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

I Found It

Hi everyone!

I hope your week was super good! So the title is "I found it!" because I found it! I found the birthday list and GUESS WHAT! I am all caught up and as far as this list that I have goes, I don't know anyone with a birthday in April! And if I do know someone who has a birthday in April and you are not on this list I AM SO SORRY. Just have patience with this sister missionary who hardly knows what day it is.

Anyway, there's not a ton to update you guys on. We had a really great week! Sister Canaan and I are seeing so many miracles! I think one of the biggest miracles that we have seen is with a less active family that we are working with. The Trujillo family consists of Alejandra (the mom), Mariana, Alondra (her daughters), the daughter of Mariana, Fernanda, and Karina who is a friend of Alondra that lives there right now. We found the Truillo family a few weeks ago and have been visiting them regularily.  During one of our visits we met Karina who is not a member and we starting teaching her the missionary lessons. During the process of teaching Karina, the rest of the girls started making HUGE process! All

three of them (Alejandra, Mariana and Alondra and not Fer because she's young) have been reading and praying so much more. Alejandra went to church to see conference two weeks ago and all of them came to church yesterday. Their progress has been slow but so very beautiful in these last few weeks. Alondra is going to acompany us to do visits this week. They have commented to us that they are all making changes in their lives and even have started to stop doing things that are not in line with the gospel. One thing that Alejandra needs to do is get married to the man that she is living with. They have all that they need to do it, it's just a matter of us helping them in the process. It was so wonderful to see them all there and I look forward to keep working with them. We didn't have a lot of investigators in church this week but we had 10 less actives come to church. All 10 assisted sacrament meeting, 6 assited Sunday school, and 5 stayed until the last hour. I am so grateful to see these people and families come unto Christ newly. It's been such a blessing.

Our area here is super big. There are parts that I haven't even visited so we have planned to go to these parts this week to know more people. We went to one part yesterday and were able to set up 4 appointments to visit people who live in this part of our area this week. We just keep trucking along and we just don't give up. I really love Sister Canaan. We work really well together and I feel the Spirit so much in everything that we do. Although we laugh a ton, there always seems to be a reverence within us that I enjoy very much.

I am seriously going to miss the mangoes here. You can
find them anywhere. And this is how you eat a mango correctly!

This work is so beautiful. I seriously love it so so much. I commented to someone today that I really dread the question "how much time do you have left in your mission?". Before it wasn't so bad but now I hate seeing the reactions that I only have 3 and a half
more months left. I can't even believe it. I try not to think about it but I do keep it in my heart so that it is a reminder to do all that I can everyday. It's very possible that I could end my mission here. I would love that, but we will see. Also, I guess I haven't told you guys but my mission president and his wife end their missions in 2 months. They will be going home one transfer before me. On Wednesday I will have my last interview with President Kusch. I am really bummed that he and his wife will be leaving one transfer before me. I am thinking about asking them if they want to extend their mission so that they can end with my generation ahaha. Our new mission president is named Brother Avila. He is from Mexico and doesn't speak english. That will be cool to have an interview with him haha. 

I thought I would show you guys what sister missionary
shoes looks like after a month and a half when
you apparently walk horribly.

Anyway, that's all that I have for you guys this week. I love you all so very much. I look forward to coming home soon but I also know that I still need to work. Please know that I am working so very hard everyday to do all that the Lord asks of me. I am by no means perfect but I would like to quote something that I heard in the Meet the Mormons movie. It goes something along the lines of this: "I am not close to perfection. But in one thing I am perfect, trying." I do all that I can everyday to please my Father in Heaven so that He will bless you all. Success in numbers is not what I look for. I work to be even a little bit worthy of the miracles that I see in this work and the blessings that you all deserve. God and all of you have given me so much and I am giving this year and a half for all that He and all of you have done for me. It's a very small offering in comparison, but right now it's all I have.

I love you all and miss you all.

Nos vemos muy pronto.

Hermanaut

What to say?

Hey everyone!

Honestly, don't hate me, but I lost my birthday list again so if I have missed your birthday pleeeese forgive me! I do have a shout out though! I want to throw a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to one of my longest and most faithful friends, Kristin Katich who is pregnant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well I guess you're Kristin Sumbot now, well have been for a while but whatever! I am just so stoked!!! Although she isn't my first friend to have a baby, she is my first friend from before high school to be pregnant and I feel so blessed that I will be home before he/she arrives!! You all know that I was openly crying here in the cyber cafe when I saw the picture of those little feet! AHHHH!!

Ok, I am calm now haha. Well it was a good week. Sister Canaán and I get along ridiculously well and we just have really good harmony. I feel super blessed to have her as a companion right now. I truthfully feel like she is the answer to some of my secret prayers. I have been waiting for a while to have a companion with whom I just click with. I hope it won't be a short time. We just laugh a lot. I can see my errors though. I feel like I have been so used to other things that I react within so I am truthfully trying to get rid of some bad habits that I have and just enjoy it. 

We were super stoked for conference and Easter weekend but at about 1:20 Saturday morning my companion woke up with a really high fever of 38.5 C. She was super sick and her fever was off and on for all of Saturday. When we have fevers or are really sick we can't leave the house soooo we were in teh house all day Saturday and all day Sunday. It was ok though. She rested a lot which is what she needed. We did some shinanigans. We ate A LOT of tamales. Last night, I also taught her how to play rummy. I am a really good teacher and I think I taught her too much because she actually gives me a run for my money. We are going to try and play at least a few times every week and keep a count and then in the last week of the transfer we will do something. I don't know haha.

Shenanigan 1

I have been feeling really pressured lately and I have come to understand that I am really hard on myself. I completed 14 months in the mission yesterday. My companion did a countdown for me and I only have 119 days left in the mission. It kind of stresses me out. I don't want to lose a single minute and I don't want to lose a single blessing that is open for my family and friends. I feel like it's game 5 and me and the other team are rallying back and forth to get two points up on the others. It's just a lot of pressure. I come home at night overviewing the day and I feel myself judging myself on whether I gave everything or not. Sometimes I am not very nice to myself and that's what I am trying to change. I am just so very hard on myself and I can't decide when I am being too hard on myself or just right. I pray every night that the Lord will help me.

Shenanigan 2. SUPER BED. We may or may not regret this.
 I will let you guys know next week.

I love the mission so much. It has been the most beautiful time in my life. Some people might call these 14 months that I have dedicated a waste of time in a crazy church but I am 100% sure that this is the best thing that anyone can do in anytime in their life ESPECIALLY with THIS gospel because it is the truth. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and as Joseph Smith declares in the introduction of the same book, "a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." I know that this statement is true because I have experimented it. I feel blessed because the Lord saved me from a very dark pit almost 3 years ago. I also know the Jesus Christ died and rised for us. I know that He lives today and if we rely on the power of His life, we also can be risen from the spiritual pits that we find ourselves in. I also know that the Lord blesses us unfailingly for obedience because we love Him. I promised the Lord about 2 years ago when I recieved my mission call that I would serve Him for this time with all that I had and have and daily I try to live up to that promise. And although I am so imperfect, He has allowed me to experience and see, and feel and learn things that I couldn't have learned in any other place in any other time. I surely hope that I have given all that I can to pay Him back for what He has done for me, but if not, I will keep serving Him even after the day when i don't have this name tag on my chest.

I love you all and I invite you all to come unto Christ and be saved.

Hermanaut

Transfers

I LOVE MEXICO!!!!

Buenas tardes a todos!!

This was our district. 

So we had transfers today! I am really sad to say that my companion, Hermana Canales has left. I was really hoping that we would have one transfer more together but the Lord knows that we learned a very important
lesson in the time we had. I have a new companion named Hermana Canaan! She is 20 years old and from Puebla, Mexico! So far she seems soooo rad. I feel like she is a mini me and not just because she is really short! hah! So far we get along really well so I am stoked to see what will happen in these next 6 weeks! Also... she loves popcorn and I love popcorn.... so you guys understand.

The elder on the right is from a super small town

 in California only like 2 hours from Reno! 

I had to say goodbye to Hermana Johnson last week. 

She honorably finished her mission and

 is on her way back home to Spain today! 

As for updates, I am really bummed to tell you guys that I had to go to the hospital on Saturday afternoon.... a-freaking-gain. In the middle of the week last week I started to experience some back pain. I followed the directions that we were given for back pain but everyday it got worse and worse until my hips and knees were hurting a ton. I got a check and the doctor said I have a problem with one of the nerves in my back and possibly an infection. They gave me prescriptions to have a complex b and cortizone (I think that's how you spell it) everyday as well as muscle relaxers and Tylenol and rest. I thought it was a little extreme as well as the mission presidents wife so she called the mission doctor in Mexico City and he gave me something else

Sister missionaries know how to multi task! hahaha

The coke here is a million times better than the US.
Not sorry about it.

We were in a trio for a few days because the companion
of Sister Morales ended her mission today.

to take daily and said the Tylenol and the muscle relaxers when I feel really bad. I will be doing this for a week to see what happens. I feel a little better. I had to take the muscle relaxers after we ate yesterday because I was hurting a lot but I didn't like it because although I didn't feel any pain at all I felt really weird the rest of the time we were working. I am really trying to do the best I can to make sure that I don't mess it up or I
anything I would just like one minute to complain... I am so sick of being sick or now, hurt. Honestly. I just want to serve the Lord with all my heart, MIGHT, mind and STRENGTH. It has been very frustrating for me in the mission to have been sick so many times. But I also know that there must be an opposition in all things. I have been trying to rely on the Lord even more to receive the physical strength that I need. I just feel so uncomfortable in every moment, walking, sitting, laying down. But yea, I am done complaining.

My new companion, sister Canaan!!

On Sunday we did have a miracle though! The dad of a family that we have been working with for a while came to church! Something has told us for these last three weeks to keep working with him, so we have AND IT PAID OFF! He is really great. We have seen little changes here and there in him and we look forward to seeing more!

Well that's all for now! Love you guys so much!

Hermanaut

I want you guys to see the new video that has been put out called "Because He Lives". It's super rad and talks about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  

helives.mormon.org

Peaceful

Hello everyone!!

Happy birthday to Little Reaganita! I can't believe that she is already two years old! Love ya hermanita!!

Welcome to Cuernavaca!

So what to say, what to say? I first want to give the biggest thank you that I can to you all. This week I was blessed many emails of pure love. Many of them made me laugh, smile, and tear up all at the same time. To be honest, I feel so very unworthy sometimes to have so many people that love me and show it to me so often. Honestly, after every monday of emailing I feel refreshed and ready to face the week that comes. You all are such a special light in my life. I am more than convinced that the love that one feels from another is just proof of God in our lives. God IS love. So as I feel all of the love that you all give me I feel so blessed to feel a part of the love that God has for us. I know that as we open our hearts and let love in we can never be sad because you just can't! It's a personal connection with the Lord that can never be replaced! It also makes me so happy to know that so many of my loved ones are being blessed so highly. I know that God works in our lives daily, we just need to be a little more sensitive to the Holy Ghost that testifies to us of the things of Him. 

We ate a really good hamburger this day!

Well, the first thing I want to tell you guys about it the relationship that I have developed with my companion. For the weeks that we were struggling I was constantly begging the Lord that He would open my heart to allow me to let her in as well as her heart for the same reason. I can testify that the Lord has done this for the both of us. In these last three weeks we have experienced so many things together. We are closer than ever. The Lord has made our hearts of stone become hearts of flesh. (see Ezekiel 36:26-27https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/ezek/36.26?lang=eng#25 ) I can't describe what has happened in our relationship and the effect that it has had in our work here. As we have learned to love each other, serve each other, and understand each other we have also developed the capacity to do the same thing for other

people. Last week we had one of the most spiritual lessons that I have had in my mission and one of the most spiritual experiences in my life. We have an investigator named Rosa who is blind and is missing a leg. Her mother and brother are members of the baptist church and they off and on listen to us. Well her brother left and her mother (her name is Maria) stayed to listen. We had decided to just read Moroni 10 from the Book of Mormon to them. ( https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/10?lang=eng ) We didn't do anything. We just read. But as we read we both felt something incredible. We didn't even pause to give understanding to them because we botbh could feel the Spirit and KNEW that they understood because the Spirit was testifying to them. My whole body was really hot, but not an uncomfortable hot but a very peaceful heat. My hands felt like they were holding fire. My companion also felt something very powerful.As we finished reading we looked at Maria and she knew that everything was true and told us that it was. We then read to her Moroni 8 ( https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/8?lang=eng ) because in the lesson before she expressed to us the guilt that she felt for baptizing her children when they were so young. Again the whole room was filled with the Spirit but even stronger. She then also testified of the things that we read. I can't express to you guys in an email all that happened. But it was such an incredible feeling. My companion and I were able to testify of and say things that we would have not have been able to say had the Spirit not been there. I know that these two women will never forget what they felt that day and neither will we.

I seriously love this woman. This is Sister Martha.
She is INCREDIBLE!!! And really short

I can't end this email without offering a few more thoughts about the things that I have experienced in the mission. God is so powerful and loving. That day when this lesson happened, we as weak and imperfect servants could not have said or done anything like we experienced without the words that the Lord gave to his prophets that are found in the Book of Mormon. This book is so important in our lives. Although the original writings of the Book of Mormon are in gold plates we still hold the most important treasure in our hands when we read it. I am weak and imperfect. I am nothing in comparison to the Lord but He in His everlasting love and mercy has made me all that I am. I know that as wel pray fervently to the Lord that He hears us. Although we may start out as lumps of coal, if we pay attention to the councils that He has given us in the scriptures that He makes us into something so much more perfect. I can't love as He can love, but I surely can allow Him to help me love and serve as He would have me do. I know that the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is the best thing that can happen in the life of someone. I know that Christ died for our sins but on the third day He was resurrected. I know that because of His resurrection we can become new creatures. (see 2 Corinthians 5:17) I KNOW THAT HE LISTENS. I know that as we let other people into our lives and ask the Lord to help us see them as He sees them and love them as He loves them our hearts will be filled with an uncontrolable amount of love and that we will always be full.

I love you all so very much. I pray for all of you. I invite you all to read the Book of Mormon with an open heart so that you might see what the Lord wants to tell you. I also invite you all to choose a person who is difficult to love or that you are afraid to love and ask the Lord in a fervent prayer to give you the strength to love them. And during this process I invite you all to serve this person with all that you have, even if all that you have to serve them is to tell them hello or smile at them. I know that if the Lord has been able to make my heart, a heart that was cold and closed, become bigger and more able to love that He can also do the same for you.

See you all so very soon,

Hermanaut

It Happened!!!

HI family!!!

SO I have more birthday shout outs!! BUT I need to clarify something, I think I got Uncle Glen and Grandma Hutch's birthdays mixed up but either way HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO UNCLE GLEN AND GRANDMA HUTCH! Also a very special happy birthday to my wonderful sister Heather!! I love you all so very much!!!!

Well this email is titled "IT HAPPENED" because it happened. As I opened my email today I received the dreaded "yep, you're going home soon so we need some personal info" email. It really just blew me out of seat. I may have almost cried. I just can't believe it. I have less than 5 months left to work in the best service in the world. Really, only 20 more weeks.... Yea, let's move onto another topic because this one is really sad and I don't want to think about it.

Well this last week we have a special zone conference. We hosted the visit of three general authorities of the church. We were able to hear from Elder Clayton, member of the first quorum of the seventy, Elder Clayton of the area presidency of Mexico, and Elder Mirón, area seventy. It was a really cool and spiritual experience. We really didn't recieve a formal training like normal. We were asked to study a topic and come to the conference with questions. We basically did a question and answer session for two hours. I really liked it because a lot of the questions that were asked were inspired and helpful to many of. I received a lot of personal revelation although I didn't ask a question. 

Special conference that we had. I am like right in the middle. This is half of our mission!

This week I wanted to write about two of the people that we are working with right now. One of our investigators is named Jesus. He is 68 years old and had his own mechanic shop. Before we got here the other sisters were teaching him. Actually his first Sunday here was my first Sunday as well. Since I have been in this ward he has only missed church 2 times. He has presented us with an unusual challenge. He doesn't consider himself worthy to be baptized. He feels that the Bible condemns him. As he reads it, espcially the New Testament when Christ makes the 10 commandments more difficult he feels condemned because he fights with his wife and falls into temptation. I feel that we have tried everything to help him. He thinks it will be a couple of years until he will be worthy to be baptized. I really enjoy our lessons with him though. He is very kind and respectful of us. He doesn't like to pray in front of us but we were able to get him to pray last week! It was huge progress because he hadn't prayed before with us or the other sisters. He continues to read the Book of Mormon. Actually he has almost finished it. He is awesome honestly. We just strive in every lesson to show him the love that we and our Heavenly Father have for him.

We had some fun after the food! This is Sister Raquel!

 Another investigator I want to mention is a young mother named Ana. We found her last week as we were walking to the church after a lesson to meet up with a member. We were on the other side of the street and my companion told me "we should cross the street to talk to that girl" and I was like, "YEA WE SHOULD!" haha so we crossed the street and started talking to her. I gave her the proclamation on the family and talked to her about living day prophets and how building her family on the foundation of Christ as it explains in the proclamation would give her spiritual and even temporal safety in these difficult times. She was super excited and them explained to us that she has been searching for a church for a very long time. She said that she has visited a ton of them and wants to be baptized because she knows it's a commandment but has felt that there has not been a single one that has been the truth. We were able to meet up with her again on Saturday. We got to her house and she explained to us that her husbands family didn't give her permission for us to enter their house because they

are Catholic and we aren't. Fortunately, she lives right across the street from the church so we went and had our lesson there. It was a super spiritual lesson. We gave her the Book of Mormon and she is super excited to read it. It came to a very rough end though. She did the final prayer and asked that her husbands heart would be softened so that she can draw closer to God. She was crying because she explained that her husband doesn't allow her to do anything and that she would have to read the Book of Mormon in secret so that he wouldn't get mad. I can0t explain how much this lady has touched my heart. She desires more than anything to do what the Lord requires of her. She is really wonderful and I know that the Lord sees the efforts that she makes to draw closer to her and that He is with her in this process.

Ay, ok. I just have to say it. I can't believe the little time that I have left in the mission. It has gone by so quickly as I look back at it. I feel like a completely different person. I am so blessed although I will always be in debt to my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ for saving me from where I was. I was reflecting today about a call that I made to a friend of mine, Andre Hutchens before I entered the MTC. (Most of you know who he is.) The Sunday or Monday night before entering the MTC I called Andre crying because I wasn't sure if I could serve a mission.

I wasn't sure if I was doing the "right thing" because of my age. I didn't feel ready to teach about a gospel that I had just barely began to discover. As I thought about this today I have come to the understanding that I was right. I can't serve a mission and maybe I wasn't doing the "right thing" for my age, and I sure wasn't ready to preach. But the Lord was and is ready. He is always here to make everything right. I, alone, could not
have served a mission but when I have depended on Christ and His power He has helped me. For the world, to spend a year and a half of my life at 23, nor 24 years old wasn't right. I could have finished studying or gotten married. But it wasn't about what I was going to do as much as what the Lord was going to do with me. He has mercifully made me an instrument in His hands in this time. And truthfully, I didn't know anything but I had to learn to let the Spirit guide me in all that I did. HE has taught me in this last year. I am so different. I am 100% different. The Lord has made me a whole different person. I am grateful to know His restored gospel. I am grateful that I have been able to read the Book of Mormon so many times and I invite every single one of you to read it with an open heart waiting for the revelation that you will receive from it.

I love you all so very much. Thank you for all that you have done for me.

Hermanaut

10 Facts about serving a mission in Mexico

Today we went to a members house and ate tacos! (with la coka) 

HELLOOOOO!!!

I have shoutouuuuutttsss :)) You can all just imagine my face when I say that...haha HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my cutie cousin Gracie, the beautiful and awesomeee Jaclyn Anderson, and the bestttttt not really my uncle but I still call him uncle, Uncle Glen!!! I love you guys so much!!! I hope you all had a very wonderful birthdays!!

So this week, I don't have a ton of time but I thought I would just write some facts about being an LDS missionary in Mexico!

1. If you talked in your sleep before the mission, you still talk in your sleep in the mission... but now it's in Spanish, really loud, teaching the missionary lessons, and your grammar is better than when you are awake. (my poor companions...haha)

2. You are ALWAYS dirty because even the water you take a shower with is dirty haha.

3. If you put on makeup in the morning, at night time it's already been washed off with you sweat. Gross, I know.

4. You can't buy big packets of oreos like in the US. The big boxes come with only 6 bags of 6. 

5. You eat A LOT of chicken.

6. You never eat a taco of any sort without at least one glass of Coke.

7. If you're a white female, daily you are called "guerra" (white girl) in this really creepy voice.

we had arroz con leche afterwards!
 so gooooood!! (rice with milk)

8. You will go through more than 3 pairs of shoes from walking so much. (I am about to buy my 6th pair.)

9. You now know the words to the same 3 Latin American songs, "hablame de tiiii," "solo quiero darte un beso..." "no me quedo nada masss"

10. and the 10th fact, you have never, ever, in your life loved and appreciated Mexicans and their beautiful and inspiring culture.

I love this country and its people. I love the culture. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father that He has allowed me to come here and grow so much. I feel so blessed. Only 5 shorts months left. Believe me when I am saying that I am giving every ounce of me that I have in each day to serve. I know that it's worth it.

Love you all,  Hermanaut