"Something I learned this week is that the Lord answers prayers, but it may not be the result you necessarily want..."

Wow. 

I read those ward newsletters and my entries in comparison to everyone else's are so scattered and random.  I have a million things to say and I try to say them all in this little time I have and sometimes sale y no tiene sentido. [it comes out without feeling ]  Pero que va a hacer? [But , what can I do?] ok. So I'll try to send something spiritual cause I'm kinda rotten at that. I love reading emails from my other missionary friends 'cause they all have these super awesome spiritual experiences and growing testimonies and stuff, and I kinda feel bad cause I'm here talking about singing show tunes with my companion and dying of heat exhaustion every day. Something I learned this week is that the Lord answers prayers, but it may not be the result you necessarily want, and you have to keep in mind the will of the Lord at all times. 

OK sorry this letter is so short! I started writing this whole big long story to you guys, but then I re-read it and decided it was giving away a bunch of personal information that I shouldn't say so I erased it all...

But you know something that you learn as a missionary? You have to be really brutally honest with people. And if you're not, it could mean condemnation for someone's soul. in Mormon 9 there's a scripture that talks about being baptized worthily, and one in DyC that says something like- to him that sinneth in the greater light, is given greater condemnation. and another in.. I think its 1 Nefi 31? that says that after being baptized and receive the Holy Ghost, if you deny Christ, it would have been better if you had never known him. and about million scriptures about enduring to the end. OK my point is, HT and I were studying this topic pretty seriously this morning, because of a certain circumstance of someone who might be getting baptized for all the completely wrong reasons, and we learned that as missionaries, and members of this church, we have a great huge awesome privilege. We have the truth, and the way to return to our Heavenly Father. We have the gift of the Holy Ghost and all the blessings promised to us by this gift. BUT we have a huge responsibility to remain worthy, and endure to the end, and KEEP our baptismal covenants. If we baptize someone unworthily, like if they have no sincere intention of remaining faithful, it could mean not only some terrible punishment for them, but for us, the missionaries who failed to teach how serious this could be. Like, we have to be really harsh with people sometimes cause they don't want to accept the fact that they will receive a punishment to fit the crime. 

So there's me being really planchadora.

"this family has a ton of chickens in their yard, its pretty cool"

In other news, we may or may not have a baptism this Satuday. It's about a 50 percent chance. 

And I think I am dreaming in Spanish but I can't ever remember... My companions have told me that I sleeptalk sometimes in Spanish and sometimes in English. So yeah I guess I dream in Spanish about half the time.

I LOVE my area. Like way more than Tanlum. All the people here rock, and the rama [branch] is so awesome. And they have super cool names.

Ok I will think of something interesting I can tell you guys next week ok? bueno. 

Pues yo se que Jesu Cristo vive y que esta es su iglesia. se que el libro de mormon es verdadero y contiene el plentitud del evangelio everno. se que Dios nos ama y nos escucha cuando oramos, pero siempre contesta nuestros oraciones segun su voluntad, y siempre será por nuestro beneficio. les amo!

HS

 (ps I stole Hayden's idea) hehe

I got to watch General Conference and it was awesome!

Ah so sorry I can't ever give you guys a ton of information, I have to email president first and usually some old companions about some important missionary stuff like what's up in my old area and Como se llama la mamá de hermana Eunice y donde vivé y es miembro o no?[What's Sister Eunice's mom's name and where does she live and is she a member ?] and stuff like that. And I usually go in order of who emailed me during the week and you usually email like last so yeah.. 

Yeah I got to watch [General  ]conference and it was awesome! Well the last 4 talks were... the rest I had to watch in Spanish and it was so tiring sitting in the dark chapel for 4 hours trying to listen attentively and translate the  talks from Spanish to English..  I didn't get a ton out of the first 3 sessions but during the last one my district leader decided to have mercy on me and invited me along with this other gringo elder in my district to watch it on the other room in English with this couple who is trying to learn English. My favorite of these was.... ok I don't remember his name... cambridge or something? He talked about Joseph Smith and the "flood of revelation" in stark contrast from the beliefs of the world that came to him in a very short time.

Yeah every once in a while I remember that I only have a year left. It's super weird, I feel like I JUST got here and I should still be being trained... But hey now I'm training. So that's cool.

"This weird fruit called cayomitos."

My companion's name is Hermana T. She's super great and doesn't even need to be trained. We dominate lessons  and are kinda learning the area together cause this area is still super new for me. She's from Coahuila Mexico and she plays the flute and she likes show tunes. Yeah, she's my first companion that knows and likes musicals. Sometimes when we're walking we'll sing songs from Les Mis or Phantom or something, but we change the words to make it about missionary  work. Needless to say, we get along very well together. I'll send pictures!

Ok I don't have time again but I want to tell you about this guy Freddy. He's the husband of a member and at first never accepted the missionaries, but then they started having problems with their marriage and he's trying to save his marriage and is taking the lessons from us. Which is only slightly unsettling cause we're pretty sure that's the only reason he's listening to us.. and it's a very noble cause, but he needs a testimony of his own ya know?

"Carlos, the kid we baptized. He rocks." 

"Us again, with Irvin this time. Irvin is who baptized Carlos. He rocks too."

So anywho he's like the greatest investigator and always has questions and in a week and a half he read like the first 16 chapters of Nephi and he has all these inspired questions and he retains information like none other. And if all goes according to plan we're going to baptize him on the 26th!! Which will be like record time for us cause that's the date that we put for him in the first lesson, and almost nobody ever actually gets baptized on the date they put in the first lesson. So pray for Freddy.

Ah I want to say more but I'll just send pictures and hope that's enough

Love you all bye!

HS