say it enough. My questions have been answered daily as I feel his light in my life! I can't stress enough how wonderful this opportunity is to serve.  I have learned so much and I am so grateful for all of it! I am so thankful every week to be able to go to church and partake of the sacrament! This has helped me to much to be able to renew my covenants every week! When I was at home I went to the temple every week to renew my covenants with the Lord! It is a little different here but I am so grateful for it! I challenge all of you that can GO TO THE TEMPLE!! And if you can't, do the things that you need to be able to go! We need all the help that we can with this week and you can do so in the temple! Thank you all so much for the support, you are all so great! Always know that this church is true! Never forget that! Know that the Lord is always there for you whenever you need him! He will always come when you ask! Pray and he will be there for you! I hope that you all like the pictures and that you will never forget me! Haha thank you all and I love you all so much! 

Hermana Griffiths! 

What a week!

This week has been so slow.. for here haha we still had like 25 lessons! We teach a lot but not a lot of progress with our investigators so that is super hard! My family really wants to know about my day to day life so that is what we are getting this week because the work was slow! They have siesta here so we get to wake up at 7 which is really nice! We have our personal time in the morning until 8:30 and then it is personal study! My favorite time I am able to learn so much in that time! After we have idioma study! Which is nice for me! Haha I need to get this language down! After we are off to work! Which is nice I really love working when we are teaching I feel so great because the spirit helps so much! Really I have never just had to lean on the spirit but that is all that I have right now so I just need to work so hard at the strength and power of that! At 1:00 we have lunch with a member! They don't eat dinner here! So we just have a huge lunch I like it a lot better, because I was never hungry at home during dinner anyways! 2;00-4;00 is more study with my comp. and then training! A lot of practice! But it is nice! 4:00-9:30 we work! Haha and i mean work! We don't have a minute to spare! We walk about 8 miles a day! Haha a lot of walking! But it is nice! Tuesday mornings we have district meeting! My district is just the 3 others sisters with me and then 2 elders! But I really love our leaders, they are great, I learn so much from them every week! I am getting to the point when I can usually know what is being talked about which is amazing, I am able to always say my testimony and they usually understand! Haha the joys of learning a new language! I love my mission president and his wife! They are truly called of God! This week I have struggled a little bit, so during zone conference I asked my mission president for a blessing! It is amazing how much the priesthood helps.. honestly i didn't even understand like any of the blessing but the power has helped me so much this week! I am so grateful for the priesthood right now because it gives me strength everyday! 

The other hermanas that live with us are great! one is from Idaho the other is from Agrentina! They are great and it is nice to have another ¨blanca¨ here! aha! My comp. Hermana pari is great! She is willing to work with me and helps me so much, also she pushes me and makes me speak in the lessons which is nice! She is great I love my mission mom! We live in the city of Perico, it is about 2 hours away from Salta! It is a great bigish town! We live in the city but in the other Hermana area so we have to walk like 15 minutes to our area! But is good! It is pretty hot here.. I have a world class farmers tan! Haha it is amazing-  really I am super proud of it! All the memebers say that I am so white and then I show them my tan line and they are surprised that I could be more white! It is really funny! It rains about 2 times a week here! But it is nice, not super humid, a lot like Utah! The Bishop is great! He is only 28 years old! It is crazy but he is a great leader and is always more than willing to help! His little sister is the young women's pres. and she is only 19! She is amazing she goes on visits with us about 4 times a week for the whole day! The members here are really amazing they want everyone here to know what we know and love to work with us as much as they can! Great moment this week.. a dog peed on my backpack..  also I saw a dog just like Chloe like just like her!  And she sounded the same and everything.. and I cried.. only for a second but I did.  During one of our lessons I made our investigator cry because she felt the spirit.. and I don't know/remember what I said! Our apartment is pretty nice! Different but good I get to wash my clothes by hand... haha it is super fun! I usually do my colors in the machine and then my whites by hand. It is very humbling! Oh and they have fry sauce! Haha it was such a funny thing when I first saw it! It is a little different but that is what it is! The work is great! Really it is a roller-coaster but I love it.  Each day is a new adventure and I learn a little more each day! I am so thankful for the support aquí with the members they really are amazing! I am thankful for them each and everyday! Thank you all so much for the support! Thank you for the examples that you are in my life you are all amazing! If you have time this week read the talk by Elder Ballard from this last conference! It is amazing and has helped me so much! Remember every member is a missionary! Don't be afraid to open your mouth! 2 nephi 32 2-5 angels speak by the power of the holy ghost! We all have the holy ghost with us! Now let him out and share this wonderful message! I love you all so much! Talk to you soon! 

 Hermana Griffiths! 

Crazy Week!

This week has been really good! We have been able to talk with so many new people! Really we have 23 new investigators only in 3 days! The work here is great! We have an investigator this week and she is amazing her name is Venessa! She is so great we have only talked with her 3 times and she has a testimony about The Book of Mormon and she wants to be baptized! It is amazing how the Lord prepares people to hear the message! The language is coming, I understand a lot during the lessons but then after I don't remember...it just goes to show that when the spirit is present you can do anything! Haha I am just hoping that I can remember soon because I would love to be able to really talk with people! This week on Tuesday it rained... not really rained, more like poured.. when me and Hna Pari where walking home the water was up to our knees.. it was crazy! I think that I will never forget! That is for sure! Haha also there is a family that we are teaching and they have a dog... every time we sing this dog cocks it head just like Chole! Haha it is so funny! The power here has been off and on this week because of the rain so it has been kinda interesting! But good! We had a conference with our mission pres this week, it was super good! He is an amazing man and speaks with the voice of the spirit at all times! At the conference I saw Hna Rallison she was in my district in the CCM (MTC) when we saw each other we started crying...Haha many of my days in the field! Last night we had a lesson and it was dark so the Senor went and got a light, when he turned it on there were bugs everywhere... and I mean everywhere! It was terrible! There was probably 100,000 bugs and they where so gross! 

Today i had the wonderful opportunity of washing my clothes by hand because we don't have any power! It was great! This week has helped my testimony  a lot I have grown a lot and learned that I have to rely on the Lord with all that I do!  When it is hard I automatically turn to him which is super nice! He is there to comfort me and always answers my prayers though scriptures! It is amazing when the mission does to you! I learn to cherish my study time, it is amazing and it helps me so much! I have learned that this mission is super hard but we are able to learn from it and grow so much! I have learned how much the Lord loves me and everyone.  He has so much love for us and will do all he can to help us! I have learned how grateful I am to live in the USA. We are so blessed and don't even know it! I have learned that I have the best parents in the world, really they have prepared me for this mission in so many ways! And the best support system that anyone could ask for! So many people that I know I can always turn to for help! Thank you so much. I love you all so much. The church is true and the Lord is real, he is here to help you whenever you need him! Just turn to him and he will always help you! Reminder - help the missionaries around you, they need the help of members and you have no idea how great it is to have them around! Always remember that the church is true, never be afraid to share it with anyone! Love you all, until next week! Hermana Griffiths!

P.S. it is my Mom's birthday this week and I know she would love you all to sing to her and ask her how ¨young¨ she is! Love you mom!

Wow!!

Wow I really cant believe that is has already been another week! This week has been a really good one! The ward that we go to is actually pretty big! like 50-60 people every week in sacrament which is really nice! The members are so nice! Really they are so kind and always willing to help! We almost everyday have a member with us when we teach which is so nice! I would encourage you all to take some time and go with the members in your ward you have no idea how nice it is! We have lunch everyday with a member family also which is really nice! The food here is food kinda different but not all that bad! Also it is actually kinda of bland... I haven't had a meal yet that I didn't like which is super nice! Last week at noche de hogar... family home evening, I had a pretty cool thing happen it is amazing that during lessons and when we are talking to people how much I can understand! Haha it is still super hard but it is coming anyways after the lesson I just testified that what was said was true because even though i didn't understand all of it I could feel the spirit and the spirit is only present when truth is being taught! It was super nice! 

We work a lot with our investigators..(sorry my spelling was already bad and spanish has just made it worse..) Haha anyways we have about 15 people that are investigating the church right now in our area! So we talk a lot with them! It is hard because we have like 8 that want to be baptized but can't because their parents won't let them... our mission is super successful with baptisms we have about 70 a week through out our whole mission! 

The area is a lot like Utah - beautiful mountains! but it is super hot.. like 90-100 degrees everyday! We walk everywhere! We have one area that we have to take a taxi to because if not it takes like 30 min. to walk to but it is really nice! I really do like the work.  The days that are hard are the days that we knock on doors when our lessons fall though and stuff just because they are super long! But most everyone we talk to is okay with listening to what we have to say for a little while... not to many doors slammed and if they are then they are really nice about it! The people here are super nice! Sometimes a little too nice to me and the other sister that is from Idaho... haha cada dia - I get whistled at.. haha and yesterday I was asked if I had a boyfriend... it is actually really funny! We just laugh about it and move on! Haha my favorite moment this week happened last week. We have been teaching this boy named Christen and he wants to get baptized but his mom won't let us so we went to talk to his mom and met his sister and asked if we could talk to her about the gospel and she was like no at first.. but we just told her how it could bless her and her family and so she said yes! We taught her the first lesson and she was so with us! After we asked her about baptism and she said yes! It is amazing what the gospel does to people! It is amazing, she is golden! I am excited to teach her again! Also haha funny we live with 2 other sisters and one is from here the other from Idaho so we talk in English a lot in the house to help them learn.  Every person here thinks that if you just make the word end in "sion"... it is English.. haha it is funny but completely wrong! Haha I am doing good just having hurt feet... and i am tired! But welcome to the life of a missionary! My theme song is ¨latter day missionaries sang as they walked and walked and walked..¨haha we walk like 5 miles a day so really it is hard because I have blisters all over but it is good! Thanks for the letters feel free to send me lots more.. Haha it is really nice to hear from everyone! Love you all so much thanks for the prayers! The gospel is true and it really is amazing! Talk to you all next week!