Bye Bye July

Absolutely no time to write. I went to Guaymus for my VISA and we got home late, and then I spent time writing the kids because the week before I didn´t write them that good of emails.Thank you for everything. Yes i got the foto book and I loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HERMANA B

One Year of Service

I am actually really content and have been able to feel the prayers that you are all sending me. I am so grateful to know that we have a merciful Heavenly Father and a loving Savior that are willing to help us. Like Paul, I glory in my weaknesses because through them I can see the power of Christ! 

I cannot believe that I will completing a year in the service of our Lord this Thursday. I honestly am so honored and so excited. We saw an airplane today, and Hermana Z said to me, Do you know how far away that plane is? Six months. Today is literally six months before I am going to see you in the little Pasco Airport! How could time have gone so quickly? Granted, I know that six months are still a solid amount of time, and I am grateful for that, but it still seems incredibly real now, where before it didn't seem so real that I would sometime take a plane ride home. There is a song that Hna Z has that we listen to, it´s called The Work: The Hardest Thing I´ve Ever Loved to Do by the Nashville Tribute band.  Anyways, it´s really precious and describes exactly how I feel! WOW! Six more months of diligent work, I promise I am going to stay obedient, and HAPPY. 

A ver, what else. Today was super awesome. We had a zone activity, we cleaned the capilla, played volleyball and then ate lunch together. It´s really fun to just take out our stress that way. Sometimes the work is hard but we also can enjoy it in a healthy way, and we did that! Yay! I have some cool pictures I will be sending your way. We went and swung in the park after (our favorite thing to do). Overall it´s been a solid day. Even if it is 107 degrees today. It´s casual. 

This week, I also had a moment that really tested me. As we were walking to the house of Hna G, the new sheep in the fold of God!, we said Buenas Noches! All happy and what not to this lady in the street. With the most vicious face she spat at our feet (here it´s even more disrespectful that it would be in the US, it´s like a big grosería). Hna Z luckily didn't really register what she had done because we kept walking quickly but turns to me and says, did she sneeze or something? Not wanting to believe what had just happened and I said, no she actually spit at us. And we kind of kept walking in silence, remembering that they too, spat at our Savior. Luckily when we got to the house of G, she had surprised us with... wait for it... LITTLE CAESARS PIZZA! So I was pretty happy. 

In the Moment

I don´t remember much about the elders in the Columbia Basin Ward that came to our house in Pasco, before they changed it to hermanas, but the only thing that I remember clearly is when one missionary, a really cool elder, shared 2nd Nefi 31:20 with our family. He took it apart piece by piece, asking us inspired questions and letting our testimonies grow. It really affected my life. No idea what the elder´s name was. Or where he was from or anything. But I do remember that moment with him. And it was life changing. 

Capaz

Wow. What can I say? This week was crazy.  And by crazy, I mean incredibly stressful. And by incredibly stressful, I mean I know this is true or I wouldn't be here anymore. 

First off, I am living without money. So that´s fun. And then second off, we cleaned the house for eight hours on tuesday, and not just clean, but deep Pop-approval clean, only to find out that we weren't going to move. And we didn't move because there were problems with the contract and the other landlord and everything. So I was a little stressed to say the least with that, and then I love training but sometimes I don´t feel that I am capaz.... like... what´s the word in English.... whatever. I don´t feel good enough to train sometimes. And then I get mad at myself because I am not perfect and I have been on my knees just begging for His forgiveness and my district leader called and was like what´s wrong with you? and I am like I have been super stressed.  I just feel like Goob a little bit.

But I have to look at the blessings too. Because Hna G got baptized! And it was my favorite holiday! Hna Z and I dressed up in our red white and blue and we ended the night in bed looking up at the ceiling pretending there was fireworks and singing the National Anthem. It was good having an American companion. She is seriously an amazing comp. We have so much in common, it´s kinda creepy. 

And the Best Week Ever Just Occurred

This is what white girls look like when we eat chile

How are you? I am so grateful for you and for your birthday messages. I feel bad cause we didn´t have time to reply to every one. GRACIAS!!!!

Well here I am at the computer again. Every week just goes by so quickly. I am so grateful to my HF for this week. I learned so much. First off, I was so overjoyed to hear the story about my cousin and his baptism. Okay, now I am ready to tell you about my week. 

Being with Hna Z is seriously the best thing ever. We have so much fun, and we basically are the same person. She has such a great desire to serve and do that which is right and she is progressing really quickly in her Spanish. It is a gift from the Lord. We have had so much success. We are actually going to have a baptism this week! Her name is G and her parents were baptized less than two years ago. It was a miracle in finding her, and she is so ready to be baptized! She is inviting everyone to the baptism. Actually it was super cool cause we had an appt with them yesterday night (aka the birthday!) and they had a chocoflan cake prepared for me and sang me the mexican happy birthday song and let´s just say I was very content. 

Casually Freaking Out

MI HIJA!!!! Es de Park City Utah, her name is Hermana Z. She is so amazing! Doesn´t speak very much Spanish and doesn´t understand very much either but she is working hard and has such a great spirit! I am the first American-American (not Mexican American or anything like that) to train someone that also is American-American (without any experience in Spanish)... GO TEAM! Pray for us.

Top right pic is Hna M and the mission president's wife of the Hermosillo Mission! They came to visit Elder De Hoyos. Thanks for all the prayers, by the way, the piano playing went GREAT! It was so inspirational to hear him and learn how we can better teach our brothers and sisters here in the field! We are lead by leaders of God! 

Hno H, Hno R, Yo, Hna M, and Hna O! * Dysfunctional Picture with Familia de La R :)

I am so excited, I know this is the work of the Lord I see His miracles every day. I love you so very much. 

Hermana Burton (11 months old in the mission!)

Kicked Out

I'm a Nephite! haha

Ok. What can I tell you about this week? Well. It was wonderful! I could see the hand of the Lord in my life every single day this week, and it made me so happy. He really is watching over us, and is there for us in our hardest moments. Let´s see. 

Some awesome news is that we were sitting in Relief Society and I was sitting next to one of my grandma´s, Grandma S, when she started telling me about when President HINCKLEY came to Obregon. And I was like. EXCUSE ME? PRESIDENT HINCKLEY CAME HERE? And she was like, well yes Honey, of course. He dedicated the Hermosillo temple and then visited the Saints here in Obregon! and I was in SHOCK. What?! That is so awesome! My favorite prophet and I have been in the same CITY! AHHH! And this city means so much to me! It makes me so happy to have received that news.