Week 5

The Vina Oeste Zone Conference

P-Day at the Sand Dunes

Hola Y Buenos Dias a todos!

Again, (and I know I sound like a broken record) I can't believe its P-day again! I can't believe how fast time flies in the mission! This week was another great week. We are having the best weather! What a blessing. At the beginning of the week, it wasn't so nice, We got rained on. hah. It was actually kind of an amazing feeling to be walking around, soaked to the bone, getting rejected by everyone and all of our appointments falling through, and to still feel so happy. Hermana Jacobo and I were still able to laugh and smile. The Lord certainly blesses his missionaries with an extra dose of happiness! It was funny too because one our investigators let us borrow an umbrella, but it was SO TINY, like for a 5 year old girl and it had flowers on it. haha. Hermana Jacobo used it and she looked funny to me. ( She sends her love by the way!)

This week we had my first mission conference! It was exciting and it was the first time I really got to hear our president speak. It was fun to be part of a missionary conference,but I also kept having moments where I couldn't believe I am on a mission. I think since I never planned on going on a mission and since I made my decision to go so quickly, I get surprised sometimes that I am actually here. It is a bizarre feeling! But the conference was great. We did lots of role playing and practices. I also have to give the closing prayer and it was scary because it was my first Public Spanish prayer. But afterward, everyone kept telling how my Spanish is abnormally ahead of the game. What a blessing!

This week we had kind of a disappointment. Our family of investigators who will be getting baptized this week are running into oppositions. The grandma, who is a scary scary woman, doesn't want the teenagers to get baptized. They are too scared to stand up to her. Ronald, the papa, is amazing. He is still going to be baptized, but we really want to help the kids, Catalina and Ronnie to get baptized. So keep them in your prayers!

Ok, so a lot of you want to here more about the people we are teaching. I will give you backgrounds for some of them:

Ronald, Cata and Ronnie are so amazing. I seriously love this family so much. Ronald is a baker and sells bread. He always gives us delicious bread and sweets. Including Dulce de Leche. hah He is so faithful. He had met with Elders before but didn't want anything to do with the church. When we first went to visit him, he was nice, but told us upfront, he wasn't going to get baptized. but he said having Hermanas changed his mind. Haha This family is amazing. Ronnie is 12 and reminds me of Kevin sometimes and Cata is 13 and LOVES the United States. She always is asking me "Hermana Royal, what does find me somebody to love mean?" or "Hermana Royal, what does Party in the USA mean?" haha

Rigoberto is a very interesting man. We have been teaching him for a long time, and he goes to church every single Sunday (which is super rare) but he will not accept a baptismal date! He is stubborn, that's for sure. But he really has an amazing story. He had an accident where we basically had to relearn how to walk, read, talk, basically everything. He wants to know why God kept him alive. He is funny. He always gives me phrases to translate. This week, he asked me to translate "Boyfriend" and "I must have yawned and cuddled" haha.

Gladys is a woman that is going through chemo therapy for cancer. This week she received her last treatment. Poor Gladys... She is so strong though. She is a widow and lives alone but She just got a boxer puppy named Charlie too. This puppy is equally if not more wild than Grandpa Jolley´s Daisy! Haha } Gladys LOVES to talk. haha

We are also working with a lot, A LOT of inactives, because, lets be honest, EVERYONE here is inactive. Also, lots of members here are really easily offended.There are many families who have strong testimonies but refuse to go to church because of other members. It is really sad. But it is also a special experience to find people who want to change,who want to return and who feel the Love of God in there lives and who expereince the sweet healing powers of the atonement.

So I hope that satisfies your curiosity for now. haha. I just feel so lucky to be a missionary. It is amazing that people let us, two foreign strangers into thierhomes and are willing to listen to my broken Spanish. But I also know, without a doubt that this is an inspired work. I think people are willing to let us in because of who we represent, Jesus Christ. I feel blessed to be able to view these people as who they really are, dearly loved children of God. Before each lesson, I try to think "What does God want these people to know during this lesson?".

I can't believe transfers are in a week! Its funny to me that they make everything so mysterious. We will find out on Saturday if we are getting transfered or not, but, they wait until Monday night to tell us where we are going and who will be our companion. So secretive. haha. I really hope I stay, but on the other hand, I am happy to go where ever the lord sends me.

Mucho Amor!

Hermana Royal

P.S.Taryn!! I am sending you a letter as soon as I can!! I am so happy to hear your good news! So exciting! I miss you lots!

P.S.S. Shelby! I can't believe you are engaged! I am so happy for you and I wish I could be there for your wedding. YOU HAD BETTER SEND PHOTOS! I will be waiting! Send me your address because I want to write you a letter so you can hear how excited I am for you!!

LOVE YOU ALL!

Hermana Royal