Justyce permed her hair today!

Yep, this week has been a fun one! 

So last Monday night a nice member of our bishopric gave me a blessing and even though I did not understand anything, I could feel the power of the priesthood helping me. It was a beautiful blessing and my companion told me that he promised me that as long as I am faithful and obedient, I will have an amazing experience out here on my mission and will find happiness and success. I really felt so wonderful after, and this week was so much smoother and went by so fast!! 

 

We were a little discouraged because none of our investigators were progressing or keeping their commitments. Hna Pérez and I prayed Saturday night and Sunday morning that we would be able to help our investigators and also be able to find new people to teach. Sunday morning one investigator was going to come to church with us, but when we got to her house she said she didn't want to go. We walked away really discouraged and sad. We got to the end of the street and were waiting for the bus when she came running up to us and told us to wait for her!!! The Spirit definitely heard our cry for help and touched her heart! Then when we got to church, another investigator was there with her children!! And when we were singing the sacrament hymn, the family (we are working with) walked in!!!! Miracles do happen!!! I can testify that I have already seen so many!! 

 

Then, at our missionary work training meeting last night with our mission president and Elder Reyes of the 70, I was able to understand most of what was said!! It made me so incredibly happy!! Another miracle! 

 

Afterwards, we took a taxi and I thought that we were going to our apartment to teach ´mama´ (she treats us like her children!! she really is our apartment land lady) who lives down stairs, but we got out of the taxi in a different neighborhood. I was confused but then a lady started calling to us asking if we were Christians! She was really freaking out and saying something about her son. We went with her to her house and inside was her son and her friend (a lady). Her son was bleeding and there was bloody tissues on the floor from trying to stop the bleeding. (her son is 25). He was completely drunk and had been hurting himself. We sang a hymn.  Finally we got him to sit in a chair across from us and Hna Perez started talking to him about how much he is loved and really trying to get the mother to stop freaking out. Then he went crazy.. not violent, but like shaking and I am not sure what happened. But he had drunk way too much and who knows if he had drugs in him or not... but it was really scary. He passed out and we got him to the couch. Long story short, we had to find someone who had a phone we could use (we asked an investigator who lived close by) and we called the ambulance. They came and we left the house and stood in the rain with his mother because she was making the situation worse with her freaking out. We helped her calm down and the end of the story is that the police ended up needing to be called, but we had curfew and had to leave before the police came. It was definitely something that I will always remember, though, because of how intense it was! 

 

The smell of alcohol is everywhere here. I am used to it. That and the other... bad... smells that I smell every day! It took me forever to get used to it but I am finally over how ... hmm... different, it smells here. 

On the 12th was some holiday, I think it was about  mother Mary? but there was so many parades and fireworks and partying and dancing. We just worked as normal! There are fireworks that go off like every day. At first it scared me because I always thought that it was gunshots!! But no, it's just fireworks! They aren't the pretty ones though, just the big booming ones, ya know the ones that are small bursts of light and really loud? yep, those ones!

 

And the food! I can´t be picky, so when people asked what I like, I just say anything because everything is so different here. But I do love tamales and tortillas.. I eat way too much bread too.. probably gonna come  home a marshmallow! hahaha, oh, marshmallows are called bon bons! 

Well I don´t have anymore time.

I love you all!!

Hermana Oliphant