Catching up - again!

Hello my family!

Today I'm writing from "La Oficina de la Misión Panamá." We (sister bloomfield, the assistants and the office elders) have been busy sorting through packages for our Christmas party we're having next week with ALL of the missionaries. We're trying to make sure that everyone gets at least one package for Christmas time, so there's been a little "Robin-Hooding" going on (i.e. the gringos are sharing the goodies with the Latinos, whether they like it or not). I did notice a nice package from home for me in the pile, but I resisted the urge to open it (thank you :)). (p.s. Thanks, Mom, for the thanksgiving/christmas decorations that I just got in the mail. Sister Bloomfield loves you for including an advent calendar for her :))

We have had some pretty crazy weather here lately, actually. You won't believe this but we actually had to wear SWEATERS outside last week. i think that's the first time in Panama history that we've been cold. Sis. Bloomfield and I bought cocoa and decorated our lovely little hovel with extra Christmas lights from the mission home and the decorations that you sent, Mom. Of course we{ll be taking them home soon because we are very soon moving in with Elder Altamirano, a member of our ward who happens to be an area seventy. That's right--I'm spending Christmas with a general authority :). Cool, huh? This comes after about 3 months of living in a literal hole in the wall. Last week we woke up to a river in our study room (leak in the roof) and yesterday I found that a giant rat had taken a giant bite out of my newly purchased loaf of bread (unless Sister Bloomfield was feeling particularly hungry and just went to town). plus we have quite the crowd of...let{s call them "fans" outisde of our apartment building. So a relocation is very necessary! It does rob me of my Dickens Christmas I envisioned...but oh well. This Christmas will be a memorable one!

We're still doing our best to work with the Familia Aguirre and get them to accept a baptismal date...we had stopped going to them for a couple of days because they weren't coming to church and Monica got soooooo mad at us. Well, that's fine. Come to church, be baptized and we'll see you for eternity. Seems a simple solution to me!

Well, I have to run, but only one more email before I talk to you all next week!

Love you!
Hna. Brewster