Sunshine, Shadows, & Rain

Querida familia, 

This was a week full of sunshine and shadows and full out rain storms; and I mean that both literally and symbolically. 

First the sunshine:

-It was incredibly hot this week. I thought we were just about wrapping up the hot season, but it hit us with a bang this week. I got burnt..again. And have discovered that my thumbs have sun damage...how that happens I´m not quite sure.

-Hna Monse, a YSA in our ward who accompanies us a lot, got her mission call this week! She is going to serve in Chile with a special assignment to work as the mission nurse while she´s there too. She is going to be amazing, and watching her open her call reminded me of how I felt when I opened mine almost a year and a half ago; how incredibly honored and excited I was to serve the Lord in Mexico. #stillfeelthatway

-We watched Meet the Mormons for a ward mission activity. It was glorious. We had investigators and recent converts show up, we ate hot dogs, and I just love that movie. And I didn´t cry this time...even though they made me speak after about my experience as a missionary. #that´scalledcheating And again I was reminded of how incredibly blessed I am to be here and be a missionary. 

-Hno Angel got baptized! He has been listening to the missionaries off and on for a year and went from being a full-out alcoholic to a respectable single-dad just trying to do his best. The baptism was great and we even had sister missionaries from Temple Square present...through SKYPE. (hah They´ve been helping to teach Angel through mormon.org and wanted to see the baptism) 

Elder Cadena, Hno Angel, Hna Mejía, Me

And now for the shadows:

-We had to quit teaching two of our investigators this week because they can´t progress. Jesus is 11 and needs his grandma´s permission to go to church and she won´t give it. His great-grandmother, Trinidad, was also listening to us, but she´s 97 and can´t go to church either by herself...It about broke my heart because Trinidad told us that she just feels so good when we visit, satisfied, and she likes how we explain the scriptures...And now we´re not going to be able to keep teaching her. 

-We had an intense talk with an investigator named Elias this week. He is not a member, but his wife and kids are (less-active) recent converts. They have sooo many problems, and Elias has a lot of anger towards God. He told us he´s never really been happy, and the only good things he´s had in his life God has taken away. I couldn´t do anything, but look him in the eye and testify of the Atonement, and in that moment it was completely real for me. I could understand some small part of what Christ did, and how he felt, because I could feel Elias´s sorrow and I just wanted to take it from him. I couldn´t take it, but I was able to tell him who can. 

I know my Savior lives. I know He suffered for every single one of us in that Garden, and that He did it for each one of us as individuals. I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ everything that is unfair in this life will be made right, and that in the meantime we can receive strength and comfort through Him.  And even when the trials come pouring down like rain, He is there to pick us up and lift us higher. 

Wishing you a week of sunshine with just enough shadows to appreciate it...

¡Vale la pena!

Hermana Wilson

Transfer 4: Chuburná 2

Best Things...

-Meet the Mormons! (Can we talk about how much I loved the football part??? And that I want to go to Costa Rica now. Mormons are cool, no big deal.)

Worst Things...

-It got hot. And all the cockroaches came out.

Things that are working for me...

-I´m pretty sure my Jambu shoes are indestructible. They look the same as they did when I got here. 

- Spray suncreen lasts forever too. I just finished my first bottle after like 4 and a half months.

I wish I would have known...

-They don´t give you white sports bras in the temple here for baptisms. You should bring one. hah.

-You really should plan better than I did; and bring patterned skirts OR patterned shirts. Its doesn´t work too well with both.

-Mascara costs like 150 pesos. Which is a lot when you think about the fact that we only get $150 to eat every week. I don´t know why I didn´t stock up on that...

-Get a Spanish Dictionary (not English to Spanish just Spanish Spanish). Presidente wants all of us to learn the language more thoroughly and a dictionary would help a lot.

Food...

-This lovely cabbage dish that basically translates to babies in envelopes....or something like that. hahah. 

Fun Facts about Mexico/This Mission...

-They don´t normally whistle at girls here, it´s more of a chhh sound. And they´re normally drunk...

-Also, calling someone bitter doesn´t actually translate to Spanish.

-The schedule changed back so we don´t have to get up at 5 to study language...I think everyone just stopped studying language so that´s why it changed back. hah

Weather...

-It was incredibly cold for like a week....incredilby cold means like 65 degrees. haha and probably not even that cold. But with the humidity I feel like I can´t escape it.

Mayan...

-miz: gato

-pabia: ya se va

-kik: hermana

-sucon: hermano

-bixavel: como está

-malóo: bien 

I learned...

-I´m training! Which means I learned A LOT of things. How to plan on my own, how to lead in a lesson, how to find my way around...Lots of things.

-Don´t flush toilet paper unless there is a sign next to the toilet that tells you too. All the houses here have septic tanks so if you flush toilet paper you just might kill your toilet...like we did.

-Un Misionero de Éxito Predicad Mi Evangelio pagina 10. It´s not always the numbers, folks.

This is one of our practice sessions...probably one of my favorite videos of Hna Castro. LOVE HER!

Proof that I practice too. 

Templo, Techo, & Entertainment

Hola!

Hna Rhondeau & I & our Hijas

Hna Castro Hna Wilson Hna Rhondea Hna Huerta

First, I am soooo sorry for not writing yesterday. We changed P-days this week so we could go to the temple and I totes forgot to tell you guys in advance....woops. Nobody panic I´m still alive and well. :)

Hermana Elizabeth Estrella

It was a good week. Tuesday we had a conference with like three zones and Presidente, and it was the bomb.com. We practiced cool stuff and....we got to watch Meet the Mormons (in Spanish...but still). And it was so great! I don´t know if I´m entertainment deprived or if it was really good, but I loved it. Haha the missionary part pulled on the heartstrings a little, but I realized that I really am my father´s daughter when there was a part about a football coach and I realized just how much I miss my violent American sport. hahaha The only bad part about the conference is that I lost our cellphone in a taxi going home....

Hijas de Hna Ludlam

Hna Oaxaca Hna Wilson Hna Pitcher Hna Harper Hna Ludlam

Woops.

But we bought a new one. It´s all good. Stress is good.

We taught a lot of members to lessons this week, and Hermana Margarita (AKA one of my favorite people here - she makes panuchos ;) ) told us the funniest story.

So one night this guy was on her roof, and so like any normal older lady she went out, grabbed him, asked him what he was doing on her roof, and then made him sit and wait while her neighbor called the pólice. And then two days later she saw him in the Street and all he said was ´´Buenos días Señora Margarita´´ in this really ashamed way. hahahah I can´t explain to you how funny it was to listen to her tell this story, and see her act it out. haha I love her.

So last week I froze my buns off.... and yes is wasn´t even that cold, but I´m Yucateca....and all of sudden this week the heat has started! hah I think I´m going to be sweating for the next 6 months. And with the heat come....cockroaches. So fun!!!

No.

I can´t tell you how many I killed this week. You don´t even want to know.

Yup. Roaches

Also I went to the temple this morning to do names that I´ve found here in the misión, and it was so great. I saw Hermana Rhondeau (my comp from the MTC) and I got to do the baptisms...and I just love the temple.

Hna Rhondeau & I

This letter has kind of been all over the place, but know that I´m doing so good. I love being a missionary, and even though it can be incredibly hard, the good more than makes up for it. I know this góspel is true. I am a representative of Jesús Christ, and I get to help people find Him every day.

What more could I ask for???

Love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

¡Vale la pena!

Hermana Wilson

Supertortas!

My comp has a talent for capturing my best moments.

I´m incredibly attractive. I know.