Another monday, another missionary email! It´s crazy hot here, and it just keeps getting hotter! Can´t wait for the peak of summer! We worked super hard this week to try and find new investigadores, and to put baptismal dates with the people that we´re teaching. For various reasons, everyone was very inclined to say no. But it´s all good! Every "no" is one step closer to a "si!".
Jacinto couldn´t be baptized this week, but he´s back now! We got our hopes up because he came back one night, but then left again early in the morning. He´s unpredictable, this one. But he´s in Tizimin, he has the desire to be baptized, and we´re going to prep him so that he can finally be baptized (fingers crossed) next Saturday!
We saw lots of little milagros this week! Alejandro brought his whole familia to church, we visited lots of less active members and they really opened up to us, and the best part was our recent convert Amber, told us she´s preparing to have her patriarchal blessing! This is literally missionary heaven. She is muy buena!!! It is so rewarding to see the little changes in people. She also told us that she felt different when she missed church last week and wants to go every week to renew her covenants! Yesss Amber! Exactamente! It´s so cool.
We have a little project to activate the less actives, called "Uno por Uno" The ward council is working with us to visit families that have testimonies but don´t feel like it´s important to go to church. There are a lot of challenges here to get people to the capilla! The niños don´t want to get dressed, the houses are far, people have work, or want to take a day to relax. The culture is very much instilled that you can be a good person and don´t need to go to the iglesia cada semana. So we´re working to change that. :) It really is so important and our spirits feel the difference when we don´t go!
Anyway, we were trying to visit Hermana Suemia, less active member that lives SUPER far away, and she wasn´t there for our appointment. But we found delicious mangos! Straight from heaven, four perfect mangos on the ground waiting for us. Didn´t have a lesson, didn´t find people to teach, but we did find some super rico mangos, haha! Totally worth it to walk the distance.
I had a really bad pun in a lesson that I´m ashamed to share, but I thought it was funny in the moment. The investigators told us their relatives live in Israel, and I said that I have a relative that lives farther away. "Nuestro Padre Celestial!" Ba-dum, tshh! Yeah, it´s really cheesy. On top of that I´m my clumsy self and I keep tripping in the streets. I haven´t seriously injured myself yet, but I´m pretty sure my companion has a heart attack every time I fall. AND I got this fruit juice on my favorite shirt that is IMPOSIBLE to remove! We washed it several times, and nada. We finally asked our neighbor and she told us that Guaya juice never comes out. A warning if any of you ever end up eating guayas....
I´ve been trying to study the scriptures and learn more about diligence this week. It´s an atribute of Christ that is super important in the obra misional (missionary work) and I need to develop. When we´re diligent we work with all our heart, might, mind and strength, and never give up! We need the gospel in hard times and in good times! That´s why we need to continually search and strive to find God´s hand in our lives. I´m reading the Book of Mormon, and with the topic of diligence in mind the Book of Jacob, Enos, and Omni just blew my mind! Enos prayed and worked so that the Lamanites could be converted, and all of his efforts appeared to be in vain. BUT the Lord answered his prayer, because here we are, years later, with the Book of Mormon being brought to every corner of the earth. We´re part of the answer to Enos´s prayer. So if it doesn´t seem like you´re receiving an answer, just remember that everything is in the Lords own time! He hears you, he loves you, and he is aware of all your struggles and joys!!
Sorry that I only have one picture this week! Forgot to bring the converter cable. But it´s me, my wonderful companion, and the incredible Jeanetty! She´s the young women´s president here in Tizimin and is absolutely amazing. Next week I´ll send lots of pictures! I have some of a baby chicken that was born today! Cham pollito! (cham is cute in maya and pollito is chick in español)
Have a wonderful week! Count your blessings, learn some spanish! This language rocks!
Mucho amor,
Hermana Schwartz
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