Hola Familia!
So yesterday was my 6th month mark. That was weird. It means I only have a year left. It doesn't feel like I've been out that long. This week has been pretty good, things are starting to pick back up again with having lessons and finding people which is nice. We've had a few weeks with very little. We've also been able to find some of the people that disappeared almost all last month which is good. We've had some interesting lessons this week. One was with this lady named Diana, her parents, and her brother. Her Dad came in partway through and pretty much took over the conversation with a loud voice saying his opinion about one thing or another. To combat Diana also was talking in a very raised voice. It was kind of like they were fighting only they weren't really disagreeing on much. It was just a very loud conversation about receiving answers to prayers and why bad things happen in the world among other things. The other two who were listening just remained silent with looks of "here we go again" on their faces. To top it all off her son was shooting his metal toy cars off the coffee table onto the wooden floor. good times. Overall I think it went pretty well. The other interesting lesson was with a lady named Maria (at least half the women are named Maria); we were talking about the first vision and then she started telling us about the time when she thought she saw an alien when she was a kid...I had no idea how to respond but my companion handled it pretty well saying "hmm. things happen". Then moved on.
Most of the people we find, it seems, progress only at a snails pace and there's nothing we can do about it. We also have quite a few who really just like to listen but that's all. I'm discovering more and more that many Mexicans associate being Catholic and being Mexican as two inseparable characteristics about themselves. Because of this we have a large number of people who believe what we are teaching them...but want to stay Catholic. We even have a few who have admitted out right that they don't want to change because leaving Catholicism is like leaving being Mexican... they also have a tendency to disappear when we bring up things like coming to church and baptism. Pero, con paciencia.
We had stake conference this Sunday broadcast from Salt Lake. President Eyering, Elder Cook, Bro. Burton (presiding Bishopric), and Sister Cook (YW presidency) all spoke. I'm pretty sure it was good. It was hard to understand rapid paced Spanish with their mouths moving to the original English.
This week we had kind of a cool experience with a "casual" investigator (as I like to call). She's been listening to the missionaries off and on for a year or two. It's like she's interested but against her will. Every time we find her we show up at just the right time so she knows that we're there for a reason, but her lack of religious motivation is holding her back (and not wanting to change). Two weeks ago I had the impression to stop by her (after about a month). She was a mess and so was her house because people had been there all night trying to air out her house from a carbon monoxide leak. We shared Hel 5:12 and talked about building our foundations on Christ. She liked what we shared but said she was too busy to make another appointment. This week we had the impression to stop by again so we did and she looked a little happier to see us. We talked for a little bit then shared some scriptures in 2 Nephi 2 about opposition in all things. She said the scripture was an answer to her prayer the night before where she was really frustrated with God. She was just sitting there looking like something hit her over the head. She knows that God is trying to talk to her. She told us to stop by next week.
We still have Humberto and Evila who are preparing to get baptized on the 26th. Our greatest fear now is transfers on the 16th (which, by the way, is next week so probably don't send any mail directly to my apartment until then). We're both hoping we can stay here at least one more transfer.
It sounds like everythings going fantastically back in WA! Mom, I'm glad your talk in stake conference went well. I'm also glad that I could be part of the reason you were asked to speak. haha. And don't worry I think you can take credit for my awesomeness =D. Thanks for everything all of you are doing to support me here! Untill next week
Love,
Hermana West
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