Venga lo que Venga, Disfrutalo.: Como, super duper mega bien! (Week 3)

Hola mi familia!!! :)

It's a great time to be a missionary!

So let's start out with the day after last P day. Once upon a time, I woke up at 3am to something crawling on my face. I hit my face and there is something the size of a penny crawling on mi cara (face). So I swipe it off because sleep is precious to missionaries. Then 3 seconds later, I feel something crawling on my arm - NOT OKAY. So I smash the thing and put it on my bed so I can go find my flashlight and see what the heck it is- I find my flashlight AND IT IS GONE. Orale. I wake up Hma. Calderon and we are up till 3:45am fighting off the 8 legged adversary infesting our apartment. Now every night I spray bug spray on my bed - it's okay to smell like chemicals all day, right?

For language study on night, we went to "the clubhouse" and I played the piano while cantabamos himnos (we sang hymns). It was SUCH a great stress reliever! I miss the piano SO much!!!!!

EVERYONE: look up the song "I am His daughter". I don't care if you are un hombre, mujer, perro o gato. It's an AMAZING song! Go to youth.lds.org Elder Donovan told me to look up the song during personal study.... I love it. I really wish I knew that song during high school! :)

Por La Santa Cena (sacrament), they didn't call my name. That's okay! Este Domingo nosotros discursos es de "El Libro De Mormon". Pray that my name will get called! :) I want to talk! I want to be confident!!!

Mi companera, Hermana Calderon, with Elders Johnson and Stoker...HILARIOUS companionship. Their zone left Monday, gonna miss these rowdy boys.

So we taught Merido, let's just say.... I had a meltdown. His back story is so sad and his question to us was "Porque Dios nos da malas cosas - como disasteres naturales?" I don't know how to answer that and I fo sho can't answer that in Spanish. And our maestro acted as Merido, angry and very bitter when you first meet him. It's so hard when you know the happiness of the Gospel and you want to just bear your soul to him - but you don't know how... it was definitely a game changer. I got hit in the face with the real world and surprisingly, I want to try again. I want to bear my soul and I'm not going to let anything stop me.

We also taught Carlos (still our teacher) and he has NO background in religion.... literally. He asked if there is a God, why does it seem like He's hiding in a closet? We taught him that God has given us agency, prayer and we taught him that Dios sabe Carlos, su nombre, su vida .... todos! And we GOT HIM TO SAY THE CLOSING PRAYER!!!!! Oh and EVEN BETTER - I have La Primera Vision MEMORIZED! Our segundo leccion con Carlos, I told him La Primera Vision sin looking at the scripture!!!!! AHHHHH!!!! I DID IT! And I memorized it the day before while on the train to get OUR VISAS!!!! Yep, my VISA is on the way - Viva LA MEXICO! :) Oh and I rode a TRAIN. An ACTUAL train - I don't know if I was more excited about the train, getting my VISA or memorizing La Primera Vision.

Funny story: Elder Black (left) and Elder Comeau (right, new in our Zone) switched tags for the devotional.... it was super chistoso. Funny, because...well, you can see.

Oh by the way, Tuesday's devotional.... the speaker was L. Tom Perry. That man is huge. haha! And our district had the opportunity to sing in the choir for the devotional! But as soon as Elder Perry walked into the room, my heart exploded. He is an apostle who has been called by GOD. I know that... nothing can move me from what I KNOW is true!! He talked about the importance of companionships and how no matter what - we make things work because we are in this together. It was an amazing experience and I am SO blessed. I can't wait to see who is the NEXT speaker for Tuesday, any guesses?? Monson? Jesus? :) (jajaja, jota kah <---- div="" jk="" of="" spanish="" the="" version="">

Yesterday (11/14/2013) I call "Dia de la Expiacion" or "Atonement Day". We taught Carlos about the Atonement/asked him to pray and read the Book of Mormon - he said SI. Then we asked once he has found the truth if he would be baptized - he was super hesitant but he told us on Saturday he would have an answer. YAY. Then Hermano Porter (who plays our investigator Carlos) showed us a video about The Atonement/Missionary Work with Elder Holland & Elder Erying. No se que el titulo del video pero, it was amazing. Definitely shed some tears.

"Missionary work isn't easy because SALVATION isn't a cheap reward." -Elder Holland

It was NEVER easy for the Savior... and it isn't going to be easy. But I know throughout my whole mission, mi Salvador will be with me por media de TODO. Ok, the 3rd experience. Last night we had interviews with our Zone Sister Leaders and Elder (Canyon) Tullis (in a different district, same zone) wanted to talk to us before we began. Let me give you un fondo de Elder Tullis (a background). He is hilarious and super supportive and super kind to EVERYONE he comes in contact with and we would go up to each other all the time to bear/practice nosotros testimonios en Espanol.... he reminded me SO much of Danny- naturally him and I got along pretty dang well. Well, yesterday during dinner I look over and he is not himself. I literally saw pain and extreme sadness. It was hard. So, when he came to talk to us before the interview, I had a huge pit in my stomach. He told he had somethings he had to finish at home and needed to be completely honest - he is leaving tomorrow (well, today ... this morning). Before we went to our apartment, we stopped by with our district to his apartment and said goodbye. All I wanted to do was hug him and cry. All I could say was, "I know you can do it, Elder. You are an amazing young man and don't let ANYTHING pull you down. You have a whole army of missionaries and Christ supporting you in everything you do." Yes the language has been hard... I am tired and homesick - but the pain and sadness in his eyes - that had been the hardest part. I have been there, I have confessed and it is SCARY. Seriously, everything in Elder Tullis was gone and I feel so much sorrow for him. I can't stop thinking about him. I cried in during my interview after he told us/left the room, I didn't sleep all night and I cried while at the Temple today. He brought back so many memories, and I really help he is okay. PLEASE everyone reading this! Pray for Elder Canyon Tullis. The Atonement is so amazing and I know he can be healed and find peace. Through grace, the enabling of Jesus Christ, I know Elder Tullis will be able to go back on his mission in a year and where EVER he is called next - the people there are SO blessed. Please pray for Elder Tullis. Pray for his family.

I'm still playing volibol and I love it! I'm getting better at spikes and setting... it's a big pride builder - so it's not a good thing but at the same time it is. Let's just say, I'M KIND OF A BIG DEAL. :) I love gym time here, it's a great stress reliever when no tengo el piano. And my knees are covered in bruises because I dive for the ball todas las dias!!! jajaja.

I love you family! Keep writing me letters - one Elder received 15 letters in one day. No chiste. NO JOKE. So uh, keep them letters a-comin'! :) Remember the Lord in ALL you do, pray daily and keep praying! He knows who you are (Alma 5:38, Jeremiah 1:5) and He loves you. Rely on the Lord and His Atonement. Pray for us missionaries! We need the prayers! Till next time!

Godspeed and GOODNIGHT!

Translation:

El Evangelio todavia es verdadero (The Gospel is STILL true)

Este muy divertido (it's very fun!)

Con Amor,

Hermana Winsor