la cucaracha ya no puede caminar

This week I found out that the song la cucaracha has more words than just la cucaracha la cucaracha. Yeah. It{s a whole song. Everyone has lied to me my whole life. Needless to say, I now know the whole song La Cucaracha. WHAT.

Lets see...

1. This week Hermana L ran into a pole. Straight on.

2. I worked in my area with Hermana R because one of the Hermanas from Delicias is sick, so Hermana L was helping her, and I left with Hna R to work. Naturally, we got lost. Really lost.

3. The poor cucaracha can't walk anymore because he is missing a leg.

We had an amazing experience with Hermano R this week and his family. We went to visit them Saturday night and found Hermano R drinking beer. His job had decided not to pay him for the whole week of work (I don't know how that works, but they just didn't pay him!!), so he was pretty depressed. They have two kids to support. We taught him about the Word of Wisdom and how drinking is really bad for him and for his family. He was so happy to hear that we should avoid harmful drinks and substances! It gave him hope. We read about the blessings we are promised when we obey the Word of Wisdom, and he liked the promise that we will run and not be weary. He read the suggestions on how to overcome the need to drink and how we as missionaries can help him overcome his challenges. He was so happy!! It was like a ray of light entered his world. He knew Heavenly Father is on his side and will help him overcome his addictions. He poured out all his beer in that moment and got rid of all the beer in the house. An amazing experience that I will never forget.

I know Heavenly Father helps us overcome our challenges. He helps us make good decisions. He loves us so much that He gives us many blessings, but also knows that we grow and progress when we have challenges and trials in our lives. I have passed through some pretty interesting trials already in the mission, and I see how they have helped me to become stronger, with a stronger testimony and a stronger desire to be more like God. I know He loves us enough to cut us down to help us grow. I know He will help Hermano R in his challenges just as He loves and helps every one of us in our challenges. 

This has been a good week =)

Hermana Hunt

I ate a carrot mixture thing with pineapple and creme. it was actually really, really good. lol

These are the missionaries I have to work with. lol they{re pretty awesome. 

Limes filled with coconut. best thing. ever. super. super. delicious.

Gorditas, meet my family and friends. Friends and family, meet gorditas. 

Bittersweet

This week has been one of the best weeks of the mission!! I love my new companion, Hermana L, and we work well together and we have had success. I'm in an area directly next to my old area. You can see my old area in our map. That doesn't mean it's the same! Where my old area was very flat, we are hiking in the mountains in this area! I love it! Where there were tons of people in the street to contact in my old area, there are hardly any people in the street here! It is really weird that it is so close but so different!

Funny things:

1. My new district thinks that my dad owns Hunts Ketchup.

2. A bird pooped in my hair on Wednesday.

3. I invited people to commit to reading their scriptures with a word that means commit a crime here--definitly not commit to reading.

Awesome things:

My companion is constantly trying to help me improve in a constructive-way. I have a lot to learn from her for my future companions. She is going to complete 9 months in the mission the day after I complete 6 months in the mission (tomorrow!). She is like the sweetest person ever, but you better watch out if you start to question her authority. She teaches with love, but knows how to say things directly.

I have learned more of the worth I have this week. I love the chapter of Proverbs 31 that talks about virtuous women. Many people know one verse of this chapter, but the whole chapter is super awesome!! Except the part that talks about how we should drink our worries away...good old bible. HOWEVER. This chapter talks about how hard it is to find a virtuous woman and the things virtuous women do. This week I have tried to improve on my virtue. There is a part in Preach My Gospel that talks about repentance immediately after we sin. We shouldn{t wait until the night or end of the work day to repent. Virtuous people repent in the moment they recognize they have commited an error. I love the feeling of being clean and virtuous. It is hard with so many temptations in the world these days, but with Jesus Christ{s help, we can be pure and have the Spirit with us.

Hermana C, the Mission President's wife, held a reunion with all the sisters this week. She had a nice, glass jar she showed everyone and talked about how the Spirit is super fragile, like a glass jar. She then dropped the jar and glass shards scattered everywhere! She talked about how we can lose the Spirit in a second when we get angry or when we think of something bad. That simple. One second. She then brought out another jar. This jar was super pretty with flowers and decorations. It was made of really thick glass. She said we need to work so that we can feel the Spirit more strongly in our lives. She then proceeded to throw that jar to the ground too! We were all afraid at this point...;) She talked about how even if we have the Spirit more strongly in our lives, we can lose it just as easy--in one second--when we let temptation overrule our good actions. I am learning how to make sure I have the Spirit with me through choosing the right!

Love you all!

Hermana Hunt

Transfers

I have transfers today. Saddest day on the PLANET. How have I accumulated so many things? hahaha

It is horrible to love people so much and then have to leave them without being able to say goodbye. That is possibly the only bad thing about missions.

This week I have learned better the value of things. The culture here teaches to value what you have. People think little things like a hand-made rose or a purse are precious and they value even the little things that don't cost anything. They will compliment a shirt like crazy and always point out the good in what they have. They live humbly but very happily. Every little thing has a value to them. Even when it's old, out of style, and sometimes out of service, it has a value. A grand value. And I love that about Mexico. Here's to wearing out-of-date clothes that no one wanted up there so they came down here! And they{re cute here! hahaha :D

I get to go meet my new companion now!

Have a great week!

Hermana Hunt

 I want this dog. Dogs act so different here! I want a dog from Mexico. lol

Sunnnnnshine

Okay. Lets talk obedience.

How many of you watched General Conference a month ago? How many of you heard an apostle tell the world that they should all have a copy of Preach My Gospel and they should all be reading it and they should all be emailing their favorite missionary with what they are learning? How many of you have emailed your favorite missionary with what you are learning? Why not?

Your favorite missionary is waiting ;)

Also. How many referrals are you supposed to give every year to the missionaries serving in your ward? Do you remember the apostle who said we should give at least four referrals every year? One every quarter? How many referrals have you given this year?

I know this work is the work of our Heavenly Father, and no other work brings such great joy into our lives and into the lives of our friends, family, acquaintances, or the person down the street you don{t even know. I know this is the Lord{s work, and He said get a move on it!! The end is coming fast. I see that here in Mexico. Better hurry.

Anyway.

Attached is a totally rad picture of one of our investigators. He has a liquor shop and you don{t even have to get out of your car to buy anything. He always matches his belt to his boots and always has his sunglasses and hat on. Totally RAD. The first time we met him we were walking on the other side of the street and he yelled and waved at us. Imagine this guy waving at you with a smile as big as the moon on his face. Yeah. Hahaha! He said he felt something special when we passed by and he wants to know more. He is really receptive to the spirit, and this week he is going to give up drinking!

Love you all and hope that this week you can find a way to share this marvelous gospel!

Hermana Hunt

our sister leaders came to work with us Tuesday and Wednesday. they're awesome!

We get to go downtown every Monday for our district meeting. These guys just wanted a picture with me. lol

I ate a bug on Tuesday

It looked like this: 

dia de los niños--they have a whole day off from school here just to celebrate that they're kids! This is how one of our investigators dressed up to celebrate children's day

Tortilla making machine. One of our investigators makes corn tortillas all day long with this sweet machine. It makes the tortillas super flat and exactly round

There Is Beauty All Around

This week.

Geesh.

So Hna Z gave me a really cool skirt this week that I wore for the first time Saturday. Problem: the zipper in the back doesn{t have a clasp on top to keep it from sliding down. Found that one out the hard way when we went to eat at a member{s house and the mom zipped my skirt up. The zipper had fallen COMPLETELY down. BAHAHAHAHAhahahahaHAHA. Most embarassing moment of the mission so far? No. Actually. No.

Other funny things:

The mosquitoes here like me A LOT. I have like, twenty bites on one leg alone. Naturally, I slap them to get them to stop itching. Hna Z and I went to eat at KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN last monday and I looked to my left, looked to my right, no one was watching, so I slapped my mosquitoe bite. Looked up, and there was a very confused man staring right at me.

We taught a lesson this week to a man in the street and there was a dog that WOULD NOT stop barking, and I could not understand what the man was saying. Finally, I prayed that the dog would stop. Immediately, the dog stopped barking until we had completely finished the lesson and prayed. I know Heavenly Father answers prayers. Even silly ones.

Okay serious things. We are teaching a couple that has been married for 55 years now. The dad is 81 years old and the mom 74. They are super strong. They go to church every week, and they go to all the church activities. They have a baptisimal date for the 24th of May. Their story is pretty cool. We saw the dad outside working with wood (he's a carpenter) and we offered to help. He looked at us like we were crazy, but allowed us to return to talk with him another day. In our third visit, he told us the only reason he let us come back is because we offered to help him. He said the world is so different these days that no one offers to help anymore. He knew we were different all because we asked what we could do to help. We are teaching four families now because we first helped them physically, and then helped them spiritually :)

Love you all!

Hermana Hunt

this woman loves me because I'm white. I love her because she always says "my precious white girl ahh my precious whitey ahh how have you been my beautiful precious white girl" every time we visit her. hahahahaha.

I lost one of my nametags this week. Hna Z and I searched and searched and searched, and we could not find my nametag. Finally, Hna Z looked up one day and found my nametag clipped here. Neither of us put it there. Do do do do do do do do.

my desk opt to change in two weeks. Can't believe transfers are almost here already.

Sometimes We Have To Turn Around

This week has been full of wonderful experiences!! First of all, my companion has been walking really slow because she has horrible shoes that give her blisters! It´s hard to find good shoes here. They have one brand of good shoes, but we have to travel pretty far to get to where they sell them. Anyway. I have been praying for her feet! We went to visit a member of the church this week who hasn´t been to church in a long time. She didn´t know Hna Z was having problems with her shoes or anything, but she pulled some shoes out of the closet and handed them to Hna Z. She said ¨I feel like I should give you these shoes.¨ Two pairs of good walking shoes in Hna Z´s size. Hna Z cried. It was an experience I will never forget.

We found a woman in need of the gospel this week as we passed by her business in a really busy street. I felt the need to enter for some reason, so we turned around and went inside. The woman at the counter had been to church before, but stopped attending a while back. She is in need now of our help. We wouldn´t have found her had we not turned back. We found another sister this week too because we turned around and went back for her. The Spirit has been working this week to help us find God´s children who need us in this moment!

We did splits this week with a couple of sisters from the ward. That means that I went with one sister and Hna Z with another to make our visits. I went to visit the investigators we have. That also means that I had to do all the teaching and talking! It was a testimony builder for me as I was able to understand and teach these wonderful people. I testified to one investigator of the happiness that comes through the gospel. We sang the hymn ¨There is Sunshine in my Heart Today.¨ It was amazing to be able to see that I would be able to communicate without my companion´s help as long as I have the Lord´s help!

We have been guided by the Spirit this week to investigator´s and member´s houses that were in need of our help. We have stopped in our tracks and turned around to visit the people the Spirit has said we needed to visit. We have said what the Spirit has said we needed to say. We have done what the Spirit has said we needed to do. And we have seen the blessings of helping those whom the Spirit has said we needed to help. It has been a wonderful week!!

Love you!

Hermana Hunt

Ketchup is NOT the same. Even though it says Hunt's Ketchup, it is not ketchup. Nope. No no no.

 Pizza is not the same either. Everyone thinks we just eat pizza and hamburgers up there in the states. They´re kind of right. I guess. But they don´t know what pizza is or what hamburgers are. It´s very different. It´s interesting how the same ingredients can taste so different when prepared differently!

Graffiti here is super cool

 these are called death traps. They are in the sidewalk every twelve feet or so, and only about two thirds of them have caps still. The other one-third of them are called death traps. One day I am going to step in one and die!

Let´s go and do everything that is impossible

This week has been an interesting one! I am loving the mission. It is super busy. I thought I was busy with two jobs and school. No ho ho. This is more busy. This requires more. I never realized how busy missionaries are until now. Hahaha

I am loving what I am learning! Something I am trying to learn better is to see others the way God sees them. If Heavenly Father places His confidence in us, we should definitly place our confidence in others. Even though we fail a lot and make mistakes, Heavenly Father still trusts us. I am trying to see better the way God sees His children. To see them through His eyes. It doesn´t come easy. I am used to tearing people down, not building them up. It´s my personality. I am trying to plow past that and build others up in every opportunity I have been given.

I have a pretty sweet companion. She is teaching me how to cook everything from Bolivia, and she cooks A LOT! I am always too full becuase seriously. She cooks a ton! I will know how to cook from Mexico and Bolivia when I get back. And I will be able to talk with a Chihuahuan accent and a Bolivian accent. They are both very different! I can see how much progress I´ve made in the language when I can actually hear the difference in the accent! I still don´t know what they´re saying, but I know they´re speaking differently! Haha :D

Hope you all have a great week and don´t forget to pray!

Hermana Hunt

PS This sister in the photo. Her eyes!!! Who is this gringa and what is she doing?! Hahaha :)

Chihuahua, the city life

people here use what they can to live. This roof is made of fence posts, tin, and cement blocks. I love the simple life here. If it´s broken, they fix it!!

My companion

Today's email

I have two seconds right now to tell you I wont write you until tomorrow. I´m not dead or anything. Don´t worry :)

A New Companion

This week marks my three months here in Chihuahua. I can´t believe it. This week I got a new companion too!! Hermana Z. She´s pretty cool. She has been out for six months now. She knows a lot and follows the Spirit well, so I am learning a lot from her. We are working hard to talk to everyone. She´s from Bolivia, so I am also learning how to cook bolivian food. When I get back I´ll know mexican food, true mexican food, and bolivian food. Pretty excited to learn :)

General Conference was awesome. The session I watched in English was even better. Lol

I am learning to care for the people here more. As President Monson said in the conference, we cannot fully love God if we do not fully love our brothers and sisters, and we cannot fully love our brothers and sisters if we do not fully love God. It´s interesting that the topic the prophet of the Lord was inspired to speak on was love. We obviously need more love in this world. I have seen love change families here in Mexico. I have seen love bring friends closer together. This week I saw love bring enemies closer together. What a blessing it is! When we have love for God and our fellowmen, we are not thinking of ourselves, and that is the true test of our discipleship.

I am trying to have more love for everyone. Investigators, members, my companion, and even myself. I feel kind of like a hippie so I´m going to stop talking about love now.

When the sun comes out in Chihuahua, everyone decides to paint their houses!! We painted two houses this week. BRIGHT green and BRIGHT orange. Everyone loves the bright colors here. Painting a house in a dress. ha. The green house they decided to paint on one of the windiest days this week. I still have bright green paint in my hair and dress. hahaha :D

Have a good week! Love, peace, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

LOVE you.

Hermana Hunt

she walks like a fashion queen.

we made cool t-shirts

not a happy exchange. we cried.

  

naturally, the first thing I think about when I think hamburger is turtle.

we found someone´s pet rock in the street. I mean, clearly, it´s a pet rock. It´s wearing a t-shirt. Pet rocks are pretty intense here. obviously. My friends K and M don´t even understand. We nicknamed this rock sally. I´m sure its owners have another name for it.

General Conference

GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!!!! General Conference = Christmas for missionaries.

Watch this. It´s in Spanish. But that doesn´t really matter. It´s about General Confrence! And! It´s downtown Chihuahua!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zGCTkhofbI

This week=totally awesome. 

My companion=totally awesome.

Recent converts going to general conference for the first time=super awesome.

The HEATHEATHEAT=totally gross.

Knowing this is not heat yet=so not cool.

My ward=totally awesome.

Getting a new companion tomorrow=:(

Knowing I still have a whole lot to learn out here=pretty cool.

The video they played for the women´s session of conference=made me cry.

GENERAL CONFERENCE THIS WEEK=SO EXCITED.

I am learning a lot here. I am trying to focus more on others. Completely on others. I´m learning about charity, and it´s changing me. I´m different. A lot different. And it´s a good difference. I know I still have a long way to go! I´m already sad I´ve been out here for 5 months. I want this to last forever!

Hope you all are doing great! Love you all!!

Hermana Hunt

 Family of investigators

 Fight to accomplish, accomplish to give

 Teaching for an excellent life

 Aren't we cute?!