(Senegalese dress, a gift from a sweet Sister)
Sept 3:First things, M was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! She is absolutely amazing and we are so excited for her!!!
Also, miracles of new companionship... we were walking down the street and Soeur Montalvo said hi to someone... then turned around and said "Sister! Did I hear an accent??" In Spanish. The new friend did speak Spanish, and she said hey, you're missionaries, right? You teach people about God? Do you want to teach me right now? So... long story short, we're teaching her and it's alllll in Spanish and I've re-learned how to testify in Spanish.
2nd miracle... a woman just walked into church this last Sunday, we're not sure how she got the address or anything but she came and prayed and talked to us a little. She took a plan of salvation pamphlet and said she'd read it and come to the Temple.
I've got to cut the email short, we're going to a member's house for the Come and See event so we're scooting p-day around a little, but I've still got 2 things I want to share! I'm on a phone so I can't link them, but I hope you have fun looking these up.
1- the video Peter and John heal a man crippled from birth, in the bible videos. The look on the man's face when he realized he could go into the temple is something I've seen here, several times over, and it's amazing.
(OK, mom just watched this one. I love it, it came right up when I put the description in)
2- It is well with my soul, vocal point, is also really good and you should listen to it if you can.
Something I've learned this week is a lot of things that are good are not easy, and people who think faith makes life cotton candy and unicorns,or even worse that you can only have faith if your life is super easy, don't understand the core of it. Faith isn't just for the easy times, faith grows the most when we test it and need to lean on it. Don't think that someone who has faith must have had an easy life, and really don't tell them that they can't possibly understand yours. Everyone has different experiences. Remember Peter's story, right?
I wish I could tell you more stories from here, and the things that happen every day, or all the little details of teaching people and their progression and the miracles and the hard times, but I can't, so you'll have to ask me later. I love you all, lots and lots, have fun and be safe and say your prayers and don't let opposition get you down. I'll see you soon! Bye
Sept 17
Sorry for the no letter situation last week, we thought we had time so we spent the morning cleaning and then we made an interesting new friend and had to move some things around to get her safely home in a unique and exciting all day service situation. I'll tell you all about it after the mission, but for now suffice it to say that I'm glad I worked in a retirement home and am not surprised by some things I help with here.
We also found a whole lot of spiders and one tasted the bottom of my foot, but almost 2 weeks later it just looks like a really tiny vampire or motivated staple zombie needed a snack. Our apartment has been deep cleaned, which was also a blessing because later that week when the pipe behind the washer popped off and flooded the kitchen, nothing got damaged! Little miracles count and can turn into something better!
Speaking of miracles, this morning I was talking about how the only foods that I really, really miss and just cannot find anywhere are jalapeño jelly and corncakes with prickly pear syrup. Everything else I can copy, but not those. Sœur Sorena got really excited and ran off and when she came back she had two prickly pears!
We had a few cool lessons this week, one whole group of youth that came to the temple and Sœur Ethington and I gave them a presentation on President Nelson's challenge for the youth. We started talking about something we hadn't planned, I started and Sr. E just picked up and kept going with it. Afterwards one of the kids came up and said it was something she d been wondering about but hadn't asked or everyone else had made it huge but she realized it wasn't that scary, and she been the one we'd had that prompting for.
(trying to selfie with the sun in our eyes)
It was another lesson on following the spirit and teaching to the people, and that the Lord cares about everyone, sometimes especially teenagers who need some careful love.
The Starbucks guys just got a kick out of me ordering a steamed milk (you want a what? HA ha we can do that!) but I needed Wi-Fi and they got a mini lesson on the wood of wisdom and an invite to the temple, so it worked out for everyone.
Oh last cool moment, that cheesy quote "the church is true, the book is blue, and Moroni is on the ball" just answered the prayer of a person looking for answers about the Book of Mormon, but it would take a whole lot of email to understand how so another time
And, true to form, I'm out of time and writing while I'm walking to finish up but I love you all, hope you had a great week, and would love to hear from you soon!
The only food place in this city.
"Hotdog" is a baguette with a knack and ketchup and they microwave it allllll together.
