So to make emailing just that much more anticipating, I´ve decided to come up with a music parody each week for the title that applies to the week. LOL
FIRST, THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone for your supportive emails. If I could reply to all of you I would but just now that I have taken pictures of them and will be pondering all of your words all week. AND IT HELPS SO MUCH.
Okay so last P-Day, I just wanted SOMETHING good to happen, SOMEONE to come unto Christ. AND GUESS WHAT?! Walking back from emails, we ran into an old investigator Dolores who looks like the Latina version of Cass and Mil Palor LOL and SHE HAS COMMITTED TO BAPTISM. Thank goodness for prayers. Holy cow it was such a tender mercy. After that, it got a lot easier with the language.
TUESDAY: So pretty sure I´m the only dirty blonde blue eyed girl this entire city has ever seen. And EVERYONE stares. It´s so awkward and fun. But the people here LOVE seeing me eat their food. So since I can´t understand how to say or express love, I eat their food and say QUE RICO and ME GUSTA!!! And they loveee seeing myreaction so today I ate so much authentic different food that honestly before the mission I would´ve puked but it´s actually good. They love authentic fruit. One I ate looks like fisheyes in a lemon and another LOOKS like a banana but has giant seeds in it and tastes like piña colada.LOL And Hermana Salcedo ended the day with ¨¨ Doritochacos¨it´s where you order from a street vendor a cup of this cremed corn and dump it in a doritos bag. IT WAS SO GOOD.Try it.
WEDNESDAY: Read 3 Nephi 11-13 OH how it has helped me feel the Savior in everything I do. SUch a tender mercy. Then, met with a ton of menos activos today and all they want to do is here me talk and ask about my home and if I´m rich. IT´s annoying because they don´t listen to our actual message, but I always say ¨ Decire mas si viene a la capilla¨ they laugh and then move on. BUT ANOTHER INVESTIGATOR HAS COMMITTED TO BAPTISM aghhhhh
THURSDAY: So had a rough morning from homesickness lol I am literally the epitomy of the 4 stage process of adjustment that they have in the missionary handbook. But President Stellmon and my district have helped so much. But something that everyone has said helps is just bond with the kids. And they know the kids are obsessed with me because this one girl in our ward Violetta, (she´s so adorable) calls me Hermana Elsa. They have never seen anything like me so they always approach me and touch me. It´s Adorable. Even Christ said, behold your little ones. Because I´m basically a kid learning spanish it helps aton to just become like a child and talk to them.Love it.
FRIDAY: Got to study in a member´s house today on a king size bed which here is unheard of. It felt so nice. Then we had intercambios and I went to Vista Hermosa. Which is this super chill tranquilla area closer to the volcan. Hermana Ovando. She speaks wayyy slower than Hna. Salcedo which was a nice break. BUT we contacted so many people. It was so easy!! The people there were just fully accepting and I did a whole contact completely by myself!! It was with this 18 year old girl and her brother, CArolina and Bryan. WHich they totally looked like Latino versions of Chynna and Kai Zurflueh. Which just made me feel so much more love for them. THey were so intently listening and looked at the Book of Mormon like it was a treasure. Which I made it sound like it was. BECAUSE IT IS: Oh how much more I am grateful for this precious treasure in my life now. PLEASEEE read it. It truly is the medicine to all sickness and all discouraging feelings. Then I said a small prayer right after this incredible experience thanking God for his tender mercies and IMMEDIATELY right after IT STARTED POURING RAIN. I PRAY FOR RAIN EVERYDAY. I literally immediately cried out ¨TE AMO, PADRE CELESTIAL. GRACIAS!!!¨ My companion and I danced in the rain then laughing and rejoicing. Oh so great was that memory.
SATURDAY: Had another great lesson with this cute 12 year old girl, Samantha, who is hopefully getting baptized in two weeks. She´s still shaky on her decision. But the spirit was so strong in our lesson. I have confidence she will make the right decision. Then I HAD REAL AMERICAN FFOOD.In Vista Hermosa, it´s much more modern.Houses are more like home. Tyson chicken had never tasted so good. Then reunited with Hna. Salcedo. We had the most intense cita with Aurora and Miguel. MIguel kept asking me questions about how to say this or that in English and Salcedo just went off. IT was awesome. I was trying to hold back not laughing. It was like a backhand of the spirit to the face. HAha ohhh I love her. Anyways they finally committed to come to church. Then we visited the first counselor´s house and they gave us ICE CREAM, HOT CHOCOLATE AND BREAD. OHHH MYYY GOSHHH It was so good. I love them. THENN Our sister training leaders gave permission to us for me to distress a little bit with a little dance relaxation party.HNA SALCEDO IS THE BEST. She got a ton of Dolterra stuff and gave me a leg massage with all this fancy stuff. She is so christlike and is kind. She´s my mother as my zone leaders have told me. And oh how she is my mother away from home. It was so nice. Especially because I have 47 mosquito bites on my legs. LOL gringa blood. They love it here.
SUNDAY: First day going to church. And it was testimony meeting. Did I bear my testimony? Yupp. Did I remember what I said? Nope. But I made them laugh by cracking a joke at the beginning about my height compared to everyone else. Cause I´m a giant here. Monica, one of our investigators came and she was touched. She´s only 16 but so cute and truly has the spirit in her eyes. Then after principles in doctrine, I GOT TO PLAY THE PIANO. Ughhhhh finally. I may not beable to speak with the Spirit in this language yet, but I sure can play my heart out. And the men gathering for elders quorum loved it. I kept getting requests to play this song or that. THey were in tears. Music is the key to the heart of men. Yupp. So hopefully that will come in handy in the future. But it´s also a curse. In Relief Society, the president asked me to sing the solo of Sus Manos for our ward choir. His Hands. I was overwhelmed with homesickness in the moment and just cried. BUt they were all so supportive and loving.Kept saying Puede hacerlo. UGh. I love them so much. Just trying to figure out how I can tell them that back. In time (: And sure enough after a little prayer of comfort and strength to find those I could serve and help TWO NEW INVESTIGATORS just plopped into our arms. They are beautiful mother and daughter who sell tacos across the street from Monica and i talked with the daughter Criselda whos 16 about my dress and where she could get it and suddenly just fell into the gospel!! The Lord works in mysterious ways.
MONDAY: Today Hna. Salcedo said the best thing we needed to do today was have fun.SO I GOT TO HIKE TO THE IGLESIA IN MY COVER PHOTO ON FACEBOOK. It was so nice to get a hike in. Ugh how I miss hiking. BUt we did it with two other latina hermanas in our zone. And it was SO FUN. They helped me with the language a lot and at the top, we just lovedddd it. Ugh. LAughing and rejoicing in the view and all the people out there who ARE READY FOR THE GOSPEL. We just gotta find them. IT was an incredible experience. MAny pictures taken and many memories made. Then,I wanted to give them a taste of the American life so WE FOUND A DOMINOS. And I had pizza!!!! AGHHHH yessss. Then we just bonded a lot talking about music and reminiscing of memories before the mish. It was so nice. THEN THEY GOT ME A RONALDO JERSEY!!!!! OH MY GOSH It´s legit. I will have it forever. I truly love them so much. Friends for eternity.
Never have I ever learned how important the gospel is than I have this week. It truly has saved my life. Jesus Christ truly is there. Whenever you feel alone, you always have a friend. If you sincerely turn to him, you can feel him like he´s literally holding you in his arms. Oh he´s amazing. And he has healed me with his gospel in more than I could ever express thanks. I truly love him and know that being here is just a grain of sand of gratitude for him. I truly love it here. And am here to stay. Thank you again for all of your prayers and love. I pray for all of you everyday.
ADELANTE.
--
Con mi amor infinito,
Hermana Abigail Creer
Download
