Hello! Well the days are definitely getting warmer as spring approaches and I´m getting a little worried for how hot it will be in the summer. Oh well- I´ve got a little while before that happens.
This is seriously the scariest hardest thing EVER!! The first two weeks were truly very hard for me. It is so hard to be here! Especially when people think you are stupid because you can´t understand them. Or when you can´t say what you want to say. Or your personality changes because you can´t talk! its very difficult. But I have been praying tons and talking to my companion and gaining more strength everyday. Whenever I feel especially down I know all I have to do is love God, and work hard and I will be able to say I did all I could. So far I can say I have done that! I think so anyway... haha. I also sing the Lord is my light, then why should I fear? by day and by night His presence is near.
This week was interesting! Lots of lessons taught, lots of people talked to. For example, we went on divisions with members of the relief society. I´m pretty sure that is the scariest thing I´ve ever done. I didn´t want to be without my companion! But of course everything turned out fine. I went with the Relief Society President, Hermana Caro, and Mariana, 18, who is always willing to help out the sisters. We stopped by some inactive sisters and invited them to come back to Church. We then stopped by a reference. They let us come in so I was like ok teach about the Restoration and bam. Anyway, they´re talking and I can´t understand hardly anything so I keep teaching. The members bore testimony, and then we invited them to church. I comitted them to pray also, because they can´t read so I wasn´t exactly sure what commitment to leave them. But they were listening and seemed to understand and agreed to come to church. Anyway I started to try and set up another appointment and Hector Cejas just said I´ll see you at church. So I was pretty excited to have taught a lesson with a member and be able to do it (kind of) without my companion. We were at home that night and then we realized that they weren´t a reference, but that Hector and his wife Facunda are members, less active. Ha! So the lesson didn´t count for numbers. but it defnitey counted for something, Hector did come to church on Sunday and the members all gave him a warm welcome. I´m pretty sure he said something to that effect while I was teaching, but I seriously had no idea.
All the things that people tell us, I hardly ever know! And then later my companion tells me. and it all makes sense.
On Sunday we ate at the house of Muslim. I had no Idea he was Muslim until my companion just told me. But it was a really good experience- he and his girlfriend served us a very good lunch of fried potato things and chicken and bread, then dulce de leche with cream, and cake for postre (dessert). The people feed you and feed you so you have to eat slow or else if your plate is empty they will give you more! My companion sat next to Abraham and he kept putting more and more food on her plate. We felt pretty sick after that meal but we laughed pretty hard. He is such a nice old man- after Hermana Burns offered the prayer to bless the food he was crying! And although he said he has his god and doesn´t want to learn more, his girlfriend seemed very willing and is going to get taught by the elders in her area! Cool- so many nice nice people here.
We have been teaching Claudia- She is catholic and has four of the cutest kids. She is so eager to learn more about Christ and HIs gospel, and when we started talking about the Book of Mormon she asked if there was a place she could go to buy one! We were like no, we have one here as a gift for you! It was cool. She prayed about Joseph Smith and said she believes he is a prophet, but many others are prophets too like at the same time. I took the opportunity to bear testimony that There is only one true church of Christ on the earth and that it has the priesthood of God and that we have to be baptized witht that power in order to return to God and be worthy! I love this gospel.
We have had more lunches wth members, lots of bread (yum) and meat. I had milonesa for the first time- very delicious. That was with Elsa- she lives with her boyfriend of 20 years so she isn´t a member yet but has to wait for her papers of divorce before she can get married to raul. It is crazy how long people have to wait to get divorced here and so then dont even worry about it. Marriage is just not a big thing down here. It´s sad.
We had torejitas which was lettuce and i dont know what with egg put into balls and fried, looked kind of like meat balls. Also rice with mayonaise. they eat lots of mayo here it seems like. That was with the Acostas, the branch president and his wife.
We have hamburgers patties we grill up for lunch sometimes. They are so good! Seriously the best, and its just from like a frozen little package.
The area we serve in is very nice and clean. It is mainly neighborhoods and a little bit of a down town area. I really like it. My companion tells me it is a very nice and clean good place. I feel so blessed to start out in this place because it makes it easier to adjust with all the tough other things to deal with being a new missionary!
The president of the Elders Quorom is very nice and dedicated- he goes out with us at least twice a week in order to teach investigators or contact. His testimony he gives is very strong. I know the members make A HUGE difference when teaching others about the gospel. I challenge each of you to volunteer to help the missionaries and be willing to have your friends learn about the gospel!
Oh yeah I gave my first talk on Sunday in Spanish. It was only to a congregation of about 15. But It was on missionary work and I think it went well. luckily people comment on my ability to be able to speak pretty well and that they can always understand me. Phew!! the gift of tongues is real!! I´m so grateful for the help I receive from my Heavenly Father every day.
I know this gospel is true and that the scriptures are the word of God!I know that I can be be with my family forever. Which is the greatest blessing of all to me because I love you more than anything.
Love Always
Hermana Carmen Dunford
All the things that people tell us, I hardly ever know! And then later my companion tells me. and it all makes sense.
On Sunday we ate at the house of Muslim. I had no Idea he was Muslim until my companion just told me. But it was a really good experience- he and his girlfriend served us a very good lunch of fried potato things and chicken and bread, then dulce de leche with cream, and cake for postre (dessert). The people feed you and feed you so you have to eat slow or else if your plate is empty they will give you more! My companion sat next to Abraham and he kept putting more and more food on her plate. We felt pretty sick after that meal but we laughed pretty hard. He is such a nice old man- after Hermana Burns offered the prayer to bless the food he was crying! And although he said he has his god and doesn´t want to learn more, his girlfriend seemed very willing and is going to get taught by the elders in her area! Cool- so many nice nice people here.
We have been teaching Claudia- She is catholic and has four of the cutest kids. She is so eager to learn more about Christ and HIs gospel, and when we started talking about the Book of Mormon she asked if there was a place she could go to buy one! We were like no, we have one here as a gift for you! It was cool. She prayed about Joseph Smith and said she believes he is a prophet, but many others are prophets too like at the same time. I took the opportunity to bear testimony that There is only one true church of Christ on the earth and that it has the priesthood of God and that we have to be baptized witht that power in order to return to God and be worthy! I love this gospel.
We have had more lunches wth members, lots of bread (yum) and meat. I had milonesa for the first time- very delicious. That was with Elsa- she lives with her boyfriend of 20 years so she isn´t a member yet but has to wait for her papers of divorce before she can get married to raul. It is crazy how long people have to wait to get divorced here and so then dont even worry about it. Marriage is just not a big thing down here. It´s sad.
We had torejitas which was lettuce and i dont know what with egg put into balls and fried, looked kind of like meat balls. Also rice with mayonaise. they eat lots of mayo here it seems like. That was with the Acostas, the branch president and his wife.
We have hamburgers patties we grill up for lunch sometimes. They are so good! Seriously the best, and its just from like a frozen little package.
The area we serve in is very nice and clean. It is mainly neighborhoods and a little bit of a down town area. I really like it. My companion tells me it is a very nice and clean good place. I feel so blessed to start out in this place because it makes it easier to adjust with all the tough other things to deal with being a new missionary!
The president of the Elders Quorom is very nice and dedicated- he goes out with us at least twice a week in order to teach investigators or contact. His testimony he gives is very strong. I know the members make A HUGE difference when teaching others about the gospel. I challenge each of you to volunteer to help the missionaries and be willing to have your friends learn about the gospel!
Oh yeah I gave my first talk on Sunday in Spanish. It was only to a congregation of about 15. But It was on missionary work and I think it went well. luckily people comment on my ability to be able to speak pretty well and that they can always understand me. Phew!! the gift of tongues is real!! I´m so grateful for the help I receive from my Heavenly Father every day.
I know this gospel is true and that the scriptures are the word of God!I know that I can be be with my family forever. Which is the greatest blessing of all to me because I love you more than anything.
Love Always
Hermana Carmen Dunford
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