Well,

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  I sure did.  My family is even more wonderful than I remembered.

If y'all don't have a reputation among children of giving out stickers, I would highly recommend developing one.  I started carrying around stickers about a month ago becuase it's a fun way to contact - "Oh, your child is so adorable!  Can I give her a sticker?"  And then the kid gets really excited and it's a lot easier to talk to the parent.  And now all the kids in Adjuntas know I give out stickers.  Christmas Eve we were contacting (endlessly - no one wants an appointment these days) and we passed the street children of la calle del agua and one little girl screamed, "Quiero un sticker!" and I yelled back, "Quieres un sticker?"  SWARM.  It's so fun.

Keep spreading the word!  It doesn't matter if you have a little black nametag or not - we're all missionaries here.

Love,

Hermana Kirkland

My beloved brethren, both by blood and in the Lord,

I am busy arranging my CHRISTMAS CALL so don't have a lot of time for you.  So I'll just bear my testimony.  I know that my Redeemer lives.  He was born in humble circumstances but will return in glory.  Because of Him we can be forgiven of our sins, we can repent and become new again.  Our Heavenly Father loves us, and we will be able to live as families forever in the kingdom of God.  I know these things to be true for myself.  I love you all and I will see you in a year.

I can't wait to talk to my family!

Hermana Kirkland

People outside of Puerto Rico,

It is the Christmas season and the people here have decided that since they can't literally feed the baby Jesus, they can at least feed the representatives of Jesus Christ.  So much food, I literally can't handle it.  My companion and I laugh all the time about it.  Especially because it is apparently a cultural thing that if you are offered food/"juice"/whatever you absolutely must take it.  We just bought breakfast food this week.  It's good because I'm definitely going to run out of money this month :)  I'm pretty sure that the reason they give you so little is because they want you to learn how to budget and stay out of debt when you are older and married.  Also Adjuntas is tiny and expensive.  I miss Walmart.

Well I basically never have time.  We were "practicing praying" with a group of kids and an investigator yesterday, and we all listed something we're grateful for and something we need.  The something I needed was "more hours in the day."  I can't believe we're halfway through December already.

I love you all!  Look forward to Christmas, and spriritually prepare for it too!

Hermana Kirkland

My dear friends,

Just wanted to let you all that I'm still alive and kicking, Hermana Cristobal is awesome, and I love you!  Hopefully I'll have time to write more next week (but hey, that probably won't happen).    D+C 4:2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hermana Kirkland

Dearest relations,

First of all, y'all forget how little information seeps through in the mission, so instead of a general plea for letters (seriously though), I'll ask a specific question - anyone heard of mission calls for Sara Eatough or Kyme Lambson?  Actually anything in respect to mission calls/ engagements would be nice.

I feel sorry for all of you people out there in not-America because here in slightly-America we celebrate Thanksgiving with a vengeance.  Yucca instead of mashed potatoes, rice instead of yams, stew instead of gravy, but lots of turkey.  I brought the apple pie :)  We actually had two Thanksgiving dinners, one at a member's house, one at a less active part member family's house.  So much food, it was incredible.

This week was a party week.  It was Hermana Gutierrez's last week, which meant working our tail ends off as she tries to tie up all the loose ends in Adjuntas, and also literally all of Adjuntas wanted to give her food and presents (and as her companion I definitely benefit).  I guess when you baptized 15 people over the space of 9 months the branch gets kind of attached to you, which manifested itself yesterday when they threw her a surprise farewell party after church.  They really love her (me too, but it's not the same).

Transfers are this week, and I remain here!  4 transfers.  I guess I'm a stayer?  Not a bad thing.  My new companion is Hermana Cristobal who is latina and that is all I know about her.  We'll see!

Keep going, preach the word!

Hermana Kirkland