Brisas - Week 17

Buenas Tardes!

This week turned out to be pretty good! We went back to this one mother and her son and taught them the second time and they actually had read the pamphlet (folleto)  we left and liked that. When  we explained what the Book of Mormon was, the son told us he had been searching for something like that and was super excited to start reading it.

On Sunday we taught a lady we had contacted the week before and she was really interested because she wants more peace and unity within her family. She said how everyone is just on the phone and does their own thing all the time and that a lot of extended family members have really strong personalities. She doesn't have much religious background, so we started talking about prophets and Joseph Smith and how the prophets help guide us to be happier and have happier families. We didn't get a chance to talk much about baptism, but the next visit we told them we would.

Saturday night I got really excited for Sunday,  because we did everything we could to arrange having 7 investigators at church, minium. Everything ended up working out, except for the member who went to pick up our family and couldn't find the house :( We still haven't talked to them, but I was super bummed our plans getting them to church didn't work out. On Saturday night we stopped by and they are seriously the greatest. I already feel like we've known them forever. It’s cute because I usually end up talking to the parents and the two little girls are all over my companion. Me and Herman Huff laugh because the girls treat her like their little pet. Since Herman Huff still doesn't know a ton of Spanish, I think they think she's kinda dumb and they try and teach her about everything. Haha like they were teaching her what a phone is and they reminded her not to eat the seed of the peaches they gave us. Its super funny. On Saturday when we stopped by they showed us their birds and said we could each have one, but that they'll take care of them until we go home. So who knows, I may be bringing a cute little Mexico bird home!

One funny thing we did today, with the little bit of extra time we had, was visit Roberto's mom who is HILARIOUS. She's super old and doesn't have any teeth, but she's so sassy! Today we went so she could teach us Mayan, but it didn't really work out. We'd ask her how to say a word, and she'd end up telling us a whole phrase of something that had to do with the word. It reminded me how I felt when I first started learning Spanish...one big headache. She was so funny though because she told us the funniest things, that to her, were important. Things like how to order a tortilla and to add extra tomato. And how to say "no it’s a lie!" And also how to say someone is a handsome guy or lady. Hopefully I come home with a video or two of her because she makes me laugh so hard.

Rita - She is teaching us Mayan

I feel like lots of little random things happened this week. There was a member last week at church who told me she's been kinda sad because her husband is sick and she's way behind with cleaning and everything, so I told her we'd go help her this week. She was super embarrassed about it, but we went anyways. We cleaned her front porch and by the end it looked pretty decent. And after, we made empanadas! :) Haha whenever I see how they make food here I just wonder why everyone doesn't eat stuff like that all the time because its just so easy. Everything with "massa" as its called is just fast and yummy. Probably not that healthy though because its fried.
On a spiritual note, I was reading in this month's Liahona and it had a lot of good stuff! It talked a lot about learning, and I actually thought that was kind of cool. It said how we shouldn't ever be scared to push our selves to learn something new because everything you learn can benefit you. It also said the more things you're interested in, the more interesting of a person you are! I was thinking of that and how all the time I think,"ugh, I don't want to waste time learning that." But really, as sons and daughters of God, if we really want to become like him, we have to keep learning! In the Liahona it said to read something informative and wholesome everyday, and I thought that's a really good idea. Just to be a better person all around. Another part of that is enjoying the learning process I think. So many times we're just waiting to get to the end of something, but then you miss the journey. That's something I really want to focus on here. Even during the tough days seem like they'll never end, there can be something special about.

Until next week.

Love,
Herman Harper