June 15, 2013
Dear Family (and Friends!)
Well....the big twenty came and went
and the world is still turning and (surprise!) it´s still raining every day
down here in the ends of the earth. But life is simply great.
And since I am now twenty (as
Charity put it SO OLD) its really refreshing because sometimes it means that
the people here can take me a TAD bit more seriously. To be honest, I may have
been saying that I am twenty for some time now.
Fun cultural fact...Latins
throw eggs at you for your birthday. Its because they love you, I promise. But on the
morning of my birthday the two Peruvian sisters that live with us snuck up and
smashed raw eggs in my hair with big grins of glee (but they had to do it while
I was on the ground during exercises because that’s the only time they can
reach up to my head.) And on my birthday, I ate much more cake than could
possibly be good for me. Cake that is a heavenly blend of raspberries and
merengue and creamy heavenly stuff.... The family of my mamita (the family of
Sofia) was absolutely fabulous, and all together we ate a delicious meal
(noodles and spinach sauce. deeeliccious) complete with a cake and I felt like
they are my family that I never want to leave.
But in all honesty, when I forgot it
was my birthday (because that is very simply just what happens on your
mission)...for some reason THAT is when I felt the most joy. King Benjamin in
Mosiah knew what he was talking about when he said that when we are in the
service of our fellow beings, we are only in the service of our God, and in the
service of our God we are going to find real joy. I am not going to lie though,
I used my birthday this week as an excuse to eat a ridiculously large amount of
chocolate and enjoy every second of it.
Hermana Howell and I are one
enthusiastic gringofabulous team...I think people listen to us because the two
of us nod furiously in agreement with almost everything, and then talk about
the gospel with huge smiles and an American accent. But I am confident that us
two together have the recipe for miracles, and I can already see them flooding
in. For example, we are the kind of companionship that STILL contact the taxi
driver that is driving at 80 miles an hour in a collectivo (Taxi) that is
decked out in disco lights, fur and a mini DVD player that is blasting US pop
music "The club can´t handle me righhttt nowww!" was being sung in
the background while we ask this 20 year old why a belief in God could be
important in his life...hahaha.
One of my favorite moments this week
was a lesson with an investigator that is preparing for baptism in July. Her
name is Almendra (which means Almond) and she is a uber calm, vegetarian, brown
haired thirty year old women who I am personally convinced was probably a yoga
master in her past life (kidding kidding!! Mormons don’t believe in
reincarnation!), who has been investigating the church for almost two years
now. But we had a lesson with her and I feel like it was just one of the many
times that the Lord has simply taken me by the hand and GUIDED me. I have never
felt more like the Lord is just pouring scriptures, thoughts, examples and just
Spanish vocabulary in my mind...he really will help and qualify those he calls.
But she was explaining a doubt and concern that she has and all the sudden it
was like…I KNEW. I just knew what her real doubt and concern was something much
more than what she was actually saying. And so I was able to ask her and it was
like a light bulb went off in her brain ¨Sisters, I think that´s it! I
think that IS what I am concerned about."
The lord is guiding us, is helping
us and I promise the blessings of obedience are incredible.
I love you all!!!
Love
Hermana Monroe
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