Week 29 - September 8, 2014 - Chilaquiles, Rain, and lots of miracles

We had companion exchanges this week - Hermana Aldás, of Manta, Ecuador, was my companion for a day here in Cacahoatan. What does this have anything to do with chilaquiles, you ask? Well, apparently it's her favorite Mexican food (it's a base of tortilla chips covered with green sauce then whatever else you want to put on it, like cheese or beans or meat). She talked it up so much that buying groceries today we bought our onion, our pound of green tomatoes and totopos (that's tortilla chips) and got to cooking. It was good, but not as life changing as I expected. I´m going to try tweaking the green sauce next time I get the chance to cook - maybe add some garlic or more onion. 

Rain! It's still raining. Currently it´s raining. I love the rain. It makes me smile and reminds me how very very very Oregonian I am. Eeyore had his rain cloud. I need to borrow it from him, but I would be happy there.

Miracles. I know that our God is a living God, who works wonders. Seriously, this week was chock full of them.  We had a majorly super awkward lesson with a young woman who really didn´t want to listen to us, and we left feeling like, ok, well we learned something there. Then the next week we saw her and she told us - hey, I won't be able to this Sunday, but I really want to go to your church one of these Sundays. Walking away, Sister Peine and I just looked at each other going, What? seriously?

A family that I´ve been teaching with since I got here is getting baptized!!! The young man told his sister - I don´t think I´m going to be able to go to the activity this weekend (the young adults are going to San Cristobal for a convention) because I'm going to be baptized. He hadn't mentioned anything to us... But we've gotten the scheduling worked out now, and I'm so beyond happy. I absolutely love being a missionary, because I get to see how the Gospel changes people's lives. My family gets bigger every day, and it´s amazing how rather than being cut into smaller peices, our hearts just get bigger and bigger to fit all of the people who become so important to us that we can't imagine our lives without them.

Loving life, probably eating more than is wise (Mexican food is good ok?) and beyond excited to see what miracles this week will bring.

Love,

Hermana Juliana