hello hello from Bolivia!
These are exciting times aren’t they? I happened to hear yesterday that
they are going to turn our mission into two, but so far
president hasn’t said anything. But we are going to have a multizone
conference this week so maybe then we will know. We are also going to
be getting a new president this july, so a lot will be changing here.
But anyways thanks for the pictures and things i received this week- i
love pictures! :) Also, I’m going to need winter clothes soon. It’s
probably better for me to buy stuff here i just haven’t found where
yet. so i might need money... I’ll keep you posted.
Ok ok so into this week. Nothing much happened monday... but some
interesting stuff: facebook here is just called "face" and play
station is just called "play". It sounds funny when people are like
"Do you have face?" But yeah anyways...
Tuesday i called someone and just after saying hello this is the
missionaries they were like oh hi hermana black. So I’ve still got a
ways to go to sound Latin. ha. Ok so marcos birthday was sunday and we
totally forgot. So tuesday we brought him some sweets and watched the
movie "John Tanner" with him. (i love the church movies! they´re so
great). So that was fun.
Ok so Wednesday i had Mocochinchi for my first time! Its peach juice
really, but the thing is they always leave the peach in the drink, and
it looks super gross. Most missionaries call the drink "cerebral de
mono" (monkey brain). But this investigator served it up, and well it
was quite good! I was just grateful she didn’t put the brain in my cup
haha. also this day we had 7 lessons! oh it was so great. so so great.
I just love feeling like I’m doing stuff out here! :)
Thursday we were running around trying to get to all the references
we´ve been given in the ward. This ward is seriously so incredible.
They are always helping us out- one lady washes our clothes did i tell
you? Seriously it’s such a blessing. They feed us, bring us mangos (the
last ones of the season. I keep meaning to take pictures of the mangos
i get but i end up eating them too fast haha oops), and help us out so
much with the work. It’s so awesome! The bishop is helping us a lot
too. He loves to help us, because then he can practice his english :)
haha he is hilarious. And really understands how to work.
Friday we only had two lessons. It was one of those days that makes
you grateful for the seven lesson days. This work is tough sometimes.
But you know what? Days always come to an end. And this day ended
really well. One of the two lessons we had was at 8 at night. We had
been walking around with this new married couple that was accompanying
us. None of our investigators were home the whole time we were with
these two-from 6-8, but we found Lili home at 8. So we talked to her.
She’s super sweet. Unfortunately she doesn’t have any money, and her 9
year old daughter Josalin has been in the hospital a lot because she
has bone cancer. She doesn’t have a job, and her exhusband keeps not
paying his part. She has another daughter named Diana that is 2 years
old. Well, turns out I know a little bit about what it feels like to
have someone i love suffer from cancer, and so did this couple. Also,
Lili´s birthday was sunday, and this couple made her a cake!!
Seriously, the best ward ever.
Saturday we visited a reference from a mom whose son just left for the
mission a month ago. Cleidi, the reference, was friends with this
missionary before he left. He told his mom to have the missionaries
visit her. So Maria (the mom) came with us to visit Cleidi. Well the
lesson went well, and we are excited to be helping her. But the thing
i really learned was how much moms suffer when their kids go out on
missions. this poor mom is trying to be so strong. Her son is still in
Bolivia (in la paz) because he hasn’t got his visa yet. It is taking
all of her will power not to visit him. But anyways i just want to
tell you mom that I really am doing awesome!!!! I am loving the
mission. I am helping people and learning so much about the gospel.
I´m already such a better person than i used to be, and it is so
great!!! Thanks for being so awesome mom and strong. Seriously
everything is fine and im doing great and i love you so much!!!!
Sunday was great. Besides the fact that Hna Morris was pretty sick and
could hardly talk. But we managed to go to church, and Lili came with
her daughter Diana, and so did Pilar with her daughter! Pilar is also
a single mom 24 years old. She has started reading the book of mormon
and loves it and already has a testimony! Pilar, Lili, and Josalin
have baptism dates set for 16th of MArch so we are hoping all goes
well for that! Also Laura was supposed to have her baptism interview
this day. We scheduled it for the last hour of church. Unfortunately her
and her siblings left after sacrament meeting and we didn’t know
because her mom was still at church. We looked everywhere for her- her
house and the streets but we couldn’t find her. We finally met her dad.
Suffice it to say he isn’t very nice to those in the family who go to
church. We think he stopped her from going back for her interview.
Well we are hoping to be able to find her on Thursday to have her
interview. This family is in a bad place and there is nothing we can
do. Its hard living in a place where laws really aren’t enforced. We
are going to continue to pray for Laura and her family and hopefully
she will be baptized this saturday! But i just loved how things worked
out at church today. Both Lili and Pilar had problems with thier
daughters being fidgety at church. But for some reason, a lot of other
moms had more problems than usual with their kids too this day. I just
love that things work out. So the next time your kid is screaming in
church, just know it might be making someone else feel more
comfortable about their situation. :)
Anyways a good week. I really love reading the ensign/liahona. I read
the conference talk of Elder Uchtdorf this morning and i love what he
said about enjoying the now. I remember when i first started my
mission, i would think about the months ahead and it seemed like
they´d never end. But, if i thought, can i do my best today and just
today? The answer would be yes, and I was ok. (now im like, we are in
march?! but there´s still so much to do! what happened to February?!
haha) The future is important, but enjoying right now is going to fill
the past with pleasantries. :)
Anyways i hope you all have an amazing week. The fotos are the baptism
(yeah marco is tall haha) and the outfit I’m wearing is typical of what
people wear during carnival. It keeps your clothes clean from paint,
and there’s pockets for storing paint, water, and foam, among other
things. haha.
much love, Hermana Black
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