Week 7 Letter

Monday, August 1, 2016

Hola!!! How goes your lives? The mission is great. Today is my 2 month mark on the mission. Crazy. Time flies. So, really quick, we live in the top floor of a familias house. So we walk through their living room area every day to leave. Well, one day, the little boy was watching megamind, and another day wild kratts. I could only smile as I pictured Jet and Levi and Ryan. Good stuff. Anyways. The work is moving miracle after miracle! We have 3 investigators on date for this month. We are working and praying so hard for them. Alejandro is 20. He met with missionaries in the past, but his mom is really catholic and anti. But we have had members like the bishop come to lessons with us. He is so sincere and has such a great testimony. So hopefully all goes well for the 20th. Hermana Vicky is also a huge miracle. Her daughter is 12 and was baptized a couple months ago. Vicky loves the church and has had the lessons now three times, but has finally accepted to live all the commandments. We have worked so hard with her. And last week, she got offended by another member and so all hope was lost, BUT NO! Never! Hope is never lost. I am reminded by that every day because I am in Esperanza, or in ingles, hope. Then, we are working with Irma and Lady, a mom and daughter. Lady is on date but not Irma. They are so sincere though, and really receptive. We found them looking for another investigator. Miracles. I love sharing my testimony and teaching, even though I don't know a whole lot of Spanish. But that’s okay. I am learning to be patient. 

Okay, here is a little game. I will say a couple things that I want you to think of me, mostly so that when I come home, I can remember the goofy things I missed. 

Think of me every time you see carpet...but really. 

Think of me every time you see street signs. There is no such thing here, and house numbers work differently...so our little map is our best friend. 

Think of me every time you see grass somewhere other than a church owned building. 

Love you all! Thank you for your prayers! 

Hermana Lee

So, my area, La Esperanza...It is pretty much dessert. So grass is super rare, therefore dandelions aren't a thing. Maybe in Caja Marca, another area up in the mountains, so it is pretty green. But here, no.  Anyways, my area isn't really one where you first think of how beautiful it is. It isn't like castles of England, green jungles of Brazil, landscape and architecture in Portugal or the Acores islands, and it is for sure not like the beautiful scenery of Alaska. \and for sure not Tahiti. I definitely have the ugliest mission in the family, but I think that makes it the most beautiful, because it is my mission. You don't typically walk down the street and point at all the piles of dirt, rocks, garbage and various animal parts and say "gosh, how beautiful." You don't gasp in awe at all the big dead rats plastered on the streets. You don't normally sit in a lesson in someone’s house with dirt floor, no roof with nasty dogs and chickens running around your feet and say "wow, what a beautiful home." It isn't normal to see grocery bags on the ground of people’s homes with something inside moving; knowing that it is a guinea pig suffocating so that it can be the next meal. You don't walk down the street and look at all the various mixtures of dogs with no hair, lounges half ripped, warts, foaming mouths and say "What a beautiful creature." You just don't. Yet, every time I Walk up at to animal noises, crazy Spanish radio talk shows from the motor taxis and beaming sun, I feel at home. Obviously a different kind of home; but home. I walk outside and feel utter joy. This is my area. These are my people. So yes, it isn't an area of absolute wonder and glory, but it is to me. Does that make any sense? Long story short, I LOVE my mission. And I LOVE the area.