Sent: Mon, July 12, 2010 8:42:13 AM
Subject: faamiilliiiaaaaa
Holllaaaaaa!!!! YAYAYAAAYY I am SOOO happy that you received the cds. Yep. That’s Guatemala and that aint even doing justice. haha. But I’m glad you liked them. But daaaangg, now I know for a fact that the letters I sent home didn’t get there. I sent a bunch of letters home, but I guess they didn’t make it. I sent one to Andrew for grad and it was a good one too. It had all my sisterly advice and tips for post grad and it was pretty good I must say....and I sent a letter to daddy for father’s day!! I guess that all didn’t make it. DAANANANAGGG, that makes me so mad. I also sent one to Auntie Grace and some others. That sucks because one pday I just wrote and wrote and I don’t think any of them made it. GUATEMALA!!!! Sucks! But keep looking, because I sent it!!!!!!!!!!!!! ewewewweeewewwe. But no, I didn’t get the package with the peds and candies. The only package i got was one from auntie grace and cookies from dearelder. I didn’t receive anything else. But, hopefully soon. Thanks ahead of time. I am SOOOOOO excited. That is seriously like gold!!!!
Ok, as for update on the area, DAAANNANAGGG this week was rough. Just a rough week. Things did not go our way and I may or may not have shed tears yesterday of just stress and ahahhahahahahhahahah!!!! Ok so, our zone leaders this change felt inspired to have 25 baptisms on July 25. In the beginning of the change we had this meeting where they promised us if we did all we could, Every companionship, could baptize one family on July 25. Okay cool. I haven’t necessarily been working only for this, but I can honestly say this change we have just been going crazy. Working, working, working, and doing all we can. Crazy missionaries!!! And in the beginning we saw so much hope, potential and progress in our area. I KNEW that this change my comp and I were going to kill it and do MIRACLES but this week it all just crumbled.
First of all, Angelina. She made leaps and bounds in testimony and was showing more faith and progress than ever. Walking to church, reading scriptures daily, bearing powerful testimony. It was amazing!! We had her baptismal interview this week and she was supposed to get baptized, BUT this week for her she just broke. Everyday, someone would come to tell her bad things about the church. EVERYDAY!! So we’d go, she’d have doubts, we’d clear them...bah. The next day same thing. Vicious cycle of just ugliness. One time we went, and her devil nephew was there and we walked right in while he was bashing the Book of Mormon. He is Evangelical and just an Anti-Mormon devil child. Oh man!! I was IRATTTEEE and honestly, we just lay it straight.
I just told him straight up in a loving way of course....haha the truth....that the book of Mormon is TRUE yo!! ANd he aint got nothing and knows nothing because his heart is too hard to read it. And it was probably one of the strongest times I have felt the spirit on my mission. haha. Me and my comp left laughing and like daaaannng that was crazy because we honestly felt the power of God with us as we testified and bore testimony of the reality of this sacred book. He straight up just stood up and left after we talked to him and didn’t say nothing to us and at least he hasn’t come back to bother Hermana Angelina!!! haha. But she still got others. EVERYDAY there is someone who comes and something that happens and it is just crazy and so frustrating!!!! So anyways, she was supposed to get baptized, but yesterday she didn’t show up and it was so sad.
Then we still have Eva. She is positive as ever, but still it’s her husband or partner. We talked to him, but he still doesn’t want to get married. He is really interesting. I don’t know but he’s one of those that thinks he’s a prophet....that everybody is a prophet and that there is no need for anything. I don’t know. It’s weird. So she’s still positive, but can’t get baptized until her partner agrees to be married. When that will be....I don’t know!!!! Faith!
And Hilda, again the husband.....she was supposed to get baptized this week, but her husband won’t give permission because he is catholic. She still comes to church and told us she wants to get baptized but until her husband says yes she cant!!! She likes the church and all, but she said she won’t be baptized until later in her life or in the next life....I don’t know!!!!! Patience. and then finally the familia Agiular. Parents, we have been working and working with this family. We found them the first week and I don’t know why we kept working with them, but we have and they have no doubt been progressing. The first time we contacted them they told us they were never home so they could never receive us. We went to their house, and they did. In the first lesson the dad was so mean and rude and just blah blah blah. just really hard hearted and bashed everything we said, But for some reason he told us that he would still listen to us and for some reason we decided to go back and every week they have been getting better. He made it CLEAR that they would listen, but that they would never come to church. And for some reason, my comp always said that he was scary and blah. blah he’ll never change, but for some reason I just didn’t believe it.
Every time he would tell us mean things or that he’d never change, for some reason I would just start to laugh. It’s the weirdest thing. But they have been progressing and each day I see the dads’ heart open up a bit. Finally this week, we got to the point of visiting them almost every day and it has been great!!!!! The family has just completely opened up to us and it has been a miracle really because although the dad doesn’t necessarily say he believes, we have no doubt seen a change and he invites us over everyday and tells his family and friends about us. MIRACLE. and Saturday we invited them again to come to church and they ACCEPTED!!!!!!!!! Well he told us maybe....but we told him YES and that wed pass by tomorrow morning for them. They accepted. oh my gosh we were so excited!!!!!! We passed by their house in the morning and they were ready to go to church. I almost cried just because I remembered how it was when we started and now look!! Their whole family was coming to church!! Oh I was so happy. So we walked with them and right when we got to the chapel, the dad refused to come in!!!! He just stopped and could not take the step in!!!!! I was like what!!! Don’t be ridiculous!! Come in!!!! But he said he couldn’t and my heart just died!!!! I was so sad. And we tried and tried to get them to come. Members invited them, but nothing!!! He wouldn’t!!!!!!! And not in front of them, but in the bathroom I just cried!!!! It was soooooo sad. Probably the saddest I have been on my mission. I don’t know what happened, but we went over yesterday but there were people over so we couldn’t really talk. But oh man!!!!!!!!!
This week everything was like that!!!!! Just fail. Fail. Fail. And I just broke down and cried yesterday. But I am learning patience and that we just gotta do our best. I wont have my family being baptized 25 de Julio. It’s impossible now and in some aspects I just feel like I failed because they promised us that if we do everything were supposed to, it will happen!!!!! I don’t know, it was rough but today I feel a lot better. I’ve been just thinking a lot and felt comfort that I did all I can and that I can’t take away peoples agency. I have faith. Trust me we got faith and we are trying, but they got agency!!!! ANdd ohhahhhahahahahah it is so frustrating sometimes. But the church is still true so we have to just keep moving forward, working, and trusting in the Lord. It seriously just seemed like nothing went well this week. Nothing. But I´m grateful there is another one!!!! I love you family!!!!!!! Thanks for all your love and support!!!!!!!! Hopefully next week, there will be better news. But I am learning patience and still despite these disappointments, I am grateful to be here. No matter what, the church is still true. So we need to just keep trying!!!!!! That’s all we can do!!! I love you all!!!!!!! Thanks for everything!!!!!!!!! The church is true so I testify to love!!!!!!!!
Love you all!!!!!
Oh and to answer the question.....as for the Spanish.......about that!!!!!! haha. I am improving. I can definitely feel the Lord’s help. I can speak Spanish when a. someone says something bad about the book of Mormon or 2. There is something I need to know. It’s the craziest thing. One cool thing about learning a language is you can definitely FEEL the gift of tongues with you!! In no means, can I understand everything or speak Spanish perfectly, but when you NEED to know something or something is important you will KNOW!!!!!! It’s crazy!!! How true that is!!! the majority of the time I hear laiufijdfjijfaijfjjdfidjfdjfijf, but when it is something important or the person is making progress, I can understand perfectly and I can speak....it is CRAZY!!!!! The church is TRUE and this is the Lords work!!! I know that!! I can honestly feel that everyday!! So as for the Spanish, still not completely there, but the Lord provides and it is enough!!! Oh HErmana Curruchiche.....Dang!!!! I ran out of time, but I want to tell everyone about Hermana Curruchiche. Buterbaugh, if you are there.....I got some news for you about Hermana Curruchiche. Elder Lloyd is yelling at me so I need to go!!!!!!! But I love you all! The church is true!!! Don’t forget it!!!!!!!
First Companion MTC and CCM, Hermana Williams