This week was great!
Hermana Thomas and I turned in our numbers last night and the Zone Leaders said we're leading the Zone.. I don't know what that means but it sounds good!
But it's not about numbers (: so let me tell you about the people!
The Miller family!
We call them that beacuse we don't know their last name but the Dad's name is Miller haha. They're Spanish, obviously and they were a referral from the best ward member ever - Hermana Melix! She sees a spanish person in her car or while she's walking, goes up to them, asks their name and some information, and then sends us to them hahaha.
This family is great! Jennifer is their little girl, Miller Jr. is a HUGE GORDO (fat) baby and then Yolinda is the mom. We taught them the restoration using this great object lesson we came up with in Companion Study, and the whole time Miller (the dad) kept saying "oh yeah. Yep. OHHH. Okay. Siiiiiii!" Like while we were teaching haha. We tried to have a church tour this week but no dice :( just gotta get em to church! He even said "so I should probably go to church to see if this is true huh..?" and we were like well..PRAY and yes! church! Iglesia! Woo. Yeah!
Hermana Jiminez - Ward member that sells tamales for a living! SHE IS GREAT! AHHH! We had dinner at her house and she had some chiles on the table. Okay.. for those of you that don't know.. if even a hispanic says that something is spicy.. IT'S SPICY! = picoso!
Hermana Thomas dared me to try a red chile.. and Hermana Jiminez was like no!! and she was cracking up.
Did I try it? CLARO QUE SI (of course!)
I cheated a little though :) I ate it with a piece of tortilla so that it looked like I was chewing the chile but I wasn't, so i swallowed the bite of chile whole and the burning was minimal..
Hermana Jiminez was dying! She was laughing so hard that I didn't seem phased.
So she made me take another bite..
Yep. FUEGO EN MI BOCA. Fire in my mouth. She laughed some more. haha.
Then before we left we asked her her favorite hymn. We've discovered that Hispanics reallllly like it when we sing. She said "Jesus es mi Luz" I forgot what the quivalent is in ingles..
She said it's what her Mom used to sing to her.
We started singing. She tried to sing with us.. and then the tears just rolled down her cheeks.. My heart was so full.
To give you some background, this lady is pretty old and she works SO HARD to provide for the 2 boys that she adopted with her late husband. She said that by coming that night, we brought her a peace that she can't seem to find any other way. It made me so grateful to be a representative of Jesus Christ and to be able to offer that peace. . She said a prayer before we left and it was the most humble, full of gratitude prayer I've ever heard. Such a sweet experience.
We hopefully have 2 baptisms coming up this week! Friday - Andrea Mata (the daughter of Ana Mata - a recent convert that Hermana Thomas taught and baptized a few months ago) and Juancarlos on Saturday! His mom is making this a HUGE deal haha. and it's FINALLY HAPPENING! after having the date pushed back like 3 times. They're both 9 years old and so smart!
We did an object lesson extravaganza with Andrea about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it turns out.. she already understands most of it because of going to primary only 3 times. CHURCH IS GREAT - whatupp! Shouts out to primary teachers all over the world!
I guess her older sister told her that after she's baptized she can't have fun anymore.. and Andrea idolizes her older sister.. so we went over last night with our photo albums and literally showed Andrea how fun our lives have been since being baptized haha. Later in the lesson, randomly she was like "where were you when you almost fell off a mountain?" because I showed her the picture of Madisen and I on Angel's Landing. haha gotta love the attention span of the ninos.
With Juancarlos we did an "Armor of God" lesson, I'll send a pic! And he passed his interveiw for baptism this sunday and he is READY! He was BEAMING when he came out of the interview. and I was like YEAH JUANCARLOS!!!! HIGH FIVES ALL AROUND!! haha. Some one should be as excited as him, am i right!?
Exchanges.
Oh boy. Remember how I have NO sense of direction? Taylor can attest to this.. and anyone who has ever had to drive with me without a GPS. So I got to stay in my area with another Hermana while Hermana Thomas went with the Sister Training Leader to another area.
It was bad. I felt like the worst missionary on the planet. We drove so much. Then we finally got to a lesson and like halfway through he goes.. Me llamo.. GenARO.. no GenERO..
I've been using the wrong vowel in there for about 3 months.. HAHAHAHA.
Then We had this rad lesson with some investigators that we nicknamed the Pirates. and we say "ARGHHH" but roll the "R" it's funny because you roll R's in spanish :) I'll see if I can send a picture and then you'll understand.
Their names are Pepe, Gabriel and Jose. Brothers. All have really good hearts and have a really good understanding of Diety. They seem "too cool for school." but really they're LOVING the Book of Mormon and they always say.."oh I'm not good at praying.." YEAH RIGHT. They like try to out do each other with how beautiful their prayers are haha. Love em.
One more thing,
I just want to brag about my companion for a minute.
Hermana Thomas is the best thing. She is an incredible missionary and I thank Heavenly Father every day that I was able to have her as my trainer. She is patient with me and has really helped me to grow as a person. I'm super confident with my Spanish when I'm with her. Like I'm not afraid to make mistakes. She is constantly thinking about others and the needs of our investigators.. she is prompt. Obedient. and we make an incredible team. She knows her purpose as a missionary... Every day we talk about how much it's going to suck that we are getting separated in month haha. I hope I get to serve with her again some day!
I love you all so very much. I think about you all the time and the examples you have been to me. I LOVE YOU!!!
Jacob 3:1 - God keeps his promises, he'll never leave you hanging as long as we do our part to pray and have faith.
Paz y bendiciones.
Hermana Skidmaaaas.
