we met this Mayan hippie who uses stones to heal people!

July 14, 2014

So things have been going better here in Izamal!!

Izamal. EVERYTHING is yellow. It's sorta creepy.

We are meeting tons of new people, mostly by just talking to everyone and their dog who will listen to us.

Challenges of the week, HP got sick for like 3 days, and one day she couldn't get out of her hammock so we went to the doctor who was super nice and didn't even charge us (though we didn't even realize that until like 3 days later...) and then she got better. Last night at 9:30, the power went out and we were like shoot no AC and no fans we're going to die!!!  And we did… but just for the first half of the night. At like 12:00 all the lights came back on and woke us up and we were all half asleep like "yaayyy..." and then went back to bed. EVERY single Monday since the change [her transfer to Izamal] we've had this 8 principios [principles] meeting and have had to get up at 3am to catch the bus to Merida on time. So we're a little tired.

Ok here’s stuff about the investigators. We're teaching this little girl named Sahara (but it’s just pronounced Sara, don't know why the extra ha was necessary..) and she is only eleven but she is AWESOME!  She totally gets everything we teach her, and has questions, and does the additional study part in the back of the pamphlets that we invited her to do and writes it all down and studies her Book of Mormon! The problem is her mom.... her mom is a member but she’s inactive. She bursted in the room yesterday while we were teaching Sahara, and was like are "are you guys talking about the Book of Mormon, or the Bible?" and at that precise moment we were reading something in the Bible so I tell her the Bible. and then she says "good, cause that’s better than the Book of Mormon" (She says as she pulls a beer out of the fridge by the way) and I was like what the heck? Why don't you like the Book of Mormon?? and she says I just don't. I used to be a part of your church but I don't like that religion anymore. But I still like your teachings. Ummm okkk cool yeah that IS our religion. but whatever. We're working on it. hmm who else.. OH! we met this Mayan hippie who uses stones to heal people! Mom you would love him, he's like the coolest person ever. 

So this guy’s name is Israel and we met him one day when his friend was riding him on his tricicleta thing, and he rode up behind us and was shouting "Seeestersss.... Seestersss" and that’s normal cause people always try to say stuff in English to us. And when he came up to us we started talking and he was like "you speak Spanish??" and then we started talking and he introduced himself as one of the "original Mayans" whatever that means. He travels around the world teaching people how to do ancient Mayan rituals or something. So we set up a date to meet him in the plaza, and that day came and he didn't show up. BUT we ran into him AGAIN in the plaza in front of the Catholic convent, he has a little table where he sells stones and handmade, very Mayan looking jewelry, and he tells us to sit down and he puts his lighter up to this magical Mayan stone and tells me to put it on the back of my neck so I do, and then he was like "now all the bad energy is being released from your body." And he was talking about chakras, and energy, and all the stuff that mom loves! It was way cool. Anyways and he said  “I'm sorry I missed you guys I promise I really want to hear the word of God!!”  So we set up another day to see him and he wrote it on his pants so he wouldn't forget. Then THAT day came and it was raining, so we showed up late, afraid that he wouldn't be there, but he took cover under this little taco stand, and was eating tacos when we walked into the plaza, and he was like "SEESTERS!" so we went over and talked to him. Pretty much the funniest guy ever. He was like teach me let’s go! But it was raining so we really didn't have any place to go, and the least uncomfortable, biggest dry place close by was... Yeah that gigantic catholic church. And he was like OK let’s go! And I was super hesitant cause the place is full of monks and tourists and this day there was like some rally there and there was a ton of people in the streets marching and chanting "PAZ Y BIEN!!" and hugging and stuff. It was way weird... But anyways he was like "don't worry just follow my lead!" and we walk up and he's like "yeah and this is the convent, built in the year.. " pretending to be giving us a tour. But then he goes all crazy and is like yes look at me I'm Mayan! Take a picture! ‘cause all the crazy people started shouting and the tourists were taking pictures. And we were cracking up, and scared to death to enter the huge catholic church! But we did. And we taught him there. And we set a baptismal date there. IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. with a Mayan hippie. 

Also I held a snake that day. I'll send a picture. 

Anyways this guy Israel is way funny. I'll definitely have to tell you more stories about him later.

Ok that’s all the time I have for today!  Love you all!  See you in 9 months!

HS