Highs and Lows

Hi everyone!

I can't believe that it is already Monday!

Well I would really like to start out asking a favor of all of you. This morning my mission president called me to let me know that my grandpa passed away. I don't know if it was yesterday or today that it happened. I wish that I could be home with my mom right now but I know that the Lord needs me here for a reason. I ask that you all pray for my family in this time.

This last week was full of a lot of highs and lows. One of them being what is mentioned above. Last week we had our last interviews with our mission president. Mine went about double the time planned because instead of me asking a really super awesome inspired question to my mission president, he asked me one. We were about to finish up and he asked me about my schooling and I explained to him about BYU Provo. I also explained to him some feelings that I have had since the decision to stay home for a while. I knew that I wasn't supposed to go to BYU provo right away. I was sure about that but the mission has given me such an itch to study. I have already done a ton of schooling. I never got bad grades because I tried to get good ones for volleyball, but my motivation for school was always volleyball... volleyball.... volleyball. I have never really had a desire to study. In the mission though, I knew the Lord would help me know what to do after the mission. Well I was bummed about the answer that I got about BYU Provo because I have built up a really strong desire to study right after the mission and it worried me that I wouldn't end up doing anything. I have desired to take some basic classes again so that I can remember and review basic things. Well, after discussing these things with him he mentioned that he remembered that I had already gotten into BYU Idaho but, which is true but I was assigned to start in January. He then asked me a very hopeful question, "If you could start at BYU Idaho right when you get back, would you?" I was caught in silence but everything inside me screamed yes. Well it all turned out to him calling someone that he knows there to see if it were possible. He worked at BYU Idaho for many years before this calling... The phone ringed and ringed and ringed... president told me if he doesn't answer right now I will call him a little later to find out... but I was praying that he would answer. He finally answered! The talked, president gave him my information, he looked it up. The answer is yes... I can start school right when I get back. School starts September 14, 2015. I feel so incredibly grateful and happy. I knew before the mission that the Lord would provide the means for me to study. I don't know the details yet but I am in contact with someone to get me all set up. I feel silly because I asked in every prayer after that day until Sunday if it was what I should do and I received the most loving, patience, merciful and perfect answer. I felt silly asking as many times as I did, but the Lord was patience and merciful with me. I am so excited. High.

Thursday we found a guy named Jorge and his son. They were a reference from a member about a month and a half ago when I was with Sister Canales. About a year a and a half ago he lost his wife and had fallen into alcoholism. We met him and set up an appointment, went back and his son told us that he was "sick." He really desires to change. We would bump into him often and set up appointments and go to see him and we wouldn't find him or he was "sick" or something. Then we just stopped finding him. Well we found him and he explained to us that he had put himself in rehabilitation for a while. Well we gave him the Book of Mormon and it gave him tears in his eyes. He told us that he is so sick of falling and getting up and falling again. My companion and I explained to him something about Christ that we learned in a talk by Ezra Taft Benson that Sister Leslie Hutchens sent me about a month ago. He said, "The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature." As we taught him this part about Christ, Jorge just was in awe and told us that this is what he needs. He is eager to be changed in Christ. High.

Friday. Low. I woke up feeling awful. I had an awful headache, fever, diarrhea, throw ups, chills, and pain in my whole body. We weren't really expecting it so we weren't able to find anyone to do divisions before the food (which is at 3). So I slept that whole time then we went to the house of the family that we were going to eat with that day and I stayed there as my companion worked for the rest of the afternoon. Don't worry though, the family's 5 year old son did an examine, turns out my blood was burning up within me but he did a surgery on my arm with lotion, toothpaste and hair gel. So Saturday morning I woke up all good haha. I think it was a 24 hour bug like the one I had on Christmas. I was just really tired and weak and had a headache on Saturday. 

Saturday. High. We were able to talk with a kid here named Angel. He is reactivating since we found him. He is 18 and we are helping him to serve a mission. He reminds me so much of Chris. He is so loyal, has a huge heart, and just loves people. We are working with him a lot. He has had a rough life. His mom hasn't really been there so he stopped going to school really young. He doesn't have some elementary and all of his high school schooling. We are working with the programs that they ave here to get him finished up with that as soon as possible. He just needs love. I really care aout him. He's a really great kid with a tough past who just wants to do the right thing for everyone.

Sunday, another high. When we got to church, Jorge and Jorgito showed up early and were reading the Book of Mormon. They really liked everything and are so anxious to learn. We went to visit Sister Lolita who had another surgery about a month ago. She is doing good. We sang with her, we all cried because her health has not been good at all and she is just fighting so that she can see her only son when he gets back from his mission in June. It was very spiritual and wonderful.

Monday. Low and high. I got the news this morning which really kind of slowed me down. But we went with a sister whom we love so very much to do laundry and cook a traditional meal from Puebla, Mexico called Cemitas. So good. We spent the whole day with Sister Marta. We even went with her to pick up her son from school (the doctor who operated on me on Friday). We pretended like we were the ones who were picking him up. He was so excited when he saw us that he screamed "MISIONERAS!!!" It was so nice to spend time with this family.

That's all I have for this week. Plus a bunch of pictures! Oh and Wednesday nights, I am giving English classes! I will be sending those pictures. 12 members showed up and it was so very special!

Love you guys so much, 

105 days.

Hermanaut