QUERIDOS!!
Whaaaatttttssss up!! Here we are, at the end of July.... and I'm going to hit my SIX MONTH MARK THIS WEEK!!! What the crazy! Andddd.... I haven't gotten a flea bite in a week. I think the cold killed them, that or they're tired of my gringa blood. What's next? Lice???? It's quite popular among the missionaries. EEKKK. I think I'd rather have fleas. I KNOW I'd rather have fleas!!
Whaaaatttttssss up!! Here we are, at the end of July.... and I'm going to hit my SIX MONTH MARK THIS WEEK!!! What the crazy! Andddd.... I haven't gotten a flea bite in a week. I think the cold killed them, that or they're tired of my gringa blood. What's next? Lice???? It's quite popular among the missionaries. EEKKK. I think I'd rather have fleas. I KNOW I'd rather have fleas!!
-This week was so windy and cold! It was definitely a dirt in the mouth, nose, ears, eyes, EVERYWHERE kind of week. BLAH. It is also the end of the transfer. I´m pretty sure Hnas Israelsen and Leguizamón are going to leave, but I don´t know what´s going to happen to me. It´s kinda whatever the Lord wants, you know? Y adonde me manda, iré. (**Where he sends me, I will go**) I want to stay for 2 reasons. One´s named Pedro, the other Ariel. Pedro didn´t come to church yesterday, we´re thinking it´s because his daughter was in town, SO he wont get baptized this Saturday. We had a lesson with him tuesday, and he said he thought that our church and the catholic church were the true churches. It was one of those smack-your-head-on-the-table-and-say-NOOOOOOO moments. BUT THEN. We came back and taught the restoration again, and watched the movie. He said he knew that THIS CHURCH was the true church! WOO! Ok Ariel- AH-Ree-Ehl. He´s 15 and a friend of one of the YW in the rama. He came to church yesterday, was super attentive, and even sang the hymns! We met with him after and he asked us how to pray and a bunch of really great questions. We invited him to get baptized and he said yes! This kid is CAPO. Pray for him.
- TONS of funny things happened this week. Like really. Let´s go though them all, shall we?
-So I ordered new name tags right when I got here and they FINALLY showed up. And what do they say? "Hermana Esquire". I almost wet my pants laughing, no joke!!!! I'll send one home and ya'll can have a good laugh!!
- I got clothes lined by a clothes line. It was my "I'm tall" moment. I didn't see it at all and it whacked me right on the forehead!! I had a nice red mark after that!!!
- A car passed us the other day blasting Whitney Houston. We all looked at each other and without saying anything, burst out singing: ANNNND IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIeeeeIIIIIIIIIIIII WILLL ALWAYS LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUooooooO! jaja.
- So we were kinda cold this week so to keep ourselves warm and entertained, especially at night, we tried to remember the "Remember the Titans" dance and we were singing and dancing in the streets to EVERYWHERE WE GO, PEOPLE WANNA KNOW, WHO WE ARE, SO WE TELL THEM. WE ARE THE MORMONS! THE MIGHTY MIGHTY MORMONS! Complete with the "whoo haa, feel good"s. Sometimes I´m surprised at how dorky I am.
- We had a Noche de Hogar in the rama on reverence. We even got some jóvenes to model church clothes....it's a problem here that people don't come properly dressed. Then one of the jovenes started playing Chariots of Fire and Presidente and his councilers came in slow motion modeling their clothes. It was so funny. I love it here!!!
- AMANDA! I´m really seeing the fruits of my labors from this woman. She wants to come with us to lessons, she is excited and willing to be a visiting teacher, and her testimony is so strong. She has no problem telling her friends and family she knows the church is true and it has changed her life. I really am going to miss her. Even her husband said he doesn´t know what she´ll do when we leave, she´s become so attached to us. LOVE IT! LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. Pray her family will one day accept the gospel.
- SO. I have something to say. It might be a bajar de caña for some people (drop the cane), but I´ve been thinking aobut this a lot, especially with all the menos activos we´ve been seeing around here. It´s about being offended and leaving the church because of it. Go read Pres Uchtdorf´s talk "The Merciful Will Obtain Mercy". Being offended and holding that grudge is like taking that initial "hit from the hammer" from the "offender" and hitting yourself over the head with it over and over and over. Is your testimony not strong enough so that one unkind word will cause you to deny what you know and leave the church? Sometimes I think... How old are we here! When it comes to being offended, holding grudges, looking to harm others... apply Pres Uchtdorf´s 2 word sermon: "STOP IT". Really. It´s that easy. People are not perfect. The gospel is. Do not expect to receive forgiveness if you yourself cannot forgive. Heaven will be filled with those who are forgiven. And those that forgive. I´ve seen this happening WAY too often in Pringles. And I think, really? You are going to deny yourself these blessings because someone offended you? Remember this scripture 2 Nephi 31:14 "But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels, and after this should adeny me, it would have been bbetter for you that ye had not known me." When you deny what you know... It would be better if you hadn´t known Christ at all. WAHPUH! That is my bajar de caña noise. I hope you weren't offended by this! IF you were, then you totally missed the point of my little rant. Prophets have said this, apostles, the scriptures. Like my dear brother, Brandon would say "Cry me a river, and build yourself a bridge and GET OVER IT." This is all meant with love. The Savior will always be waiting for you to come back with open arms. It is never too late. He is waiting, saying "Come in, come follow me." He is the way, the only way. Remember, all of this was meant with love.
-Shoutouts: Julie- THANK YOU FOR THE GORGEOUS PIC OF EMILY!!! Ahhh she is a doll!! Could you print an extra for me and give it to my mom to send? Please?!! Tori Rydalch!!! Thank you for your sweet letter! It made my day! Thank you for your testimony! Hno Larsen! Thank you for the letter, I just got it on Friday! I´ll be sending you one hopefully this week. TYLER JAMES MADSEN. Bout time you wrote me!! I will be sending you a letter soon too! Mom, thanks for all the wedding invitations... EVERYONE!! STOP GETTING MARRIED WITHOUT ME THERE! Sheesh. Nah, jk, go find your eternal mate and be happy! Just know I¨ll be sad I wasn´t there. :-( Serna CREW! Thanks for the letters! I love my little missionaries Leah, Joshua, Matthew and Rebecca!! Tio Hector, thank you for the email, You and tia alice are in my prayers. JENNY RUFF! I was so happy to hear from you!! Thank you!! Adrienne! Thanks for the email! ANNA! Thank you for writing. ONE MONTH (maybe less) for BABY DUNN!! Aunt Lori! Give Trevor a giant Cyd squeeze! Tell him I love him and SEE YA NEXT YEAR!
-ALL you people! I love you dearly! I hope all is well!
Hermana "Esquire" :-)
Padres,
SEND ME SOME OLYMPICS IMAGES! Maybe tape a few events! Ahhh I love the Olympics! AND LONDON!! MOM WITH RODNEY ATKINS!! Of course!! You´re you! Kinda like me at the HP premiere. I know where i get it from!!!!! Before i forget, there are about 200 missionaries here, about 30 sisters. I think. Mom, I would like the song "Savior Redeemer of my Soul" that´s on the essencial missionary collection. ANd i would like Ginger to sing that at my homecoming. Trunky moment. But it´s my favorite. See if she´d be willing. also another church song... it says something like "the morning breaks, the shadows flee, come see the light....." I´d love the May 2009 Ensign if we have it. LOVE YOU!!!!!!!