Monday, February 10, 2014

...turns out sarcasm isn't very Christlike or missionarylike so I can't say a lot of things on my mind..


Samantha and Sandra

Haha esta bien mami! No tengo mucho tiempo para escribir hoy entonces. Pero, una cosa nueva de esta semana, tenemos una nueva compañera!!!! La ultima lunes en la noche, (estuvimos en una lección con investigadora) y las asistentes nos llamaron, y nos dijeron que vamos a ser un tripañerismo! Yeah I'm pretty sure that’s not a real word and I'm going to stop writing in what is supposedly Spanish cause I'm not sure if everyone who reads these emails knows Spanish anyways. But yeah! We're a trio! Wahoo cool our other companion's name is Hermana L and she’s from Bolivia. I don't know if you already know a bit about her or not cause I had intercambios with her one time and I don't remember if I sent that picture of the journal entry that talked about it... but weird story, Randomly 2 weeks before the next change, President changes around a couple companionships, and it includes us getting another hermana!  Nobody knows why. And then we go to Centro to pick her up the next day and president interviews HG and I and gives us this talk about how we have to discipline HL and make sure she follows the rules and not let her get away with anything and all that jazz. So we're thinking "Oh great, we have some fríta as a companion" (Frita is the word they use here that means disobedient missionary, but I'm not sure if that’s just missionary lingo or international Spanish or what.) So we're all cautious and ready to crack the whip at any given moment, but she's like perfect. okkayyy??

We have yet to find a problem with her so don't know what was up with that.. but ok so we only have room for 2 hammocks in our bedroom right? So oh my gosh what did you do Hermana Smith?? Well I'll tell you-- we doubled up on my hooks, one on top of the other. But we tied knots in the end of mine so it hangs higher than the other, like a bunk bed! But with hammocks. It’s cool. But such a pain if I have to get up in the middle of the night. It’s hard enough trying to get out of a hammock 4 inches off the floor when you’re dead tired, so then try it like 5 feet off the floor, and with someone sleeping directly under you. Oh life is so difficult being a missionary.. nahh estoy bromiendo [I'm joking]. That’s the least of our problems.

So what’s the most of our problems? Good question... I guess it’s that nobody is coming to church!!!! For everyone here it’s like second nature to just lie to the missionaries. Its kinda sad, especially ‘cause they're not even good at it... or else they just think we're dumb. One girl was like on her phone one time, and put it in her pocket when we started talking to her, and when we asked for her phone number, she said she doesn't have a phone right now, and that her phone wasn't working... And we're like: "Wow, we're not even worth the effort of thinking up a good lie?" Just kidding we didn't say that. But we thought it. Well OK I thought it. I think a lot of things like that, but turns out sarcasm isn't very Christlike or missionary- like so I can't say a lot of things on my mind.. 
Somehow I got drafted into playing this silly game at the baby shower
and I was blindfolded and everyone was yelling at me
 and I didn't know what was going on.. yeah that was fun

In other news.... Cool that you found giros!!! Did you sing "I'm holding out for a giro!"? I showed HG that picture and she thought it was super cool that they had giros [an oreo-like cookie they eat a lot in Mexico]  there in the US. They're way better than oreos. 

Also, I may or may not have eaten the liver of a cow last week... It was some organ that HG didn't know the name of in English, but she says maybe its liver. And I wouldn't know ‘cause you never made us eat liver before. Well it wasn't that bad. And HG loved it. 

Picture of Miranda and Giro's sent to Sam

OK well I gotta go but I love you all dearly and I'll talk to you later!

HS

I could not remember how to pray in English.


Yeah Spanish is definitely coming along, but I can say more than I can understand. Like if I can comprehend what someone’s saying, I can usually have a really good response (if HG lets me), but the people here all either talk really fast or kinda just mumble. The other day we visited this couple that is SUPER interested in our message, and I love teaching them 'cause they understand so much and want to know a ton, but HG is skeptical cause she thinks they'll never get baptized- like they just want to know just to know. Anywho so they asked me to say the closing prayer, IN ENGLISH! So I was super excited at first, thinking I'll be able to say a really good prayer that I can totally understand, and then God decided to give me a lesson in humility. I could not remember how to pray in English. I don't think I've ever said a more awkward prayer in my life, and it barely made sense to me... haha and I kept saying Spanish words here and there. Thankfully nobody laughed at me like I'm sure they wanted to.

Ah OK I'm just skimming through my journal for interesting stories! Here’s one:
The other day we were visiting a menos activa [less active] and she had her family over visiting- all active members. And there were two little kids there too, a little boy 7 years old and a girl 6, and they knew SO MUCH about the Book of Mormon! I think the boy might have had special needs or something, but when HG asked "what is the Book of Mormon?" He went off about all the prophets, and who is the son of who and the story of Alma the younger and the angel that visited him and he repented and etc... And I just so badly want my kids to be like that! And he said the opening prayer and it was so beautiful and profound and I was so impressed!! He gave me a hug when we were saying goodbye to everyone and HG let me hear it after that but I don't care cause he's only 7 and I think he was autistic.

Sam and companion, Hermana Garcia with friend

In other news, I saw a dog wearing a diaper yesterday. Poor dog. How degrading.

HG and I play the slugbug game, which is much more entertaining here ‘cause we see one about every 30 seconds. Except I'm getting a bruise on my arm.

Ok please pray for Jesus and Lucia to take care of their kids and for Jesus to stop drinking! We have this family with these poor kids who desperately need to be taught and loved and the parents need so much help but they can never talk to us and we don't know what to do! If you want to know the sad details I can tell you next week, but please pray for them:(
So right now we're going to play fútbol with our zone. Yay finally some fun p- day activity!!! Too bad we'll only have like 15 minutes..
Anywho love you all, cuidense!
HS

PS I'll try to send pics!