This week was surprisingly very very long. =P
This
week we had transfers and so we said goodbye to Hermana Adam who is now
a Sister Training Leader (Hermana Capacitadora (HC for Short)). She is
going to be amazing! I wanted to thank you mom for sending me the
Nashville Tribute cd. We made a copy of it for Hna Adam on Christmas and
she absolutely loved it! She said that she had been passing through a
rough moment in her mission and that the songs helped give her a second
wind to keep moving forward. =)
We ended up
going on a surprise trip to Puebla City so that my companion could stay
in the country...she had to do some things for her visa. We ended up
running into her MTC companion who's also an HC and her new companion,
who is....drum roll please........rrrrrrrrrr.....
As to the King' day. It's really
kinda a late Christmas. Santa doesn't really exist here, mostly because
no one can afford two Christmas's. =P However, from what I've been told,
On Christmas, Santa brings clothes for the new school semester that's
going to start and the 3 Wise Men bring toys to play with. Last Monday,
the center of town was filled with stands selling toys, clothes, and
other assorted treasures. People came from all around to pick up what
the Kings would bring to their children so it was super crowded and lots
and lots of fun to see.
Josè Abel is still
going strong. We've reviewed the baptismal quesitons and he's perfectly
ready! Truly, the revision of baptismal questions is a little worrisome
for me beause we don't talk about every, single detail in the questions
(ex. Abortion) and so if the investigator has not been very open with us
and we find out that they have a serious problem with something, it's
possible that the whole baptism has to be canceled. However, he's ready
and will be baptized on Saturday. He's really excited and so are we.
He's so amazing. He told us yesterday that he's been taking everything
so slow because he doesn't want to go inactive in the church after we
leave, which is amazing. It's positively sad how a lot of the Less
active members that we have here went inactive less than a month after
their baptism. However, I thoroughly don't believe that that will happen
to him. He's so excited to receive the Priesthood and go to the temple
to do the work for his mother who passed away and other's in his family
who are on the other side. I'm just so excited for him!
Funny thing, the other day we ran into more Jehovah's witnesses. They're everywhere! They were two teenage girls who
positively refused to accept a card and then when we finally decided to
give up trying to get them to listen, they gave us their webpage to
visit and of course I did the same. It was priceless to see their faces
when I told them we were the Mormons! Okay, yeah, I'm done. They are
quite an interesting lot.
I have
been having the experience of late of being almost constantly chastised
by the Lord and I think the most surprising part is that I'm absolutely
enjoying it. It really comforts me to know that He is willing to remind
me of the little things that I do wrong or that I can do better so that I
can become the best that I can at this time. My most recent reminder
was yesterday. While my companion and I were walking home at the end of
the day, we got the usual attention from the men in the street. However,
one young man that was in his car kept driving slowly to say many
things, that although were compliments, were said in a very very
disrespectful kind of way. Usually the men just say one thing or whistle
and that's it, however, this young man's persistence annoyed me
greatly. When he was finally driving away, I retorted under my breath,
very irritated. As I reflected on that moment, I looked for
justifications as to being annoyed with the young man. For example, "It
was so disrespectful!" "Does he know who I am?" "I have every right to
be angry with him, what right does he have to say such things?!"
"Doesn't he know that I'm a representative of Jesus Christ?!"
However,
as I thought this to myself I saw in my mind the moment when our
Savior was before the Pharisees and how they abused him verbally,
physically, and unjustly. I then saw how he just stood there and took
it. Not angry, or irritated, but simply calm. He loved them anyway.
Despite everything that they did, he took it because he loved them and
us.
I was then reminded of the title I
bear of Representative of Jesus Christ. Yes, the cat calls and wolf
whistles and random phrases in English that I would rather not hear are
very irritating at times and make me feel rather frustrated with them,
however, it's rather harmless. Just as the sister missionaries that
received a one-sided food fight that were mentioned by Jeffery R
Holland, the best thing to usually do is just keep walking. Saying
nothing more than "Buenas Tardes" if anything at all.
I'm
very grateful for every moment that the Lord reminds me of things I
need to change and for the strength He gives me to change and be
better.
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