Feliz Ano Nuevo!

Feliz Ano Nuevo!! I hope everyone had a great New Year´s Eve. 

This week was an adventure in many ways. The 31st of Diciembre was my companion´s birthday and she got all dolled up in the morning for her birthday (and all for a hard day of work!  J)

Friday we had an adventura. We went to the house of a less active member who has two daughters who are handicapped. We volunteered to wash her clothes to help her out. All of her dirty clothes were in this big bin of water soaking before we washed them. And as we pulled out the shirts and such to wash we discovered some lovely surprises...just little bits of poo throughout the clothes...and some quite larger bits of poo. And they smelled horrendous! Ha. We were laughing hysterically cause it was the only thing we could do. Adventures. Dad, I thought of you ha.

How I really felt!

But yesterday was an incredible day. We worked hard. Church now starts at 8am for us, which is pretty early in a country where nobody is on time and everything just functions a little different. But we saw lots of miracles today and had an amazing day. 

Arnoldo received the priesthood yesterday and we´re teaching his mom and sister (Sonia y Nancy). They will be baptized, I have no doubt; they just need a little more time. We´re also teaching a 15 year old who is very positivo and Mirna is still progressing. The only thing Mirna needs is permission from her parents to be baptized. The problem is her parents aren´t the warmest people on the planet. 

Something I just don´t understand is when people are so cold and reject us immediately without knowing us. Not just as missionaries, but as Mormons in general. As a parent I imagine that having my kid be Mormon would be great, we don´t drink, we don´t smoke, we don´t have sex before marriage, we focus on reading the scriptures and praying daily and growing and mejorando (improving) everyday. How is that a bad thing? I think if they would just get to know us. Find out that we´re real people. We love others, and we want to help. If they would just try they might see the difference. 

One thing I have definitely learned on the mission and advice I would give to others is to be teachable. It´s not easy to be teachable. It means we´re wrong sometimes, it means we have to recognize our errors and admit them to others, it means that we have to change willingly, and it means we have to let someone else teach us. But it´s ever so necessary. And when opportunities arise where we can be teachable, as a human our first reaction is to be defensive, and defend ourselves. But sometimes we just need to take a step back, humble ourselves, and work to be better and be grateful for the opportunity to be taught and to grow.

Overall my testimonio is strengthened every day. There are so many little miracles that are in reality HUGE in our lives. We just have to realize it and look for them and acknowledge them. I know that I´m nothing without God. I make mistakes constantly, and I fail constantly, but despite my weaknesses and failures in the mission, God knows my desires and my efforts to work hard and through Christ He makes up the difference where I lack. And despite our failures como companeras y personas (as companions and persons), we can do amazing work with the help from the Lord. I know it because I´ve seen it constantly throughout my life and am continuing to learn more each day here on the mission.

The church is true. Christ lives. God is real and He answers our prayers. I know it with all my heart.

Love you lots!

Love,

Hermana Wright 

Yep, this is actually how tall she is... I look like a giant.