Happy New Year!

Congrats to the newly weds. The pictures I've seen so far were just as great as I expected. Love you both.

Not too much from me this week. Skype was wonderful, despite the bummers of poor connection and what not. I always enjoy those opportunities to just breath and chat with you guys for a few good minutes. I think that's one of the hardest things in the mission sometimes. I have a lot of good friends and people I love out here, but there's no one that I feel 100% comfortable with, or that I can be completely myself around. I strive to be myself and make others feel comfortable around me, but it's definitely not as organic as being with your family.

My life right now is still traveling, traveling, visits to our great investigators a couple times a week when we get a second, and more traveling. I enjoy it overall, and it's nicer right now because we are doing leadership training, which is more spiritual than just Christmas activities. Then next transfer we will be able to spend a lot more time going out and doing splits with the missionaries all over the mission. So it's only uphill from here :)

This Saturday our investigator Lucrecia is going to be baptized. She is so wise, humble, and excited to take the name of Christ upon her and improve her life. It's been a blessing to know her and see the beginning of the process to her conversion in the gospel. I'll send pics.

The Laspina family got married last week! (pics to come...later, sorry). It was a really special experience to see them take that step. There baptism was planned for last week, but Danilo has been having a hard time quitting smoking, so after talking with him and setting some goals, we made a plan for him to quit and be able to be baptized on the 14th of January. He's determined, but needs all the prayers and support he can get from his family and the ward to be able to get this weight off his shoulders. We know he can do it, but extra prayers are more than welcome if you will.

I've thought a lot about the past year. All the changes and blessings that I've seen in my life. I remember thinking last new year's on top of the roof in Olavarria.. suffering from food poisoning..that I would NEVER see 2017 haha, but it's here and it definitely came faster than I expected. I anticipate the changes to come this year and hope to be worthy of the blessings that my Father in Heaven has in store for me. Out of the giant list of goals I want to set and things I want to do, I think the principal goal I would like to set for myself is something that President advised in a recent interview. "Forget about you..." I hope to think more about others and to align my will with that of Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ. I hope all of you in your own way can accomplish the same.

Felíz Año,
Elder Jolley