Mexico Week 70:

Dear Family, 

Can you even believe it’s my last letter as a missionary??!!  I feel weird, but I also don’t quite believe it yet...I can’t believe it has already been 18 months. 

So let’s get the pictures explained first! This is a baby bunny. One of the families we’re teaching has 3 rabbits and they all had about 10 babies.  Holy bunnies!  She wants me to bring one home. 

Hermana Lucy was working hard with us this week. She is literally the sweetest and we get together one morning to go visit people and she brought us conchas. So cute! 

This is Hermano Hector. He is 30 and single and he’s gone to about every single church that exists. He loves to learn and has been reading the Book of Mormon and we just hope we can help him progress! 

This is Hermana Yannete. She is probably the sweetest person I know and believes in God so much. She always wants to say the prayer and loves to read. She just wants the best for her kids and we’re going to be FB friends and stay in touch. She’s special too. 

Hermila and Alfonso are the sweetest people in the whole world. I feel like I have an extra set of grandparents!!  Saturday they invited us to eat with them for my goodbye meal.  They made carne asada with guacamole and I felt like Uncle Brad wanting to lick myself it was so delicious!  They are just too sweet and Alfonso went to church by himself on Sunday!  We were so surprised!!  They are too special and they both start telling me that I can’t go home yet and that I have to call because they fell in love with one misisonary that doesn’t call and I have to call and they want me to visit, and they are just sweet.  Yesterday Hermana Hermila tells me she wants to give me something.  Her hand sewn napkins and table runners are really popular and she gives me a gorgeous white table runner and says that it’s for the day I get married. She says, I would love to be there, but if not, I can feel good that you have something from us that will always be in your home. Yesterday I started feeling super sad.  My companion is already packing my bags and yesterday I really did start to feel sad. Such a HUGE part of my heart will always be here! 

These two pictures are of Hermana Cristina, Hermana Lupita and Hermana Azucena. They are the ones that we had the family home evening with last week. They too are too sweet and have been special. 

This is Eva! We have only taught her like twice because of her crazy schedule but she is super sweet and really wants to learn. Her daughter warmed up last night and I hope the missionaries here can keep working with them. 

And this is Hermana White!  The sister training leaders came to study with us today and turns out I won’t see Hermana White anymore! She is a great missionary and she’s super sweet. 

We visited Hermana Claudia last week and she said the closing prayer and she prayed a lot for me. She thanked Heavenly Father for me, for sending me, for all of the blessings they’ve received through me, and for all of the unselfish and selfless love I’ve given. It was one of the moments where I felt the spirit so strongly.  I’m doing what I’m supposed to do, where I’m supposed to be. Missionary work is so rewarding. 

So I’ve been printing pictures and writing letters to the families here and on Sunday I gave an hermana a letter and a huge hug. Her name is Elba and she’s a returned missionary who is like 40 years old. She never marrried, takes care of her niece and nephew, works, and studies, and she’s the only member in her family. She is funny and we just get along well.  I gave her a letter and a picture of Christ and she just gives me a big hug and starts crying. I was so surprised! I think sometimes I underestimate just how much we can help and influence people.  I was literally stunned and just felt peace again, knowing that every little effort counts. We are Christ’s hands here on earth. 

I got to give a talk again in church!  Something weird happened with the bishop and he’s not bishop anymore and he only had one counselor that’s in charge of the ward now.  He said that nobody wanted to give a talk and was a little stressed and asked the missionaries to help!  I was pumped! I love giving talks.  I started thinking about the members here and what they really need.  I was praying and just thought about happiness and how we can be happy and have peace even when we are in the middle of crazy trials.  As I shared my testimony I got a little choked up and just told them how much I loved them and how much I wanted them to be happy, that they really could overcome and bear their burdens.  I felt the spirit so strongly and I realized how much I really have loved every single one of my areas. 

I have to tell y’all a story.  So Sunday night we decided to have Family Home Evening with the Castillo family.  Dad is inactive and has been a member for a year.  Mom is kind of active and super stressed and has been a member for a year.  Angel is also kind of active and also has a year as a member, and Leo is 6.  As we thought about what to share with them, we thought about love and the importance of showing love in our homes.  We sang “The Family is of God” to start but it was pouring rain and we were having to yell, and the minute they turned the TV off, Leo starts hysterically sobbing.  We started with the Proclamation and did an activity where we wrote situations and they answered how they could show love and be like the Savior.  Leo is still crying, the dad is being sarcastic, it is still raining and we were feeling like it was a disaster.  Then I had a revelation. I remembered those times when we were a little more contentious then normal and we all sat at the table and said the positive traits of every family member.  We put down the planned activity and told them what we were going to do.  It started out with ... Angel is good at drawing, and stuff like that.  Then it is Leo’s turn (he’s still crying) and Angel says Leo, you’re really a good brother.  His whole face changes, he stops crying, and says I love you too brother.  Then we all started crying and the whole night changed.  We all ended up in tears and you could feel the spirit so strongly.  I love Family Home Evenings!! 

So I was meditating a lot about my mission last night and remembering so many experiences. The Lord has blessed me so much as a missionary.  I know I still need to grow so much more and be so much better, but I feel like I have grown and learned so much.  I just love the people.  I have to call, skype, visit, all the good stuff because they are such special people and they really do miss us.  It is so incredible that the Lord gives us the opportunity to sacrifice, come on a mission, and be His hands even though we’re not perfect and even though we mess up, He still gives us the chance to do it.  It is awesome.  I have such mixed feelings.  Sometimes I feel so excited to see you guys, and other times, I just feel straight up sad.  What am I going to do all day at home??  Ha! Ha! You’re all going to get so tired of my stories and pictures and videos because it’s all I will want to talk about, and I’ll probably speak Spanglish.  But really I love you all so much and I’m pretty sure we’ll cry in the airport.  Let’s take the pictures without tear stains.  But really, I love you guys and I will never stop being grateful for the family I have. 

See y’all in six days! 

Mexico Week 69: Being a Positive Influence

Dear Family,

I cannot even believe that I will be with y’all in 2 weeks!  Seriously, it doesn’t even feel real. Kind of makes me nervous! It will be a whole new adventure at home.

Rain Season has officially begun in Mexico.  I am putting the boots to good use! It doesn’ t matter how sunny it is in the morning … you can never leave the house unprepared!

Okay story time!!

Hermana Claudia is precious. We visited her this week and she tells us that they’ve started praying as a family!!  We have like a month and a half inviting them to do it and they started!  She said that it brings them so much peace and how awesome is that?!  She also told us a story.  She said that she went to the market to buy cheese and other things and she asked for a tiny bit of cheese and paid her 5 pesos and went to the next stand.  She told us that when she got home, she realized that they had given her more than 5 pesos worth of cheese.  She said, “I just felt bad, usually this kind of thing doesn’t even bother me before, but I couldn´t get it out of my mind!  I went back and explained the situation and we worked it out.”  We talked to her about the Holy Ghost and how he is always going to guide her now that He’s her constant companion.  She really is changing!!  She also tells me, “Hermana Rawe, we’re going to talk on Skype after you go home!  We’re going to put you on the big screen here!”  Ha! Ha!  I was so excited and just love them too much.

This week her son left on a month long trip to Tijuana, but he’s been praying and he took his Book of Mormon with him. I told him I’d see his baptism pictures on Facebook.  Ha! Ha!  But really, I know he’s going to progress too!

We’ve also been working with an investigator named Teresa.  She is super shy, but so sweet.  Her prayers are always so sincere and right to the point.  We taught her this week about the Law of Chastity and she was eating it up, that same day she talked with her spouse and they made plans to save money and to get married within the next month and a half.  She loves to learn and she’s been reading the Book of Mormon too. She is one of those special people and she always asks me, “You’re not leaving yet right?”  I keep telling her no, not yet.  No worries!

Yesterday we visited a less active family. They have been wanting to come back to church.  They asked us to teach them how to do Family Home Evening. We took lots of pictures of temples to their home and talked about temples and eternal families. We played the game Headbandz but with church terms and everyone was laughing and having fun. They really opened up with us and they are even more excited to get back to church. They’ve only been members for a couple of years and they’ve been inactive for a year. They are too sweet!

So right now, the Elder that baptized them is living with them, but last night they started telling us that he’s not really the best influence for their kids and they’re worried. I was completely shocked.  I starting thinking about how important my example is for the people I have taught in Mexico.  I always want to be worthy of their trust and that they see that I live the gospel even after my mission!  It is not that different than being a Laurel, or being a Youth Camp Leader at Girls Camp.  The younger girls look up to us ... if we are negative, they will be negative.  If we break the rules, they will think it is okay for them to not follow the rules.  It is so important that we always try to be a positive influence on each other!

I’ve been thinking a lot about everyone that I’ve met on my mission. They are all so special to me and I just want to put them all in one big room and see all of them before I leave for home!  At the beginning of my mission, I missed my home and family in Texas.  Now, I miss my home and family in Tlaquepaque … my home and family in Cruz del Sur.  I still can’t believe I’m almost leaving here.

We need to move on to happier topics … this makes me cry!  Ha! Ha!  We had a Ward activity on Saturday for Father’s Day and it was a hit!  The Relief Society was dancing and the Young Women and it was just too funny!  Speaking of this ... Dad, Happy Father’s Day!  You know how much I love you and I can’t wait to hug you soon!  Thanks for teaching me what love is!

The Lozano family gave talks and their 15 year old talked about patience.  Poor thing starts sobbing saying how surprised she was that her parents were so patient with her because she’s done bad things and she’s made things so hard for them but they’re always there.  Her parents have expressed a few worries about her and we’ve written notes and given talks to them and I just love their family a lot and Jenny made me cry.  She came down from the pulpit and her dad gave her a huge hug and I just thought about Heavenly Father.  He also loves and forgives us and is so patient.

Hermana Ramírez asked us to help in Primary because none of the teachers showed up. We taught the older kids about the Good Shepherd and it was so fun. We helped them sing their song and pass out their notes to their dads in Elder’s Quorum.  I just love being with the kids.

I feel stronger and uplifted and I know that Heavenly Father is right there.  I feel uplifted and I KNOW that the sacrament is essential.  I would never survive without it!  I love this gospel.  I love the church. I love Jesus Christ.  I love my companion and I know she’s trying too.  I love those short few moments we have when I tell her I love her, or write her a note, or we talk about the Atonement.  I treasure those short moments and I’m trying to be more loving and patient and do what the Lord has asked me to do with the right attitude.  I love my President who is my hero and sends the most amazing emails.  Second only to my dad!  I love the Elders and Hermanas here in Uruapan. I love our investigators and I love our Ward. I’m happy, struggling, but happy and learning to dance in the storms.  Love you all to the moon and back!!

See y’all soon!!

Mexico Week 50 -- Ups and Downs

Buenas Tardes to my sweet family!  This week was filled with ups and downs! 

First things first, the pictures! 

This week yours truly, the sister missionaries of Tlaquepaque planned and hosted Ward FHE this week. We decided to talk about the Gospel of Jesus Christ but made up some games. We split up into four teams and started out with faith. We decorated a box and filled it with lots of things and they had to have faith that the chosen object was in the box even though they couldn’t see it! The first team to find the object moved on to repentance. They had to completely cover one person with toilet paper! Get it .. white .. becoming a new person .. It was great!  Then they moved on to baptism and we renew our baptismal covenants by taking the sacrament. One person from their team had to eat a pretty large piece of bread and drink a whole bottle of water. Don’t ask me why one team chose the only girl on the team to do that challenge!  Ha! Ha!   Then we moved on to the Holy Ghost where they had to go back to back and walk from one side of the room to the other because we have to trust and lean on the Spirit’s guidance. Then we ended with endure to the end. We started out saying the first team with someone that could hula-hoop for 30 seconds.  After about 10 minutes of total failure and a lot of laughing, we said the first team with someone who lasted 3 seconds. Some of our recent converts went and we were all laughing too hard. It was a good night and although we were few in number, the Spirit was strong and little by little we can be more unified and help our investigators, less active members, and recent converts to progress. 

Speaking of hula-hoops ... this is our new exercise regime in the morning! Haha, the two of us laughing and hula hooping and it really does make you sore! 

This week we traveled to Cruz del Sur again because I had to sign Visa documents, but it was worth it when we found this painting waiting for the bus. I LOVED IT! 

Today we had a zone activity! We got there a little late but we decorated a paper for how we can increase our faith this week, played some minute to win it games and had a potluck.  Let me just say, potluck is so interesting when you’re all poor missionaries!

The older hermana is Hermana Tere. She has years in the church but for about two years hasn’t been going in order to take care of her husband. I have 6 months visiting her and seeing that she is so strong and so faithful, but she just missed going to church. One day she told us that things were going to change and that she had made some pretty big decisions. She now has two weeks going to church! She is too sweet. 

The little boy is Sammy! Ah, he’s one of our favorites. We’ve been working a lot so that his parents can become active again and this past weekend his mom went to the temple! His parents are taking the temple prep classes so that they can be sealed as an eternal family! 

This week we worked a lot with Hermano Victor! He has a couple living with him and well the husband is never there, but the wife is super sweet! This week we taught the restoration and about keeping the sabbath day holy. It has been so awesome to watch Hermano Victor share his testimony. I kind of felt guilty for not saying anything when we got here and the baptism was all planned and I kind of doubted how ready he was, but he is so great and so special. He needs a lot of help and we are right there with him in his conversion process. But wow, he does have a testimony! One day we were teaching and he says, “Hermanas, you bring the strongest Spirit here!  I don’t know if you feel it (he says to his friend) but I do and wow, y’all are strong.” It made us feel pretty great and we are going to keep working with them! 

Hermano Jose and Hermana Elsa went to the temple for the first time! Woo! Hoo! It’s a little frustrating as they felt lost and like no one was helping them out, but little by little they’ll get the groove down! It’s serious that we have to come in December because Hermana Elsa just tells me, All of the missionaries say they will come, but then you get back to your normal life and well, it just doesn’t happen!  We have to go to Hermano Oscar’s temple sealing. Oh and Hermana Elsa told us that the daughter of Hermano Oscar got baptized this past Saturday, she and I have the same age.  How awesome is that!

This week it was a little hard to find people at home and we got a little discouraged a few times, but decided to be productive in our long days in the street.  Let’s just say I almost know all of the Articles of Faith in Spanish.  Ha! Ha!  I know that the Lord tries us and patience will be my lifelong battle. I have been trying so hard as a missionary to be patient and humble because I know that they are major weaknesses of mine. I feel like the Lord is helping me to improve so much but also that I’m still lacking a lot!  Good thing we have a whole mortal life to be better and better and better. 

We’re going to end with the happiest news!! The other picture of me at church is with Hermana Judith! She is our golden investigator! We taught her about the importance of reading the scriptures and praying every day and she says, “Now I get it. The Lord kind of tests of right? We all have so much to do and are busy, but He wants to know if we take time for Him. I know I can find time every day to be reading.”  Wow, right?!  We started teaching her about the gospel of Jesus Christ and she really does just soak it all up! She has such a strong desire to repent and to keep learning. The bishop asked her in gospel principles how she’s felt in her time with the missionaries and she said that every day she was more and more convinced. We are so proud of her and absolutely love teaching her!

I love the Lord and I love what I’m doing. It tests and tries me every week but every week I feel like I’ve grown. I love y’all so much and you’re always in my prayers!

Family Home Evening

This week we hosted Ward FHE and we talked about the importance of goal setting and having a plan to reach our goals! We had a scavenger hunt and asked everything to write their top 10 goals for their life. 

Mine are:

1. Get married in the temple with a return missionary who is worthy to enter the temple. 

2. Serve in every church calling with my whole heart. 

3. Finish college and work as an empathetic nurse. 

4. Create a family where we teach, live, love, and testify of gospel principles. 

5. Learn to love and apply the Atonement in my life daily. 

6. Face every trial and difficulty with diligence and faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. 

7. Regularly attend the temple my whole life. 

8. Live happily and obediently. 

9. Share the gospel. 

10. Return with our Father in Heaven as an eternal family. 

Hermana Rubi went with her three girls and the girls were absolutely ecstatic to have their mom there. It was so special to see them there as a family! They also gave her time off this week and she was able to go to church! Their whole family just looked so pretty! Now we’re just missing Juan!