For the first time in 10 1/2 months, transfers have brought me to a new area! I'm in a pueblo called Hunucma. It's a cute little place and I'm really excited! This pueblo looks a little less authentic than others, kinda like the city look where I've been before, but its still neat. Actually, my "firstborn" Hermana Pinguelo was sent here when we separated and right now Hermana Suarez is here too, in the same ward as me. So 2 of my old comps have been through here. So far what I've heard about this area, is that the Bishop is really great and sells ice cream bars for a living and loves to spoil the missionaries with them! :) Also, my area is made up of 2 parts that are spaced out and the other half is on the beach. On the beach area, I guess there is an newly baptized American couple that don't really speak Spanish. Haha, It's convenient I'm here, because before now, other missionaries had to travel here to teach them and baptize them. I'm excited to meet them!
More than likely I'll end my mission here with this companion, and
that's okay with me. My companion has about 8 months in the mission and
is from the Dominican Republic. She's tall and about the same build as me, so we
made a good pair! Haha. She doesn't know a ton of English, but really
wants to learn, so hopefully I will be able to teach her a lot while I am here.
Saturday we had Pilar's baptism. When it started, I don't know what was
up with me, but I felt frustrated because Pilar was SO happy, yet I
felt like nothing was special about the little baptismal service. The
talks and everything weren't bad, but I felt like everyone was in robot Mormon mode and a lot of the people in the audience weren't engaged.
After the ordinance, the Ward Mission Leader wanted to just end it with
the welcome from the Relief Society President, but my comp kept bugging
me to have one of her kids talk, so her son came to my mind, and we
asked him really quick and it changed the whole Baptism. Her son is less
active as of 3 years ago, but is really great and used to be super
involved. All his kids are active and were at the baptism too. He got up
and cried and said he wants to come back to church and that he felt so
happy and everything he said brought tears to each one of his kids eyes,
and his mom's too. It brought the spirit so strong because you could
see that he really felt it and really loved his family a lot and wanted
to be united again. I was so thankful that my comp followed the spirit
and that we acted on it.
I'm excited for the changes, but I'm feeling really sad
to have left Brisas and my companion. Yesterday, we didn't have appointments
with investigators, so we visited recent converts and members I wanted
to see one last time before I left. We visited Henry's family and he said
he bought a whole computer system of some sort and he can video chat
free to the USA. He said he bought it with us in mind. That last day
kinda sucked because it's so hard to really love people and know it has
to come to an end. Obviously not completely, but things definitely
change when you get switched out of the area. Love really is the essence
of the church though. (Or ought to be at least!) I just feel SO blessed
to have met such good, real, loving people here. I feel like their love
has made me love them so much, and right now it just kinda hurts. I
know this will be a good change though and that I'll learn a lot. Hermana
Lugo and I were talking about how much transfers stink, but really
they're necessary to learn and grow. And its true. We exist to grow up
to be like our Heavenly Father and we'll only do it by testing ourselves
and having new experiences.
Love you all!
- Hermana Harper
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| Pilar's Baptism |
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| My new Companion - Hermana Lugo |
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