Happy 1 Month Anniversary to ME! 1/20/2014

Well howdy! Or as my people like to say, "BueNAS!"

Oh no. Every time I go to write one of these things my mind says "NOTHING HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST SEVEN DAYS. BETTER JUST WRITE SOMETHING LAME AND GO HOME." Good thing I have my handy dandy agenda with me at all times (That´s a lie. Sometimes I forget it when we go to church) so that I can remember what happened. 

First of all, let´s talk about how incredibly important visiting/ home teaching are, shall we? This week hna. Morales and I visited a menos activa named Alondra who neither of us had met before. She was very sweet. She invited us in, and we just chatted for a bit about the gospel and about her children, husband etc. She invited us back for later in the week. When we returned, we shared a simple message on the Proclamation and invited her back to church. Not only was she in church yesterday with her two little ones, she brought her mother as well, who has been less active for quite some time. It just made me think... WHERE were her visiting teachers? These two good hermanas could have been brought back so much sooner if someone had only invited them. Or better yet, they could never have been lost in the first place. So I guess I finally have a testimony of visiting teaching. :) Better late than never, eh? 

Church yesterday was the best it´s been. WAIT. Let me back up. 

Before church yesterday, hermana Morales and I went to pick up these three young girls (13, 10, 8) that we have been teaching. Their aunt is menos activa, but the aunt and the grandma that they actually live with are not interested in what we have to say (we´re breaking down that barrier thanks to my mosquito legs. I am not joking, every single person in this city knows about them. It´s getting ridiculous). While we were sitting there waiting for them to get dressed, etc. an enormous chicken jumped at my face. It was terrifying. (Their kitchen is set up kind of camping-style. Outdoors and all. They cook over a fireplace, and sometimes they kill the chicken right there while we´re teaching about profetas. It´s really exciting). 

Anyroad, as we were walking to the capilla, we looked over and saw Angelina!! Who was walking all the way from Polo, bless her, with her three children. It was so exciting. Mi compañera y yo had been studying about faith all last week, and praying with all the faith we could muster that she would find the desire to come, and she came! Faith works miracles. 

Also in attendance yesterday was Selene! We met Selene last week at church, so that´s awesome. She is the daughter of a recent convert, and decided to try out the church because she´s been having some troubles in her life and her 5 year old daughter LOVES going to church more than anything. We taught her the first lesson this week, and showed her the movie of the Restoration. SHE is golden. I am not joking. She has been prepared to receive the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. She has so many questions, and is constantly bearing her testimony on what we are teaching.. It is the greatest. She wants to learn more before she makes the important commitment to be baptized...but she is keeping all of her commitments and coming to church and HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!

So as I sat in reunión sacramental yesterday, I could not stop thinking about how happy I was. We had 6 (count ém) progressing investigators, one with a baptism date, and a recent convert that has been found worthy to receive the Aaronic priesthood. I just felt like I was going to burst. I still can´t speak their language, but I am loving the people more and more every day. And mark my words... I am going to be straight-up Mexicana by the end of this! 

Speaking of, we taught an investigator and her member son last night (remember Juventina y Carlos? No? There´s a picture of at least one of them...) and they were really impressed by how far I have come in my Spanish. That´s probably only because I haven´t seen them since New Years, but it´s good to hear that others can see my progress, even if I can´t. 

I have yet another food story for your enjoyment. It is as follows:

Once upon a time it was last P-day and we went to hermana Mari´s house for dinner. It smelled delicious, and I was starving. She dished it up. We sat. I looked in my bowl and saw what looked to be carrots, potatoes, and fat. I am not kidding. I looked around to see how everybody else was eating it... Some were cutting it.. some were wrapping it in tortilla´s.. some were sucking it right off the bone. So I tried each of the steps, and all of them made me gag. Turns out I am not a fan of the fatty texture, and I could not bring myself to finish it. I did my best to hide the unfinished fat-thing under my napkin, and heartily finished the veggies and rice. As we left the meal, I looked at mi hermana and said, "What did we just eat?" And she responded, "Pig feet." WHAT? Sick nasty. That would explain the black hairs that I was trying reeeaaally hard not to see. Oh bless her. Then, as we were walking to the store to buy supplies and such,I had some pig feet stuck in my teeth. So I said, "Tengo pig en mi dentistas." Sounds legit, right? Nope. Apparently, the direct translation of that is "I have pig in my dentists." So that´s a funny visual, but not exactly what I was going for. Hermana Morales sure got a kick out of it. 

We also had our first companion exchange thing this week! Just among the four of us. I was with hermana Cuevas for a day. It was terrifying to go without hermana Morales, especially since we had some important lessons we were planning on covering that day with Selene y Angelina. Then I read in my MTC notebook something from a devotional we watched: It´s not your lesson to give, it´s His. It doesn´t matter which missionera is there--what matters is that both misioneras are in tune with the Spirit, and are willing to do and say what the Savior would do or say if He were giving the lesson. After I thought about that for a while, I felt a lot better. And the day was all sorts of wonderful. :) (Except, as a result of this day and some changes made by President Morales, we lost quite a few of our investigators to the other hermanas. One of these is Leidy. I know. I was crushed. However, I trust hermanas Cuevas y Wood. Just don´t expect any more stories about one of my favorite people).

I was thinking this week about how much Brad..and probably Nathan...would LOVE living her. For a variety of reasons:

1. Everyone rides "motos." These include motorcycles, motorbikes, 4-wheelers, scooters... There is no speed limit or laws about how many people can actually ride on the moto. 

2. There is a tienda on every corner that sells candy and pop. 

3. There was something else.. but I can´t remember. I just remember thinking that my brothers would have a HAY DAY aqui

 Bananas really do grow upside down.

 Lady in the middle is our powerhouse when it comes to inviting her friends to hear the lessons.

 EEEK!

 Why yes. I did eat that whole fish. Minus the head.. although Hermana Olga had not a problem in the world with sucking out the eyeballs and brain. Not me. Not in this lifetime.

#themealthatsmiledback #wholefish

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Well.. I guess that´s it for this week, folks. Remember who you are and what you stand for. Do your visiting teaching, read your scriptures, and pray. Thank you so much for all of your prayers, love, and support. I have the best family and friends in todo del mundo. 

I know this church is true. God is our loving Heavenly Father and he loves us enough to send us here to be tried and tested. He also loves us enough to send a way for us to return: Jesus Christ. Take advantage of that gift every day. 

I love you I love you I love you!

Peace and blessings, 

Hermana Moser