Week 15 - June 2, 2014 - The rainy season

Where to start... First of all, welcome to my 'I barely decided to send out a mass email list' those of you who are not directly related to me. 

Second of all, I'm loving the rain. My companion and I only get soaked occasionally now because we finally took the advice of the members and started caring an umbrella. On Saturday though, we only had one little umbrella and a young man in the ward was accompanying us. The streets that go down the mountain turn into mini rivers on the edges, so we were getting soaked from the top and from the bottom. There was even a current, things that people had dropped three or four blocks above us were swept by in the water. My companion and Daniel both started saying - hey, you should let your shoe go and we'll run and catch it! Come on, it'll be fun! When they finally convinced me that they weren't going to let my shoe be lost forever, I kicked it off and off they went, running down the street to catch that plastic shoe. If only I had a waterproof camera!

This week, we had a really awesome experience with a family, a reference from a member. We had met the parents, and made an appointment, and when we arrived in the evening almost all of their kids were there. Gradually, one by one, they came and sat down to listen. We taught the Plan of Salvation, and everyone participated and asked questions, and the next day, one of them actually came to church. 

Food wise: I'm loving the little corner shops. Although they will be my undoing when none of my skirts fit anymore! Also, this week we ate Mexican style chinese food that an sister prepared for us. Half the plate is full of noodles, half the plate is full of rice. And then, the best part, there are tortillas on the table to eat them with. I'm going to come home and not know what to do - there won't be tortillas or chile. 

This week I learned something important about the Spirit: you have to pay close attention. There's a part in Preach my Gospel that talks about listening to investigators to discern their needs, and the jist of it is: This will take all of your concentration - don't expect it to be easy. Nobody said anything in life would be easy, least of all the mission, but the Lord doesn't put expectations higher than we can manage. If He expects a lot from us, it´s because we have a lot to give.

Love and mangos,

Hermana Juliana

Week 14 - May 26, 2014 - Happy Memorial Day!

This week: 

My shoe almost got eaten by mud! It was one of those you see this on TV their shoes get stuck in the mud and they pull out their foot then the shoe moments - almost. There's a pretty funny photo, but this computer isn't accepting my memory card... sorry :/

We had exchanges with the sister training leaders, and the sister I was with is from Ecuador!! (Manabi, to be exact) AND she served the first few months of her mission in her home country waiting for her Visa - one of her areas was Baños. We had a great time talking about Ecuadorian food and places and words. It made me think of my Ecuador families - can you get them my email somehow pretty please, or check my email account and find their emails so I can write to them? 

We experienced a miracle yesterday - we passed by an investigator's house to walk with him to church, but he said for this and that he wouldn't be able to come with us. We left slightly disappointed to go check on another investigator. We arrived late to the chapel (that's a whole other story) and when we walked in Abraham, the first investigator, was sitting in the back row with a member and his son. It was awesome. 

You should all read Preach My Gospel! I wish I had read more of it before I came out to the field - there are days when I would like to read it cover to cover because it has so much good advice and cool stuff, but I don't have time to binge read. There's so much to do and so many people to see to find the ones who are just waiting for us to ask them if they want to be baptized so they can say Yes, this is what I´ve been looking for. 

It's tough, in ways I wasn't expecting (Anthony, you warned me but it's different experiencing it, we talked about that on the way to Provo) but it's also oh so wonderful. I really can't imagine being anywhere else. 

I love what I'm doing, because I love my Savior and I love seeing other people come to know Him and have their own personal experiences with faith and testimony. Every single day is full of more moments than I can possibly write in one email, let alone a whole week. 

Share your testimonies - it doesn't have to be long, but the phrase 'I know' is more powerful than we know. And if you have a half an hour, 45 minutes, accompany the missionaries. You'll learn a lot - I do, every day. 

I love you. To the moon and further and then back, and I am infinitely grateful for the examples and support you have been for me. 

This week: 

My shoe almost got eaten by mud! It was one of those you see this on TV their shoes get stuck in the mud and they pull out their foot then the shoe moments - almost. There's a pretty funny photo, but this computer isn't accepting my memory card... sorry :/

We had exchanges with the sister training leaders, and the sister I was with is from Ecuador!! (Manabi, to be exact) AND she served the first few months of her mission in her home country waiting for her Visa - one of her areas was Baños. We had a great time talking about Ecuadorian food and places and words. It made me think of my Ecuador families - can you get them my email somehow pretty please, or check my email account and find their emails so I can write to them? 

We experienced a miracle yesterday - we passed by an investigator's house to walk with him to church, but he said for this and that he wouldn't be able to come with us. We left slightly disappointed to go check on another investigator. We arrived late to the chapel (that's a whole other story) and when we walked in Abraham, the first investigator, was sitting in the back row with a member and his son. It was awesome. 

You should all read Preach My Gospel! I wish I had read more of it before I came out to the field - there are days when I would like to read it cover to cover because it has so much good advice and cool stuff, but I don't have time to binge read. There's so much to do and so many people to see to find the ones who are just waiting for us to ask them if they want to be baptized so they can say Yes, this is what I´ve been looking for. 

It's tough, in ways I wasn't expecting (Anthony, you warned me but it's different experiencing it, we talked about that on the way to Provo) but it's also oh so wonderful. I really can't imagine being anywhere else. 

I love what I'm doing, because I love my Savior and I love seeing other people come to know Him and have their own personal experiences with faith and testimony. Every single day is full of more moments than I can possibly write in one email, let alone a whole week. 

Share your testimonies - it doesn't have to be long, but the phrase 'I know' is more powerful than we know. And if you have a half an hour, 45 minutes, accompany the missionaries. You'll learn a lot - I do, every day. 

I love you. To the moon and further and then back, and I am infinitely grateful for the examples and support you have been for me. 

Week 13 - May 19, 2014 - A new companion, a rainy day, and a baptism

There's the new companion and the proof of the rain, hopefully you'll believe me about the baptism :) In the afternoons it starts to rain really really hard, with wind so the rain comes at us sideways. We had to get to an appointment on the main street, and we were running up the sidewalk with the rain coming at us getting soaked and laughing while everyone sheltering themselves in the shops along the side looked at us like we were crazy. 

Dad: something that made me smile this week was the sheer quantity of avocados that we were given. Ok, they were three, but one of them is huge. It has the shape of a squash, with an elongated neck, rather than an avocado. Avocados, mangos, rambutan (which I have yet to try but the season is about to start and I've been promised great things) - this is the promised land all right. 

The baptism:

Tiaré and Eduardo have slightly similar situations, because they are nine years old and their families are inactive members. They both have LOADS of family members that live here in Cacahoatan, so the baptism was extremely well attended. We invited one of each of their aunts to bear their testimonies. It was a really sweet experience, the whole thing. They're both super sweet kids. It's going to be really hard to leave this area when I do eventually have to leave.  (BTW the matching colors was on purpose).

This week has been really good, I've learned a lot, including things I've learned I still need to learn, such as patience with myself. But hey, I'm getting there. I've been reading in 1 Nephi, and noticing that Nephi has a particular theme that I really love: there is nothing impossible for our Father in Heaven. As we trust Him enough to do what He instructs us to do, He gives us every needful thing. 

I love you! 

Hermana Juliana

Week 12 - May 12, 2014

My companion is being transferred to Laureles, which is in my zone, so I'll get to see her on Wednesdays! Woot! 

It was great to talk to you yesterday. It felt totally normal. I think it's helped me a lot my previous living away from home experience. 

Dad, your comment about make good friends - I've been thinking about that all morning. When we found out Hermana Hernandez is being transferred, we kept hoping our district leader was going to call back and say he was mistaken. I really truly love my companion. I also got to thinking about all the friends I have on missions, my friends from Ecuador and the exchange students, my families there, friends from high school, friends from BYU, the friends I'm making here. I got all philosophical and started thinking about how grateful I am for the eternities to keep seeing these people, and how important it is to always remind them that they mean a lot to me. 

This week has been really special in that aspect - I've been able to feel that love and I never want it to go away. I don't know - I feel slightly emotionally drawn out but full of happiness at the same time - nostalgia is weird that way. 

Did I tell you about the ward conference already? We had 166 people come to the meeting - we usually have an attendance of just over 100 people, people kept coming in, and they couldn't find seats. It was really so awesome. There are so many people who are looking for the Gospel, we just need to find them. 

Love you! 

Hermana Juliana

Week 11 - May 5, 2014

The Easter bunny detoured down to Mexico for me, which I very much appreciate, and I also really appreciate the note he agreed to bring. The chocolate probably wasn't terribly melted when it arrived, but from the district meeting to back to our area the transit is fairly warm, so those eggs went into the fridge right away. 

Next order of business: Dad said this week I need to tell you more about the people we are teaching.

We're teaching a lovely young woman named Cinthia, she's 20 years old and is basically LDS but hasn't been baptized yet. She comes with us to lessons and this girl has one strong testimony. She's reading the scriptures with her mom and two younger brothers, and constantly inviting them to church. She wants to wait to be baptized until June though. 

This week, we're praying that Luisa will be baptized on Saturday. Her kids are all members, and she's been visited by various sets of missionaries. She's been through a lot, and I think baptism and especially receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost will really help her. So we're going to teach her more about the blessings we receive with the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

Mom, you'll like this story: today for P-day we learned to make tamales! I took good notes and lots of pictures so I can (hopefully) repeat the feat in the US, because well, tamales are delicious. 

 

Week 10 - April 28, 2014

First of all:

Woot Isabel! The picture was awesome, too, I'm sure it looked even more impressive in real life. Oh, also for Isabel - my companion just saw our family picture and said the two of us look a lot alike. 

Next transfer is may 12 - we're kind of figuring that my companion is going to be transferred because she's been here for 6 months, but I'm hoping not. We've gotten to be really good friends and we're working really well together. 

Nope, we don't teach any English classes, and we don't actually knock doors. We do street contact though, and depending on how many people aren't home or how long the street contacts want to talk with us, we spend a good amount of time contacting. People here are really open - give them the chance and they'll tell you their life's story on the street corner. It's pretty cool, and it's even cooler when they accept a visit from us, which happens slightly less often. 

How far we walk... I don't know, pretty far. I ought to get a pedometer, because I personally would also like to know how far we walk in a day. (Although Dad, you telling me I would lose weight is NOT true, because the sisters here feed us until we're bursting with deliciousness)

If used to the heat is supposed to mean that I don't sweat anymore, nope! (Did you know that chins can sweat? I didn't. it's one of the those things I didn't really need to know, to be honest). I think I'm more acclimatized then before, because it doesn't make me quite as tired. I've been told that it cools off a little bit in may because the rainy season starts. 

Spiritual experience and friendships in the ward go hand in hand - a counselor in the bishopric is a doctor, and my companion has been sick this week and she finally conceded to go to the doctor on Friday. It was really lovely because after he gave her a prescription we had a lesson with their family. We joked around and I really felt like I was with family, and the Spirit was also there in that living room. I'm going to take pictures with them, because they take really good care of us. 

Dad, your other questions will have to wait. Better yet, send them to me again next week so I don't forget what they were.

Anthony, have fun and be safe in San Diego

Mom, enjoy women's conference. I know it'll be weird without a Fofy in Provo, but go to Slab pizza for me. 

I love you! The Church is true. Go share it with someone, have a family home evening with the missionaries and a friend. They'll be over the moon. 

Hermana Juliana 

Week 9 - April 21, 2014

Hermana Juliana at your service, to try to answer as many as possible. When was the earthquake? Because one sister did mention feeling an earthquake on Saturday, but neither my companion or I felt anything. 

Mom: Cacahoatán is pronounced Ka-ka-wa-tan. I have been told that is so named because cacao is a product of the area. I don't technically have a street address, but I live close to the corner of Calle central oriente and Avenida 15 norte. Good luck :) 

Something that made me laugh: Last week when we bought food, we bought some packages of beans that say, in English, Mexican Style Beans. Last I checked, yes, I am in Mexico.  

Easter is a whole week of celebrating 'Semana Santa'. Some traditions here in Chiapas: 1. A march carrying a model of the Christ, the Virgin and the cross to the park to reenact the Crucifixion. 2. (and this one makes less sense) men of all ages cross dress and put on masks and dance through the streets asking for money. They also stand on either side of the highway and pull on a rope when cars pass, also to ask for money. Everybody has vacations and the city basically shuts down. 

I personally didn't really do anything for Easter, but yes, it is a big deal here. 

I'm hoping this week the pictures will upload, they're being super slow. One of them is a picture of what we did for fun - we played basketball with some of the youth. It was pretty fun. You'll laugh at this next part: they were all expecting me to be good because 'I'm from ''there'''. HA. but it was fun, even though we could only play a little bit at a time because the sun is so HOT. 

No pictures so far, I'll give it another try in another email. 

Scripture for you this week: Mosiah 26:27. Also, something cool. A missionary in the Book of Mormon received a really powerful promise that I always love to share with people, Helaman 10:4-5. I realized this week that his tireless work was 7-10 years, based on the years at the very bottom of the page. Wow. I don't know about you, but that hit me hard. We can never stop becoming better, working harder, doing more. There are so many blessings our Father in Heaven is waiting to give us. 

Love always, 

Hermana Juliana