Merida- Como Te Quiero!

 OH MY GOODNESS I'M SO INCREDIBLY JEALOUS THAT I'M MISSING ALL THE EXCITEMENT AT THE TEMPLE!! [referring to the Gilbert Temple Cultural Celebration ]. No es justo [No fair!].. Can you send me pictures? of EVERYTHING and everyone? 

AH not sure what I should say... 

Well we met this guy the other day, a referencia from Edgar, and we weren't going to go, but then we decided to, and turns out he's BIEN potente [ready]. He accepted una fecha [a baptismal date] before we even taught a real lesson! We were just kinda talking to him about our message, and then listening to him talk alot (About 90% of all our lessons consist of listening because the people here love to talk...) And he was talking about life after this life and the importance of baptism and all this stuff and so HV looks at me and gives the invitaciòn bautismal sign (We made up our own missionary sign language, and so we have this sign that means invite to baptism- its the letter b with your right hand and wave it in front of your face one time as if swatting a mosquito or something.) So he accepted and then came to church the next day!!! Wahoo!

 Merida- "How I love you!"

 Hma Laura and Sam

 Los tres testigos

Their chapel in Merida

And we only have 2 investigadores [investigators] progressing but they're both super good. The other is this girl Monica, the novia of a menos activo [girlfriend of a less active] and she's super prepared too. She just has to get married first. ALSO we STILL haven't put a fecha for Ligia ( Do you know who Ligia is? can't remember if I already told you about her or not..) But she's... something else. She's super great and is totally in to reading her Book of Mormon which is like incredible, but she isn't considered "Progressing" unless she has a bautismal date and we can't seem to do that for some reason.... I don't know. Ugh Whatever.

In other news, my companions and I have this eternal struggle of trying to learn the other's accent. I can't seem to master the spanish accent 'cause (well HV says anyway) that gringo's talk with the throat, and latino's talk "afuera." and they can't do the gringo accent cause they can't do the TH sound. Well HL can't anyway. Its pretty entertaining listening to her try to say my name. HV has a pretty good american accent, and knows a few english phrases, which she learned from watching Jersey Shore... So she knows how to say "Shut up" and "I hate you." Good thing we're missionaries and we use these phrases all the time... I video recorded one of these conversations one time and it's pretty funny and I wish I could send it but it's too big... Maybe you could send me a flash drive in the mail or something and I could put all my pictures and videos on it and send it back? Ok well we've got to go now, but I love you all and I'll try to send pictures!

HS

"Ore hasta siente algo"

So good news, My companion's situation isn't terrible. Hermana V [Sam's new companion] is super cool and actually way easy for me to understand for some reason. There's like certain people that I can understand way better than others. Turns out just the first day she was missing her old area a ton and felt left out cause HL and I already knew each other. But all three of us get along way good and we actually teach way good together too! The only thing is latino girls tend to attract a lot of drama... And as it turns out this includes missionaries too... Hermana V (whom everyone told us was super strict) is actually way chill with the rules. And Hermana L, (whom the president warned us not to let get away with breaking any rules or anything) gets super anxious when we're not being super duper exactly obedient and like for example praying at exactly 10:30 or something. Soooo last night we had a little bit of drama with that but they worked it out. I think.

 Haha but we have a ton of fun and we've had a ton of success this week! Well it's success by our areas standards. We had 18 lecciones con miembro presente [lessons with members], y 12 otras lecciones [other lessons]! And usually we have like 10 if we're lucky!! Of course, HV counts the lessons differently than HG so yeah...

 Sisters of her old zone plus Elder Rosales- she almost seems tall!!

 Hma Laura, Sam, Hma Garcia

But still I feel pretty good about this week. And I feel pretty good about being competent in this area too. I have pretty much been leading all the lessons and planning all week cause they don't know the area as well and I don't mind cause I think it's good practice. But it is pretty stressful too. Ok story. Yes I am getting Hayden's emails, and Andrew's too!  And actually last week I read something in Hayden's letter that really stuck with me, he told a story about these two guys whom he invited to read the Book of Mormon and then pray about it- like all missionaries do like 20 times a day right? But then he said that one of these guys told him that after reading a little, he prayed until he felt something, and then he felt this amazing love and peace and desire to keep reading and got all the way to 2 nephi 27. And I haven't been able to stop thinking about that all week! Oh gosh what I wouldn't give to have an investigator do that and have that same patience and faith! He prayed UNTIL HE FELT SOMETHING. So often we pray and expect an answer right away and when we don't receive it we get all discouraged. or even more often, we pray, and then never wait and listen for an answer.

 And this I think is the biggest problem with all our investigators right now, especially this one lady Marcela. She's way good and super nice and always wants to listen to us, and we keep inviting her to pray to receive and answer and she hasn't felt anything yet! And whenever we pray with her her prayers are always super fast and... well they lack sincerity. And so this last lesson I made a cute little notecard that says "Ore hasta siente algo" which means Pray until you feel something. And I stuck it in my scriptures in the book of Enos, and our last visit with Marcela we read the book of Enos with her and talked about the importance of praying sincerely, and later HL shared her testimony of how she received her answer about the Libro de Mormon and started crying and if you couldn't feel the spirit in there then you wouldn't be able to feel someone hitting you over the head with a ton of bricks. Hope we got through to her. And shout out to Dille for the story.

Well my times up! I have more to say like always but I'll tell you next week!

HS

...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!

Families can be together forever...

AHH I have less than no time this week!!! We have to be at our dictrict meeting in like 10 minutes but I'll type as fast as I possibly can!!
So the other week I was reading in.... I don't remember where but I ended up somehow in Malachi. And I recognized chapter 4 vers 5-6 I believe, cause it's a scripture mastery, and it talks about the prophet Elijah (Elias in español) being sent by God to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers or algo asi [something like that].. And forever I had no idea what that meant! But then I was reading in Doctrina y Convenios (I think its seccion 110) and Elijah came to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in a vision and gave them the keys to do the obra vicaria en el templo [temple work]! And then I realized what that meant!! ANND in the Book of Mormon a BUNCH in like 1 and 2 Nefi I think, it talks about the Lord fulfilling his promises that he made to our fathers, and all about the covenants and promises he made with our fathers, and I think that's talking about the work that we can do in the templo for the salvation of our ancestors! And in DyC 138 it describes it way good, but basically, "turning the hearts of the children to their fathers" means that we can do like baptisms and sealings and stuff in the temple, well for everyone, but especially for nuestro propios antepasados[our own ancestors]!! And that's why family history is so important! AND in this evangelio[gospel] one major principle that we stress is that families can be together forever. And that principle is like, everywhere in the scriptures! And I never even realized it! So I gave a talk about that in sacrament meeting last Sunday when the first counselor asked HG and I if one of us could give a talk cause they were short some speakers or something, so I volunteered. And had like 30 minutes to prepare. But it was easy to talk about family history and everything cause there's a lot of scriptures that I read haha:) BUT just yesterday in la capilla [the chapel] the stake presidency came to our ward to talk, and they all talked about family history too! So that's the topic for the week.

Pray for Maria to get married and baptized soon!! We're so close!

I got kissed this week:( Again. Dangit.

And we preached to a police officer.

And we got to go to the temple to teach a lesson and that was fun.

Ok I have to go now! Mucho amor!

HS

Ok can we talk about food for a second?

No I don't really miss any electronics. And I miss hiking so much!!! We are doing our own form of hiking I guess. in skirts. and heavy backpacks. (I got a new backpack today in centro! And a new watch cause BOTH my watches broke:(...) 

Her bedroom- the simple life!!

They adopted Pinky the dog - for a while

Ok can we talk about food for a second? Who knew the gift of tongues also meant that the Spirit makes everything you eat taste heavenly??? I LOVE the food here! I look forward to it every day. And vegetables are like the equivalent of candy. Like, a tomato is a rare delicacy. So HG and I bought like 7 the other day to make for breakfast or dinner (We only get fed lunch by the members) And usually we just get tortillas, and beans and some sort of meat. And habanero. Everybody here serves habanero with everything. And HG hates it but I LOVE IT! And I always love the food we get but when we get a salad or something... oh man. So this morning for breakfast we made toast with tuna and grilled onions, and cut up tomatoes and avocado on top, dipped in beans (Frijoles here are often in soup form.) And oh my gosh. I don't think I have ever been so excited about eating something in my whole life. Literally. 

Lunch with Hermana Williams and her companion (Sam's MTC companion)

Happy reunion with Hma Williams

Ok so HG and I were talking about how the people here give directions, which consists much of "por aca, y por alli..." and HG was saying how that's like 10 times better than in her country cause how they do it goes something like this "So you go down this road and count one, two, three, corners, then turn left. and not right. cause if you turn right, you will go the wrong way. and after about 5 minutes, you will see a big tree, and then you're not there yet. so you have to go about 2 more minutes, and then turn right this time, not left. And then, you have to look for the little red store on the corner, and you're not there yet, but you have to go inside the store and ask the man who works there which way to go next, cause sometimes I get lost too and I always have to ask him where to go and he tells me.."

Ah dang I have no more time again!!!! But I love you all dearly and I have a really good spiritual thought for next week! 

Families can be together forever!! And like, everything we do somehow relates to this principle. Even in the bible. It's cool. 

Exciting adventures from a gringa in Mexico!

HG [Samantha's companion] and I walk everywhere. Our area is not too big but its LONG so we walk A LOT. La capilla [the chapel]  is about a 15 minute walk from our house so not too bad. We never get to go to the temple unless an investigator is getting sealed.... missionary rules :( triste.

That cardboard cutout of me is so creepy... where does it live?

Samantha made a guest appearance in Park City

 (cardboard cutout courtesy of her Grandma Mimi)

Your adventures sound so fun and I can't wait to see you all again! Too bad that won't be for like.. 16 months more..

I don't know if I'll be able to send pictures on this computer but I will try! In case I can't here's a cool story from last night...

So we were teaching this lady (let's call her Maria) that we always teach 'cause she lives super close to us, and her 2 daughters and niece are all members (not active at all but they always come out and listen to us when we come over) and she really wants to be baptized but she can't cause she's not married to this guy she lives with (we'll call him Juan). And Juan doesn't want to get baptized. And a lot of the time when we come over he's outside drinking with his friends and is always drunk and never wears a shirt and I don't know... we avoid them whenever they're drunk cause they scare us. But yesterday HG invited them (I guess invited isn't the right word cause HG is rather... persuasive. its more like commanded) to sit and listen. So there's two drunk guys with their beers listening to me try to talk about coming unto Christ and being perfected in Him. Then one guy starts saying stuff that apparently isn't very nice so Maria and her niece escort him inside. And then Juan starts arguing with HG about why we don't worship Guadalupe and get baptized as babies and all this stuff that doesn't make any sense. And HG perfectly logically explains everything perfect using the scriptures and everything. And then the topic turns to why he should get married 'cause his family would be stronger and if he loves Maria he should marry her so she can get baptized and they can be a happy family and all that jazz, and Maria jumps in and starts talking about how hard it is for her when he's always drinking and she just wants to be a family and everyone's talking over each other and it's pretty tense. But long story short, we have a date for them to get married! January 28th! And I probably will get transferred to another area next week so I don't think I'll see it...:( Also, Juan was drunk so who knows how reliable his commitment is. But I don't know. I just feel like in the mission you have so much hope for people and know that they can change.

This week we had a lot of people that argued with us(HG) about our church and she got pretty discouraged but I had a math teacher that once told me, when arguing with someone, you will never change their mind, even if you're right, and they know it, and you know they know it, they will never admit to it cause they're too set in their ways. But what you do is plant a seed, and over time, they will come to realize that they are wrong and they will change.

So if bearing our testimony is all we can do, well that's probably the best thing we can do. Over time the Spirit will work on them and they'll be curious about what we said and look more into our church and then down the road when other missionaries find them, they'll be ready to listen. Anywho, those are my palabras de sabiduria [words of wisdom ] for this century. Sorry I can't tell you more whats going on, trust me, there's a lot [Samantha has to travel to an internet cafe to receive and send emails and she only has one hour every week to do it , which apparently goes by VERY quickly!] Maybe next week I'll tell a funny story about baptizing a cat. Or a sad story about little kids torturing a cat. Or a cute story about a newborn cat I saw yesterday. There's lots of cats here. Tune in next week (especially you Shelley) to find out what happens next in the exciting adventures of this gringa in Mexico! todaloo!

Hermana Smith