Week 49: Speaking Spanglish

I am enjoying my companionship with Hermana Corbridge. It’s fun because we speak English a lot... well more like Spanglish, because neither of us can speak either language. We start off talking English and end up talking Spanish. Our mission President encourages us to speak English because he doesn’t want us to forget it. Yesterday during a class the teacher said the word ¨sixteenth¨. So I started thinking, “how do you say that in English? dieciseisth, no.... dieciseisnth... no.” I finally realized that I was mixing English and Spanish together! Dieciseis is 16 in Spanish and I remembered that in English it ended in Th or something. Ha-ha. We’ve had some pretty funny experiences this week speaking Spanglish.

  

I love being a STL, because each exchange we have with the sisters is for a specific reason and we can see how God does His work. During one exchange my companion Hermana Valdez stayed in our area and a sister from Morelia came to work with her. While they were walking they ran into a young man (I shall call him H.) who knew the other sister. H´s wife is a recent convert in Morelia where the sister serves and so they knew each other in that way. But H lives here and his wife converted when they were living apart. They took down his address and what not. After some time, while I was in exchanges, I saw his name on the list and decided to go visit him. That’s when I learned his story. He is already a member; his wife makes him go to church in Morelia, read the scriptures, and say their prayers together. He already knows a lot, but the missionaries have never taught him. He wants to do the best for his family and is happy to learn more about the church. He is someone truly prepared by the Lord. It makes me happy to see the funny ways the Lord works, and how He will get the work done if we just follow His will and do it in His way.

Quote for the day:

"Just when all seems to be going right, challenges often come in multiple doses applied simultaneously. When those trails are not consequences of your disoedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more. He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion which polish you for your everlasting benefit. To get you from where He wants you to be requires a lot of stretching, and that generally entails discomfort and pain." -Elder Richard G. Scott

One of our investigators has these adorable pink and blue chicks!

This is a super pretty river in our area that we found.
It smells bad, but it looks good in pictures.

It rained shoes!

Week 48: American Companion

Today is transfers and I am staying in my area! Hermana Corbridge is my new companion. It´s super weird to have an American companion, especially because she was my sister training leader (STL) before.

I had exchanges with the sister training leader leader, Hermana Luna. She knew me from my first three months after I came to Mexico. She said that Hermana Cuazitil (who was my STL) said that I would end up being a STL. She said that the exchanges were really good and that I´m diligent. It made me feel good to hear that I wasn´t a complete wreck like I thought I was when I started. lol 

I got news from Hermana Mayorga (my last companion in La Huerta) that one of our awesome investigators is going to get baptized! I´m so excited for him and to hear of the changes he has made. He is in Helaman of the Book of Mormon. He truly loves to learn and understands the importance of it.

We have a great new investigator. During the lesson she told us that she is extremely Catholic and has never accepted anyone of another religion in her house. She let us come because she really liked the way we presented ourselves. It made me think of the importance of being examples to others. We have no idea who is watching us, so always be a good example.

 Before Hermana Valdez left.

I can't do a serious face!

District meeting! Well, it isn’t actually my district because I was on
exchanges this day...but they are from my zone. And they are pretty great.

This giant iguana just chills out and lives in our investigators house.
He is extremely big and quite friendly as long as we were feeding him.

Week 47: Greetings From Gertrude

This is the last week before transfers. It is very likely that my companion will be leaving and I still don’t know the area. Worst of all I will not be in my area at ALL this week since we are either traveling or having exchanges. Oh no.

While we were walking, a dog stuck its head out of a window and almost bit my head off. I no longer walk near houses.

We visited a new family and while we were talking to them I heard a squeak. I immediately thought “GERTRUDE!!!” It made me super happy when I saw a fat guinea pig stick its head out from under the cabinets. Of course it was a chicken and wouldn’t let me pick it up.

Greetings From Gertrude

Week 46: Decisions Determine Destiny

Happy Three Wise Kings Day! This is special bread called Rosca. In Mexico everyone gets together and eats this bread and inside it there are little baby Christ figures. Whoever finds a figure in their bread has to buy tamales for everyone else on the 2nd of February. I found a figure, but we will have divisions before February. I will still buy tamales because they are yummy, and so is this bread :)

We went to eat at the Steakhouse Sirloin this past week. They serve American style food there, so it made me feel at home for the night :) My companion also thoroughly enjoyed eating there. 

She enjoyed it so much that as we left the restaurant she told me she didn't think she would be able to walk. 

We had to sit down along our way home. I felt awkward sitting on the sidewalk at night in the middle of Guadalajara. When we got home she threw up her buffet. It brought back childhood memories. lol

I calculated it out that this past week I spent at least 24 hours on bus rides. That doesn’t include combies (minibuses) and taxis. We were traveling absolutely everywhere! The next two weeks are going to be the same. Keeping me busy.

For two days we could not find anyone to teach....but we did find adorable kittens to hug. :) 

The little sister of my first convert was baptized this Saturday! It made me happy :) Their mom told me, “Look what you started Hermana Johnston! First my son, and now eight-months later my daughter too!” lol These are the elders in our ward who are the ones teaching her.

We are working on finding young men who are preparing to serve missions, who have not yet committed to serve missions, or have not yet received the priesthood. We found this great young man who hadn’t attended church in a long time, but told us that he has always wanted to serve a mission. We are making goals with him to get him back on track, and then he came to church on Sunday! It makes me happy to see the progress that he’s making.

On Sunday my first convert, who is now 18 years old, gave his testimony. He said that he has made the decision to serve a mission. He also said that he is extremely grateful for the “accidental coincidence” that resulted in us teaching him. We were trying to go someplace else and had the wrong directions - that’s how we found him. He is going to start working on his papers and preparing to leave after high school. I am very happy. :)

“It has been said that the gate of history turns on small hinges, and so do people’s lives. The choices we make determine our destiny.” -President Thomas S Monson