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| shout out to the 7/11 around the corner with hot chocolate! |
The rain has arrived-- I'm literally "goin with the flow.... hahah" the week started off with scorching heat and all of a sudden it just down poured -- let's just say that I made a big mistake packing only summer clothes haha! I have this nice big jacket and that's about it. I have never needed rain boots so badly in my life! All the streets here are river rapids-- you know the ride "splash mountain" at Disneyland where you get soaked at the end? Well i've been able to experience that same thrill everytime a car drives past us haha! It's also a challenge finding shoes here because my big american feet don't match the average size here...I have to face the fact that my feet are bigger than both the elders in my ward..... So let's hope I find rain boots sometime soon
On thursday we had a conference with Elder Pieper, a general authority here in Mexico, and he served his mission here in Monterrey about 40 years ago! There were about 80 of us missionaries present and Pres. Bird and his wife, and I had the lovely opportunity to play the opening and closing hymns....however, it was so scary because 1 of them I had never played before haha! Mom and dad- thank you for forcing me to take 9 years of piano lessons where I have learned to sight read music haha I played it perfectly! Heavenly Father was definately listening to my silent desperate prayers.
our zone's "name" is Paciencia-- it is perfect because patience has been crucial for me here haha! I have been here in Monterrey for 2 months now, and as I think back to my first few weeks I have no words to describe how big of a culture shock I was experiencing! (still.....) Because you are constantly busy as a missionary, you never just sit back and think about your emotions but mannnn this has been the hardest thing I have ever had to do! When I'm feeling discouraged I can't just go for a run or a drive, take alone time, take a nap, listen to music, text a friend or family member....all of my outlets have been taken away and I've had to really rely on the power of prayer and faith and reading scriptures for comfort and it sounds cheesy but I'm grateful for these experiences I've had with out wordly distractions to know that these powers are real.
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| when you're with someone 24/7 you tend to start wearing the same colors of clothing...... |
"cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might recieve the promise" Hebrews 10:35-36
This week I learned a valuable lesson of not "judging a book by its cover". We are teaching a 26 year old woman and she comes from a very strong catholic background. At first I really did not expect her to accept our message and continue meeting with us, but after our 3rd visit with her she just opened up to us and expressed how much trust she has in us. she began to unload lots of problems she has been experiencing, and she says that she feels the same peace with us that she feels in the catholic church. I was totally caught off guard when she opened up to us about her personal life because she had been so confident in her own personal beliefs and didn't really show much interest in our message. But now she is very interested in what we have to say and it's so great! It just goes to show that I have to have the same amount of hope for every single person I meet.
Every day we have an investigador say to us... "everytime i'm with you hermanas I feel peace and warmth in my heart" or "there's something about you missionaries and I can't quite figure out what it is...." Adriana Montemayor, a return missionary who goes out and teaches with us, expressed to us how much she loves being with us because she notices a distinct change-- she says the spirit is so tangible being around us. As missionaries, we can be numb to the spirit at times because all day everyday we are teaching people, reading the scriptures, praying....but to "normal people" haha the spirit really is so real! During lessons sometimes I feel like my comments aren't making any difference in these people's lives...but I need to always remember that Heavenly Father really is working through me and touching every heart I come in contact with.
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Beba, a girl in our ward who goes out and teaches with us!
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"The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's, the Son also, but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us"DyC 130:22
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| A lesson with Beba and Familia Aguilar! |
Haha so in our area there really is nothingggg to do.....which is good in a sense because we are focused on the work haha but last week we were waiting for the computer place to open and we got to spend some quality time on a playground nearby and take some quality photos:
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| not sure how this works...... |
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| pumpin' some iron |
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| feelin' artsy |
Today is Independence Day here in Mexico, so we are doing some quality Mexican festivities as a zone with mastaches and all hahaha also next sunday I am giving a talk in church ahhh wish me luck! and Patricio's sister Dana is getting baptized on sunday! So hopefully all our plans work out!
more pics from this week:
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weekly planning sesh  |
¡HASTA LUEGO!
C O N A M O R
hermana riches
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