In the mission field

Wow, so much has happened this past week I cannot even believe it. I am going to try and share a few things, in what order, I do not know. But PLEASE I am so sorry if I do not respond personally to emails this week, I am trying my best!

First of all, THANK YOU. This week has been pretty darn hard, and all of your emails just made me so happy so thank you, really I could not feel more blessed! And also, thank you for sending a package, we do not get them until like once every six weeks so I probably wont get it for a while )if it makes it here, but thank you. I really feel so loved!! 

Okay..... here goes nothing!

I am here in Antigua Guatemala. It rains so hard ALL DAY. And it makes contacting hilarious! HILARIOUS! Because we are trying to run and catch people in the rain, anyway hilarious. And also, it is pretty darn cold, believe it or not! So if you ever want to send me like a sweater.... I am not holding you back! 

My companions name is Hermana Marroquien and surprise... she does not speak English! You are probably thinking, oh what a blessing, you will learn espanol! And yes, she is a blessing, but my Spanish is worse than it has ever ever been! It is quite funny actually, but you know I am just having faith that the gift of tongues will come in my package in six weeks! But she is a good trainer, so it is just fine!

The mission qualifications and standards here are pretty crazy! We have to have 3 baptisms a month, 8 investigators attend church every week, 11 lessons con a miembro, 11 other lessons, 12 new investigators every week and 35 contacts every day, with 10 of them being families. WOW. ya, I know! 

So the best place to contact here is on buses. Now you are probably thinking, oh a bus, just go talk to a couple people, how sweet. NO. What we have to do is stand up in front of the bus and contact the whole bus, which is HILARIOUS because there are no traffic rules here in Guatemala and so you are being tossed to and fro while trying to invite all of these people to church in a language that you do not know! AND THEN you pass through each seat and ask for directions to their home to share this message, AND THEN you don't understand any of the information they give you and so you have to have them write it down and then the bus makes a sharp turn so next thing you know, you are sitting on their lap, how special huh? IT is pretty hilarious, but effective because then you get a lot of contacts!

The other day, it was pouring rain... and I am mean pouring rain. But we needed 7 new investigators, which means that you have had a 1st lesson with them and they accept a second. So we prayed and got to work. Oh and did I mention, they do not walk here... THEY RUN. Literally, I am going to win the award for the greatest calves when I come home. But anyway, we were able to teach 7 new people in the pouring rain, so I am grateful that the lord provided!

OH. Alright, 6 30 is a lie. I am thrilled if I get to sleep past 5 oclock in the morning.... it is really neat!

But our mission president told us that he wants us to suffer, so I guess I am doing what he wants. I mean, I am not really suffering, it is just the hardest adjustment I have ever had to make, but I know I can do this!

Another thing is that we do not eat dinner here. WE eat breakfast before we leave, have lunch with our cook around 2 and then do not eat again until after planning at 9 30. It is actually pretty effective because then people are home around the hours that you would be eating!

We have a couple of investigators right now, and if you could pray for them that would be so awesome!! One is named Crisitan. He is 12 years old and is a cousin to a family recently baptized. His parents wont let him be baptized, and so we need all the prayers. Another is JOse, he is 21 and needs the inspirationa and the testimony and faith to be baptized. The other is Oscar, he has work on Sundays so he ant come to church and therefore cannot be baptized. But, I know that if we pray he will be able to find a new job!

One thing I have learned here is just how lucky we are. We are so lucky. These people have literally nothing. Each house is a tin roofed, cement floor room .With one or two beds for the whole family to share, no light except for if the door is open and it they are lucky they have a stove. But if not, they cook on a fire outside of their houses. They literally have nothing, and it has just made me so grateful and has truly humbled me. 

I know without a doubt that this is the Lord´s work. So many times I have prayed for little things and my prayers have been answered right away. Other times, he lets me suffer. But I know that it is only through my suffering that I am going to grow and become closed to my Savior. 

This is truly the hardest thing I have ever done, you really cannot prepare for a mission, it is something you just have to experience. There are times when i just cry, and just want to come home, but I know that this will  eventually end and right now I need to give all that I can to this. I just have to try my best. 

Our mission is the highest baptizing mission in central America because we believe in EXACT obedience, which is hard sometimes, but I know that it is going to bring miracles.

I can do this, with your prayers, I know that this is something that I will be able to do! Thank you so much! I pray for each of you cada noche, and don't know how I would do this without my family. I wish I could be there for so many things, and I just hope you all don't forget the girl over here in Antigua Guatemala who cant speak the language and has blister the size of who knows what mountain and looks like a tornado just hit me at all times, but who is trying her best to give it all to this work!

I LOVE YOU ALL!