Hola hola...
Tonight, we find out if we have changes. We will see. We both want to stay together in this area, but anything is possible. We do want to go to the change meeting though, because President Brough (the new Pres) will be there and it will be the first time anyone gets to meet him. Lucky ducks. Also, Hermana Rizo (my second comp in the field) is going home!! It´s weird and very sad, especially because I have no idea if I will ever see her again.
I just need to express a bit about the awesomeness of my comp. Hna Angel. She is incredible. I have learned/am learning so much from her. She is an incredible missionary. She has the best mix of seriousness and sillyness that I have ever seen. We have a blast and laugh lots, but we also are so focused, work hard, and do what we know is right. She gives awesome chicote (I don´t know the word in English... it´s when someone tells someone else off), but always with the right words and not too harsh. I don´t know how she does it, but she always has something to say and just the right words. It would be easy to just let her talk the whole time and teach all the lessons, but I think we are a good team, she helps me out LOTS. She is scared of dogs, getting hit by cars, bridges, and lots more. She loves the people. She´s tough. And I just love her lots.
So, a few weeks ago, I wrote about some pretty heart-breaking news, but didn´t tell what happened. I won´t give too many details still (sorry), but here´s a bit: One of our investigators (we´ll call him Juan) is waiting for his response from the First Presidency of the Church of whether or not he can get baptized. We still have to wait at least another month. Well, a week and a half ago, he left for the States. Before, he would go to the States and he wouldn´t go for the greatest reasons. He would usually be gone for months at a time... leaving his wife and 3 young children. Well, he told us that he wouldn´t go back again, but he did. We were so disappointed for so many reasons. That Sunday and Monday we fasted specifically for him and his family. We knew that only Heavenly Father could do some good. Well, he came back Tuesday!! Not even a day went by after our fast that Juan came back. We went right away to their house and talked with him. It was so easy to see that he learned a lot of things in those few days and is back on track. This sounds so silly in writing, but it was an incredible experience, blessing, answer, miracle... Heavenly Father is just waiting to help and bless us... we just have to ask... with faith... and humble ourselves to accept His will.
I/we have been studying a lot about the Atonement in these past few days. Holy cow. I can´t even comprehend how much Jesus Christ loves us. He did everything. Our part is so small and yet we have such a hard time doing it. He is our Savior. Mosiah 3:5-8. Doctrine and Covenants 19:15-19. And the Atonement and Pain talks from General Conference.
There´s just no time to write. I feel like my thoughts are so smushed and rushed during this time. Sorry family and friends.
Love,
Hermana Marin
Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Fotos!
For the courtesy and love of my comp and her camera... PICTURES!
5416 - Our zone with Pres and Sister Baldwin... our last time seeing them!
5398 - Sunset in La Gomera from the "backyard" of Fam Merida
5375 - DON´T BE TOO SCARED... it´s just some results of the mish... tan lines and bug bites... my feet are actually doing surprisingly well ;)
5369 - Ana´s baptism! One of the most incredible humble and sweet people I have ever met. I think they are my favorites from La Gomera... don´t worry, part of my mission goal is to get the Latinos to smile for pictures ;)
5428 - After a downpour :)
5421 - With Hna Baldwin
I realize that there are LOTS of things that you are not seeing from life in La Gomera, but there are very few occasions when we are able to take pictures... Plus, it´ll be lots easier when I have my own camera ;)
More to come...
Monday, June 13, 2011
Last time to see President and Sister Baldwin
Yep... our mission president and his wife are leaving us in 2 weeks!! The new mission president´s last name is Brough. They´re from Utah and bringing a fourteen year old daughter. Lots of changes are in store, I´m guessing.
Heat rash - gone.
I ate my first gringa the other day!
I saw Hermana Wetzel on Tuesday, after a LOT of stress trying to find her.
I´m going to La Mariposa on Wednesday!!! Life as a hermana is awesome. Since here on the coast we´re not surrounded by other hermanas, we have to travel a lot to have divisions (splits), so I´m going on divisions to La Mariposa!
It makes me a tad bit sad to think about all of the letters that I haven´t received and all the people that think I am ignoring them or something. I´ve had at least two people tell me that they have sent letters that I have never received. Uh oh.
Life is great here on the coast of Guatemala. We actually have it really nice, because it seems to rain in every other place around us, except La Gomera. It is nice when it rains though, because it cools down a bit. I may or may not have skin cancer later in life.
We had interviews with President Baldwin and they went great.
Hna Angel and I learned a lot this week about accepting the Lord´s will and trusting in Him despite everything else that is happening. We received some seriously heart-breaking news this week. I really have not cried that much at all in the mish, but that really broke us down. Heavenly Father loves us so much. This life is HARD. I have seen sooooo much pain since I´ve been on the mission. So much. Yet, there is a plan. A perfect, hopeful plan. We can someday rest from this heart-breaking, painful, sad life and be happy for forever, if we just do our part. Heavenly Father will always come through, but we have our agency to accept or reject His mercy and the Atonement of His Son.
I know this life is happy, too. I´ve experienced overwhelming, pure joy on the mish. We have to enjoy those times. We have to let those times dwell in us. We can´t concentrate on the sadness and pain of it all. Those times pass. Our pain can be swallowed up in the love of Christ.
Ughh... it´s so simple, but we make it so hard.
But hey... this life has a purpose and we can´t waste a moment or lose sight of that purpose... we´re not just here to pass the time!
Love,
Hermana Marin
Heat rash - gone.
I ate my first gringa the other day!
I saw Hermana Wetzel on Tuesday, after a LOT of stress trying to find her.
I´m going to La Mariposa on Wednesday!!! Life as a hermana is awesome. Since here on the coast we´re not surrounded by other hermanas, we have to travel a lot to have divisions (splits), so I´m going on divisions to La Mariposa!
It makes me a tad bit sad to think about all of the letters that I haven´t received and all the people that think I am ignoring them or something. I´ve had at least two people tell me that they have sent letters that I have never received. Uh oh.
Life is great here on the coast of Guatemala. We actually have it really nice, because it seems to rain in every other place around us, except La Gomera. It is nice when it rains though, because it cools down a bit. I may or may not have skin cancer later in life.
We had interviews with President Baldwin and they went great.
Hna Angel and I learned a lot this week about accepting the Lord´s will and trusting in Him despite everything else that is happening. We received some seriously heart-breaking news this week. I really have not cried that much at all in the mish, but that really broke us down. Heavenly Father loves us so much. This life is HARD. I have seen sooooo much pain since I´ve been on the mission. So much. Yet, there is a plan. A perfect, hopeful plan. We can someday rest from this heart-breaking, painful, sad life and be happy for forever, if we just do our part. Heavenly Father will always come through, but we have our agency to accept or reject His mercy and the Atonement of His Son.
I know this life is happy, too. I´ve experienced overwhelming, pure joy on the mish. We have to enjoy those times. We have to let those times dwell in us. We can´t concentrate on the sadness and pain of it all. Those times pass. Our pain can be swallowed up in the love of Christ.
Ughh... it´s so simple, but we make it so hard.
But hey... this life has a purpose and we can´t waste a moment or lose sight of that purpose... we´re not just here to pass the time!
Love,
Hermana Marin
Monday, June 6, 2011
Mission ailments......
Hola...
As I type, it´s raining and thundering outside. It´s going to be a fun day :)
Ok... so this good health streak is starting to catch up with me. Nah... my health is still great, I just have heat rash all over my back. But it´s OKAY! And, I may be losing a lot more hair than normal. Haha.. really, all is well. Just tiny issues.
Favor: I may or may not be making this up, but I think that a Church leader once promised that if someone who can´t read makes the efforts to read the Book of Mormon that they will learn more quickly how to read. Could someone find that for me please? Sorry if I´m just making it up.
It´s a problem that is VERY normal here in the coast of Guatemala. From what I have seen, and a wild guess, I would probably say half of the people here can read. It´s very sad. There are so many things here that need changing. The health system, educational system, traffic laws, littering laws, etc...
The other day, I had a dream that it was time to leave the mission and I only knew the amount of Spanish that I know now!!! Ugh... it was actually a nightmare.
Hna Angel and I try to speak in English in the house, because she wants to learn, and she actually knows a bit, but it´s been funny realizing that it´s EASIER to speak in Spanish than in English. Go figure.
I have to throw it out there that Connie and Ciera Soptich (and lots of other people, I´m sure) would love sleeping here in La Gomera at night. When it rains, it cools down a lot, but more importantly: the majority of the houses have tin roofs. Tin roofs + rain.
We´re going to Antigua, again, tomorrow as a zone. I get to see Hna Wetzel!!! Who knows when I´ll see her again after this. She goes home in September :(
This week we are going to start two classes: an english class and a "learn how to read" class. We´re pretty pumped and think it could do some good.
We had some pretty cool experiences with some people that were definitely placed in our path. I love seeing that it really has nothing to do with us as missionaries, we really are just the instruments.
Okay... we´re going to go get wet now ;)
Love,
Hermana Marin
PS To All....Keep the pictures coming in emails!
As I type, it´s raining and thundering outside. It´s going to be a fun day :)
Ok... so this good health streak is starting to catch up with me. Nah... my health is still great, I just have heat rash all over my back. But it´s OKAY! And, I may be losing a lot more hair than normal. Haha.. really, all is well. Just tiny issues.
Favor: I may or may not be making this up, but I think that a Church leader once promised that if someone who can´t read makes the efforts to read the Book of Mormon that they will learn more quickly how to read. Could someone find that for me please? Sorry if I´m just making it up.
It´s a problem that is VERY normal here in the coast of Guatemala. From what I have seen, and a wild guess, I would probably say half of the people here can read. It´s very sad. There are so many things here that need changing. The health system, educational system, traffic laws, littering laws, etc...
The other day, I had a dream that it was time to leave the mission and I only knew the amount of Spanish that I know now!!! Ugh... it was actually a nightmare.
Hna Angel and I try to speak in English in the house, because she wants to learn, and she actually knows a bit, but it´s been funny realizing that it´s EASIER to speak in Spanish than in English. Go figure.
I have to throw it out there that Connie and Ciera Soptich (and lots of other people, I´m sure) would love sleeping here in La Gomera at night. When it rains, it cools down a lot, but more importantly: the majority of the houses have tin roofs. Tin roofs + rain.
We´re going to Antigua, again, tomorrow as a zone. I get to see Hna Wetzel!!! Who knows when I´ll see her again after this. She goes home in September :(
This week we are going to start two classes: an english class and a "learn how to read" class. We´re pretty pumped and think it could do some good.
We had some pretty cool experiences with some people that were definitely placed in our path. I love seeing that it really has nothing to do with us as missionaries, we really are just the instruments.
Okay... we´re going to go get wet now ;)
Love,
Hermana Marin
PS To All....Keep the pictures coming in emails!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)