"it`s beginng to look a lot like CHRIST-mas"............December 15, 2014

Hello, my dearest familia y amigos. How the heck are ya? I sure hope you`re doing well. Today for PDay, we made french fries and oreo milkshakes. A lot of oil, a lot of fat, a lot of sugar...it made us gringos feel very at home :) 

So the biggest thing I have to report is JAZMÍN. I am pretty sure the last time I was in Colonia, i talked about Veronica. She`s a less active woman we were always working with. She`s Mary (my Uruguayan mom`s) daughter, and Carolina`s best friend....it was through her that we met Carolina. Anywho, her husband is currently working as a policeman in Guatemala. And they have two daughters: Jazmìn, who`s 10, and Mia, who`s 4. Jazmín was never baptized and never wanted to. The 4 of us missionaries tried so hard to catch her interest, but it just never happened! She is a little girl with a lot of fire, and a very determined character. When she wants something, she WANTS it, and when she doesn`t, she absolutely doesn`t haha. So we figured it was just a matter of patience, and mostly worked with her mom. 

Well, Presidente Figares called last week, saying that Veronica had just called him telling him that Jazmìn has decided that she wants to be baptized. She just up and decided it. UMMM WHAT. And they wanted to do it soon, because next week they`re all going to go up to Guatemala for 2 months to be with the dad. It almost wasn`t going to be able to happen, because of some rules with baptizing kids, so on Monday we had told them they were going to have to wait until after they got back. So they were kind of bummed, and I was too because I really wanted to be able to see this great little girl get baptized. But THEN, Pres. Smith called and gave the go ahead. So they were stoked! 

So, because of miracles and tender mercies of the Lord, on Saturday, Jazmín Casaravilla was baptized! 

While were in the bathroom before the baptism, she looked at me and said "Hermana Dolan, God obviously wanted you to see me get baptized. I`m glad He did." I wanted to cry tears of joy. I`m pretty darn glad he did too. It was such a beautiful baptism! So simple, but beautiful. Carolina was there. Mary was there, so I got to see her again! Veronica thanked me in her testimony at the baptism, but I really don`t feel like I did anything. Which is pretty much how I always feel. And it`s because it`s so true! The Lord does E V E R Y T H I N G. He just does it through us! 

They leave on Wednesday for Guatemala and won`t be back until the beginning of March, just after I go home. :( But I love this family so much, and I`m so grateful that the Lord sent me back to be able to see sweet, spunky little Jazmín take her first steps toward his kingdom! 

It really actually doesn`t look much like Christmas here. No decorations, no snow, no christmas music. But it`s looking and FEELING a like CHRIST-mas, as we share the gift of Christ with others, and as the Lord through experiences has taught me how to force myself to my knees and look for Christ, and he`s showing me amazing things that I never thought I`d see or feel. He is Christmas, and I love Him so much. 

And I also love you, I love you, I love you! 

Merry Christmas, 

Hermana Dolan 

P.S. forgot my camera cord again haha sorry....pictures next week I promise! 

Deja Vu is becoming too common..............December 8, 2014

Hey friends! 

So, I am writing from the exact same computer that I wrote from my VERY first day in Colonia, just a couple weeks shy of a year ago. Just like with Rivera, it`s so weird to go back to places and see how different things are. And how different I am. But I love it! 

Leaving Rivera was rough....obviously. But I am so grateful for my time there and I was happy to at least be coming to a familiar place! 

So, I am with Hermana Colwell from Montana! She`s got about 9 months on the mission. She is super sweet. It is kind of weird to have a gringa companion again. Haha I had gotten so used to Latinas and zero english. But I`m slowly discovering that my english has deteriorated a little bit. So, sorry about that....debate coach. 

As for the deets on Colonia! Well, as far as familiar faces and names....starting with BRIAN AND ANGELA, my favorite people! I have got to say, it is so fun to be able to see how much they`ve progressed after 6 months of not being here. Which is a LOT. Like, I`m just filled with pride every time Brian`s talking about the Gospel. They`re amazing. 

Note** After I left Colonia the last time, Brian discovered the blog my mom keeps up to date and follows it now since he understands English. So....hey, Brian. Go read your scriptures. :)

I saw Mary, my Uruguayan Mamà, this week. It was such a surprise! She lives in Montevideo now but she was there visiting Veronica. It was so good to see her! Also, saw Carolina! Man, I love these people. 

The typical weekly dinner with the Uruguayan grandparents, Miguel and Maria, continue! Haha I LOOOOVE THEM. And Maria, who has been an eternal investigator for FOREVER, is like...actually progressing. But really. The last Hermana who was here, Hermana Berlin, started her mission here and ended it here. So even though we have never been in the same zone at the same time, we have our Colonia-Rivera connection (she was in Rivera for six months as well). I saw her in the terminal because she was finishing her mission, and she told me "Hermana, Maria, you gotta go for it!" So we`ll see how that goes! 

As for investigators, we`re in Colonia, so that`s always a work in progress to find haha. But we`ve got a couple, and I`ll let you know how things go when they progress more! But keep us in your prayers to be able to find more! 

I`m excited to be here again. The branch is struggling a little bit, but instead of ever getting discouraged I just remind myself where it was at when we had first gotten here last January and how a LOT of faith and prayers and trust in the Lord worked some really mighty miracles and this place flew! So that`s the secret formula! 

Alright where not much more to report! December is flying by already. I can`t believe it. Enjoy the holiday season, and the snow! 

I love you, I love you, I love you! 

Hermana Dolan 

Happy Thanksgiving from Rivera Central 1 missionaries! Burger King!

BEST PICTURE EVER. Water fight. December 2014

He is the Gift...........December 2, 2014

Wellllll heeeeeyyyyyyy you guys! How was your week? How was THANKSGIVING?! Mine was great! We went with the Elders to Burger King. Elder Neilson`s comp is also from Guatemala. Luckily, our Guatemaltecos were willing to appease their gingo companions and agreed to go. Nothing like a burger and a chocolate shake to celebrate the American eating holiday. HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I^m thankful for all of you! 

My week was....weird. Crazy. Wanna know why? Let`s talk about transfers. 

So my converts in Colonia are going through a rough patch, so on Tuesday I called President for permission to give them a call because they said they wanted to talk to me and Hna Zumeta. So President goes "well, do you want to know your changes?" And I was like HECK YEAH. And he said "You`re going back to Colonia Centro." 

I`m going back to Colonia Centro. 

WHATTTTT! 

I just have to say that President is absolutely without a doubt called of God. He said "you know, obviously without even knowing about what`s going on with your converts, I just felt like you needed to go back." Wow. Amazing. So he made me keep it a secret until Sunday and let me call them to tell them I`d be coming. I know that the Lord has more purpose for me there and I`m excited to go back and see all of my amazing family in Colonia. My mission has basically been Rivera, and Colonia haha. 

I am so grateful to my Father in Heaven for having sent me here to Rivera. It is seriously so special. This ward, is so special. We had a goodbye Family Home Evening in the Valentti`s house and it was kind of just a bawl fest. I love all of these amazing people here who have taught me so much. They are all seriously my family and I will love them forever. I can`t even believe how much the Lord loves me. I`m grateful for how much I was able to learn from Hna Barrios. She is an incredible missionary and we had a lot of fun together and saw some serious miracles. 

I`m hoping you`ve all heard by now of this new campaign the church is doing for the month of December. It`s called, HE IS THE GIFT. 

In the rush and excitement of the Christmas season, there are a lot of people who forget the true meaning of this special holiday. There are a lot of people who don`t even know what it is: who don`t even know their Savior. Who don`t even know that HE is the first, and most important, gift ever received: given directly by a Father in Heaven who loves us SO much, that He gave us His Son. Just as John 3:16 says: 

16 ¶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begottenSon, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The Lord truly is hastening His work! The Church has a billboard in TIMES SQUARE, where millions will have the opportunity to "discover the Gift" every day. It will have the main page of Youtube all day on December 7, so that everyone who enters that day in youtube, the first thing they will see is a link to the video that will help to discover the gift, embrace the gift.....and most importantly, share the gift.

So I hope this month, you can all do all you can to share the gift with everyone! Here is the link to the website that has a video that I promise will bring you to tears: http://www.mormon.org/christma

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 Share the link on Facebook. Ask everyone you know if they`ve heard about "the gift", and if they haven`t, share it with them, so that they can discover it (come to a knowledge of their Savior), embrace it (accept Him into their lives through faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost), and then, share it, so that it spreads and spreads and spreads. Because THIS is what Christmas is all about! 

I love my Savior. I love Rivera. I love this work. I love Uruguay. I love my Father who has given me, because He so loved ME, such a precious Gift. 

Happy December and HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 

I love you, I love you, i love you! 

#ShareTheGift

Hermana Dolan 

Happy Thanksgiving...........November 24, 2014

I spent all my cyber time writing to people personally, so I don`t really have time for a weekly email. Sorry. Just know that Mirna is a handful and always full of drama haha but we had an AWESOME lesson with her with the bishop on Friday. The Bishop is a capo and things have smoothed over...again. For now. Haha oh man, keep Mirna in your prayers ladies and gents. She is the definition of a rollercoaster. 

Know that we have a lot of other great investigators that are progressing really well, we`re just trying to help them to go to church. 

Know that I am so grateful, in this time of year, to be a missionary. Know that I am so grateful for the Gospel, for the Savior, for my Father in Heaven. I am thankful that They know so much more than I do. I am thankful that even though I don`t see the outcome, They know it perfectly, so if I can just pull a Carrie Underwood and yell "Jesus, take the wheel", I`ll be alright. I`m thankful for the love I feel surrounding me. I`m thankful for the Spirit. I am thankful for the miracles I see every day. I am thankful for the friends and family I have back home (aka every one of you) and for the friends and family I have here in my favorite little part of the universe. I`m thankful for so many things, but that would just take so long to write.

 Also, I`m thankful for turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy. Everybody eat an extra helping of those for me, please. 

I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU! 

Hermana Dolan

God is good..............November 17, 2014

Hey hey hey boys and girls! I hope everybody is well and enjoying the first falls of snow that I´m sure are starting to come. Before you complain, take a moment to remember yours truly in 115 degrees who will go 3 years without seeing snow. You´ll feel a lot better. But good thing I love Rivera anyway! 

We went as a zone today to this AWESOME park camping ground thing in the outskirts of Rivera. One of my zone leaders has three BASEBALL mitts and a baseball. Playing catch never felt so good! also, fun fact: Latinos are SUPER amazing at soccer. Baseball...they play about as well as I play soccer. Haha to each his own. 

This week was super great! Full of miracles. Every week is full of miracles. 

So the first is Mirna. Her progression is incredible! On Tuesday we went with a member to her house and taught the first part of the Plan of Salvation (in our mission the lesson is split in 2). She shared the same doubts with the member, Mirta Cal, as she had shared with us. Mirta was a big help because she has also been in other religions but said she never felt so right as she has in her years as a member. My companion and I decided that instead of beating a dead horse constantly talking to her about the priesthood authority that makes the church different from others, which really just brings us around in circles with her, we were just going to keep teaching her the doctrine and continue encouraging her to keep reading and praying and the Spirit would take over. 

She said another amazing prayer at the end, saying "Help me God, because I don´t want to get it wrong this time. I want to be sure. Help me be sure." And then at the end of the prayer she said "While I was praying, I saw a light. It lit up my whole being." She recognized it as an answer, but still wants to keep learning more because she really does want to be sure. But her sincere desire to know is incredible! It´s fun to teach her because it´s amazing to see the way the Spirit always manages to touch her. 

But yet another amazing tender mercy from God was when we went back on Saturday. She said that the night before she went to her church, and the priest took out some herb saying that if they blessed it it would heal them. And so she told us "that´s not from God. I didn´t like that. So I´m going to have to Pastor Nelson." WHAT. Yet ANOTHER way in which the Lord touched her heart! We invited her to church and said we would pass by her house to walk with her. But we were running late, so right at 9 we called her to ask if she was ready, and she said "i´m already here in the church talking with some people!" INCREDIBLE. And the fellowshipping in this ward was phenomenal. We did have much time to talk to her afterwards, but we´re hoping she was able to receive even more of an answer to her prayers. It´s been so awesome to see her progression from the very first time we taught her. Keep praying for Mirna! 

The other thing was José. José is Belén and Valentina´s dad. He´s the only member of his family that isn´t baptized. The mom and their little brother all are. José is someone who requires really sloooowwww warming up to to win his confidence. Before, he would actually drive around the block to avoid seeing the missionaries if he saw them walking on the same street of his house. With the other Hna Barrios, we decided to start to go inside for a glass of water or something every time we went to pick up Belen or Valentina to go out with us, so that we´d at least have an excuse to say hi and shake his hand. From there, he is still slowly warming up, but he will come up and talk to us, he´ll make jokes, he´s a lot less serious. He has NEVER, and I mean EVER, been to church. He has only ever come to an activity or two. Well their little brother Franco turned 12 a little bit ago and was receiving the priesthood yesterday. So we walk out of Sunday school and who do we see? JOSÉ. With his family, waiting to go into sacrament meeting. WHAT. I hugged Belén and Valentina and literally started crying and they just laughed at me. But it´s because I love this family so incredibly much and I want them so badly to be able to be an eternal family. There is still a loooooong way to go, but this was a huge step. 

Long story short: God is good. So, so good. 

I love you, I love you, I love you! 

Hermana Dolan