weekly email

Well this week started out kind of disappointing, but it ended good.  Remember the woman Cinthia...well I was so sure she was going to progress a lot and get baptized. But she texted us on tuesday during our zone meeting and said that she had received an answer to her prayers, that the Catholic church was true and told us we could come and pick up their books of mormom.  We were so sad, I just felt so sad and confused too at how she got her answer.  So we went by her house that night and of course we didnt take the books back, but we talked with her and mostly just listened.  She explained how she went to a mass and felt something really special there. She was so sure about it too and happy with her decision, so there wasnt really anything we could do.  And that whole day it just seemed like everyone we talked to was just rejecting us and didn't want to accept anything we said.  Missions arent easy.  But I tried to keep a positive attitude and remember my testimony and why I´m here.  And when I think about how much Ive learned, and grown, and the people that Ive met and learned from in these past almost 6 months, I feel happy, because, yes there are bad days but there are much more good days. 

And although the week started out not so great, we had some great lessons this week with our investigators who are progressing.  And we had some good lessons with some less active members too.  And on Saturday, Rodrigo came on all of our lessons with us...usually he comes with us whenever he isn't working, its great.  And he introduced us to one of his friends who is 19 and his name is Angel, anyways we talked with him a little and he said he would come to church. And he did! And now he has a baptismal date for the 10th of August.  So we are very happy.  And Yaxkin and Alberto had an appointment at the delegation to get married this morning at 8am....we still havent heard whether it happened or not but I am hopeful....and then their whole family can get baptized on Sunday. 

This morning we had a zone activity and played soccer (well not me bacause I hate soccer), and threw a football and a frisbee around and volleyball too and then we ate dorilocos...they are doritos with lime and carrots and cucumber and spicy stuff and peanuts and basically everything you can think of....they are kinda gross.  haha but it was fun. 

Well that is all for now :)

Have a great week

Love Hermana Young

Week 21

Well this past week was quite good.  The best part was that we started teaching two new investigators who are super buenas. Remember the woman that is catholic and said she doesn't want to change...? Well we visited her this week.  She lives with her mom and her neice. Her mom is very old and basically cant leave the house and her neice has a rare illness and she is paralized from the waist down.  They are some of the nicest people I have met so far on my mission.  The first lesson with them, Rodrigo was with us (our recent convert who basically comes with us on every lesson when he isn't working), and they were talking about how in their church and in their family no one really seems to have a desire to help them even though they are struggling. And I think that is why she let us visit her, because we sincerely offered to help her.  But my companion and I were a little nervous about this visit because she had said she wasnt really willing to listen becasue she was content with her religion.  But we shared a few scriptures about charity and love and talked about how in Christ´s true church the members serve others with love. And we talked about our purpose as missionaries and about the book of mormon.  And her neice Ingrid and her seemed to really have a sincere interest and I could definitely feel the spirit.  And then we asked them when we could come back and they were like, well tomorrow... :) so we went back the next day and taught them the restoration.  They had a lot of questions and doubts (because this is differerent from what they have heard their whole lives) but they were accepting of it.  And then we went back a couple days later and taught them about the plan of salvation.  Again she had a lot of questions and doubts...but, again I think they felt the spirit. Also I think the investigators that have doubts and questions are the ones that progress the quickest.  And then Rodrigo and another Rodrigo who we are teaching went and picked them up Sunday morning for church and they really liked it I think.  And we are planning on going to the visitors center with them on saturday.  They still havent accepted a baptismal date, but we have hope that very soon they will.  

Also this week it rained a TON! but I bought rain boots last pday, and Im really glad I did.  And my companion and I sang again in church yesterday.  In ward council last week we talked about ways to immprove the ward.  One thing we´re gonna start doing is having a missionary moment before the talks every sunday...every week one of us four missionaries will share something little for a minute or two.  And they said my companion and I should sing more haha.  Oh and on the fourth of July we ate with some members who own a restaurant and we had burgers and then since it was the fourth of July they brought us strawberries with whipped cream, donuts and chocolate milkshakes haha! Even though I'm the only missionary in our ward who is American ( two from Canada and one from Mexico).  So that was special.  Then she hugged me and told me congratulations...lol so funny! 

And in not so good news Yaxkin and Alberto STILL didnt get married.  Yaxkin left the whole week to visit family. But she comes back today, so we are hoping to have a family home evening with them tonight and we are still hoping and praying that they will get married this week POR FIN! and then they can get baptized on sunday.  

And that was my week :) 

Love Hermana Young

que se mueran los feos

This week has been pretty good, Yaxkin and Alberto still didn't get married....but we talked to them yesterday and they had plans to go this morning, so I'm praying that they will be married soon.  And then they can get baptized as a family on Tuesday! This week we had our zone conference, it was good, we talked about the book of Mormon.  Yesterday was a huge soccer game against Mexico and Holland...so of course hardly any of our investigators came to church...but Mexico lost, so it serves them right haha.  Now they have no excuses to not come.  In our zone conference the mission presidents wife challenged us to read the book of Mormon and underline all the names of Christ, His actions, His attributes, and His spoken words in 4 different colors.  I am using one of those paperback Spanish book of Mormons, and so far it is a really good way to focus on learning about Christ, and its helping me with my Spanish.  Saturday was a really good day, we set two baptismal dates.  Antonio, text'd us and asked if we could meet with him, and then he told us that he wanted to be baptized.  And then we met with Rodrigo, and we taught him the plan of salvation and he said he wanted to be baptized too.  But the only investigator that came to church yesterday was Rosa, it was her first time, and she said she felt peaceful there and learned a lot.  So we have a lot of hope for this next month, I think we will have a few baptisms.  And yesterday we were walking and we saw a woman who we had contacted about a month and a half ago, but she wasn't really interested because she is catholic and isn't willing to change her religion.  But we just asked her how she was doing and said if she ever needed help with anything we are here, not just only to preach but to serve.  And she opened up to us about how her life has been really hard lately and she started crying and said she was praying for God to put someone in her path.  So that was a cool experience, even if she doesn't want to accept our message, we can at least help her in some small way...and if nothing else the seed has been planted.  

And in bad news...we planned on going to the Zocalo today (the main city center) but we called the president and he told us that unfortunately the Zocalo is no longer in our mission :( so that is really sad).  But we will do something else fun I guess. And in funny news...we had the talent show last Tuesday, my companion and I sang If you could hie to kolob in Spanish.  And the primary did this hilarious dance, where they had boxes over there heads so that you could only see them from the waist down and they had sweatshirts tied around theeir waists with fake hands on the end of the sleeves...they looked like funny creatures.  And at  the very end three of the hermanas in the relief society came out with masks on and crazy wigs and were dancing to this song called ¨que se mueran los feos¨ which means ¨may all the ugly people die¨ and they were pointing to all the people in the audience...but at the end they fell on the ground like they were dead (this is Mexican culture for you).  It was funny though.  

Well that was my week, que tengan una semana bonita! 

Well, Yaxkin and Alberto didn't get married or baptized the last week, but they are going to get married tomorrow and baptized this Sunday.  And tomorrow we have the talent show, and we are going to sing if you could hie to kolob in Spanish.  I am excited it will be very fun.  Today it is RAINING a lot, so I want to but some boots or something and a new umbrella, because I left my umbrella at an investigators house, and who knows when I'll get it back...plus he's moving in a week, so I may never get it back.  But yeah, when it rains here...it RAINS! But this past week was good, we have a few new people and families we are teaching and I am very hopeful that we will have three baptisms this week.  Yaxkin, Alberto, and Nelly their daughter.  Today will be an interesting pday, because my companion accidentally left our keys in the house and we are locked out until 4 when the land lady can come. So we can't do our laundry or put the food we buy in the house until later...not sure what we`re gonna do.  But I'm sure it will be an adventure haha.  And we are planning on having a family home evening later with a family in our ward and an investigator, so that should be fun.  Anyways, that is about all. Hope you have a great week. 

Love you!! 

Mariah

P.S.

 Luckily, Hermana Marcela came to our rescue, she just called us and said that she would do our laundry for us and we can pick it up tomorrow! She is an angel! haha And after we write we are going to go eat with her and her family, she is a really good cook.  Her son is leaving tomorrow for his mission, he is going to veracruz.  And she has a daughter already out on the mission, so I think that is why she always spoils us. 

Hermana Medwin and I are still in Zaragoza,  this is our third transfer here, so probably after this one of us will get transferred.  Yesterday Yaxkin, Alberto and Nelly had their baptismal interviews! They are going to get married this week and get baptized this Sunday!!! yayaya I am very happy for them. I cant believe the school year is already over! That went by so fast, partly because I'm on a mission and partly because the older you get the faster time flies.  But yes we are doing well, we have some good goals for our investigators and they are progressing.  Also we are having a talent show in our ward next week and my companion and I will probably sing something.  We basically sing at every event, its fun.  Oh and tell Ty and Jessica congratulations, a girl that is so precious. Anyways keep doing well and have a great week! Love you

Mariah 

the first pic is of our zone (from the last transfer) the next is a pic from a zone activity and the last is a baptism of Jesus (an investigator of the elders) in our ward and one of me in Mexico City

My week was good, we had more investigators in church yesterday! Oh and if you got a friend request from Yunuen Bulhuesen (not sure how to spell it) but she is a recent convert of one year who is in our ward and we visit her a lot, she is very funny and nice, she has three kids and a husband who aren't members, and its hard for her because her husband doesn't want her kids to go to church.  But she is very sweet...she said she added you as a friend, and theirs a picture of me and my companion and the elders that were in the ward with us our first transfer here, but they are gone now.  And today is the last day of this transfer, I'm pretty positive I'm staying but we haven't found out yet.  They should call us really soon though to let us know, if I'm still on the computer I'll tell you...if not I'll tell you next week.  This week no we didn't have a baptism, but we have been working hard, if I'm still here in the next transfer I think we will have a lot.  Including Yaxkin and Alberto (the family in the photo I sent you) they still need to get married, but the bishop is willing to help them pay half, and the only thing is that Yaxkin signed a contract to work every Sunday for  4 months!...but she miraculously came to church yesterday and stayed all three hours and participated a lot in relief society, I can really see a big change in their family, since they have started striving to live the commandments! And Claudia and Rodrigo, our recently baptized converts are both doing great.  Rodrigo gave a talk yesterday on repentance and it was really good, and Claudia has been participating in everything and having a lot of fun.  We haven't had any service projects yet, we were planning on having one this transfer in our zone but we weren't super organized about it and no one found anything to do but, I hope we do one soon, I think it would be very fun. As for today, we are going to go buy food from Walmart after this and then go do our laundry at Hermana Marcela´s, she is my favorite I will definitely miss her when I leave this ward.  Last night she called us and came to hour house and brought us empenadas haha, she also is going to draw us pictures of of the temples we got endowed in...I'm excited.  And we always do our laundry at her house and she feeds us yummy things.  Haha my companion just looked up on google translate how to say bowel movement in Spanish...evacuación intestinal...equals intestinal evacuation lol! Ok well this is my email have a good week! 

Hola, come le va? 

Well, this week was good, our main problem that seems to keep happening is that we meet people and talk to them and they are very receptive and interested and really need the gospel in their lives...definitely prepared.  And then we ask them where they live and they live in a different area :(. Its great still though, because of course we can give their info to other missionaries, but sometimes I get so excited to get to start teaching this person...but then yeah, we cant.  Another thing is that it it so hard to get all of our investigators to actually come to church, they say they will, we pass by their house to pick them up and then they don't.  But we did have 4 investigators come this last Sunday, which is better than none.  But our goal in the mission is to have a baptism every week...before I came on my mission I told myself I would be satisfied if I helped even one person get baptized (which of course I still would be) but now, I know that its possible to baptize every week if we really work hard.  But our zone improved a lot this past month, we had 17 baptisms in our zone, and the month before we had 7...so we are really improving.  The biggest problem is investigators coming to church, because if they don't come they cant get baptized.  But I know that as we work hard and pray and talk to everyone and follow up on commitments, it really is possible.  So yeah, Claudia was baptized on Tuesday and confirmed yesterday! She was so happy, and then afterwards the relief society were practicing a folkloric Mexican dance for a talent a show and Claudia joined them, it was so funny, I feel like our ward is improving and more members are working with our investigators and recent converts. We have transfers coming up this next week, Its very possible that either me or my companion will get transferred...but I really have no idea, I will be happy with whatever happens though.  Our district leader who is in our ward, and has been in the ward for 6 months is getting transferred today, early, its a special circumstance, so he might become zone leader or something....but it will be weird without him in our ward.  Anyways I will attach pics of the baptism, and some pics from last pday when we went to the centro.  It was pretty fun, we went with the other Hermanas in our district and we ate subway and Wendy's frostys and krispy creme donuts lol...we were happy to be in real civilization with familiar foods lol.  Well it sounds like you are doing good, have a great week! 

Love, Mariah