i love my mangoes!!
lots and lots :)
as my friend who is currently serving in ecuador put it, "there are two very important 12-week periods in a missionary's life: the first 12 and the last 12." and today, i start those last 12. time is slipping away so quickly!
i'm officially giving english classes twice a week in the chapel. we have quite a crowd, and i've gotten pretty good at it. i might be a spanish teacher when i get back. ;)
jungle
we walk a ton in the jungle and, this past week, all of that walking landed me in the "clinica" for a procedure on one of my feet and a strong dose of antibiotics. my toenail on my big right toe started cutting into the skin there, and it made a big wound. then, (as fate would have it) i accidentally slipped that very foot into some questionable water when we were crossing a narrow bridge after a rainstorm. needless to say, that toe got infected real quick (even though i washed it, like i always do, and put alcohol on it).
me and my sister leader in the clinica
right after the procedure
doughnut time! :)
in all honestly, there were many days this week that were just…bleh. that's the only word i can think of to describe them. missionary work is always crazy and there's just so much happening at once that sometimes you feel...bleh. but, god is even more aware of us during the bleh times. i know this because at the end of one of those days this week, we were teaching lesson one for the second time in a row that night (and maybe the millionth time that week) to someone new. but, as my comp related joseph smith's first vision, the song "praise to the man" started playing in my head (in an interesting mix of english and spanish) and tears filled my eyes. i felt in that moment that this is the most important work in the world. nothing to feel bleh about. since then, i've been trying to find more joy and excitement in the day-to-day that has been my life for the past 15 months.
beautiful catholic chapel
a great quote about patience by elder maxwell has been helping: "patience also helps us realize that while we may be ready to move on, having had enough of a particular learning experience, our continued presence is often needed as a part of the learning environment of others." patience is perseverance with a purpose! LOVE YOU ALL.
hermana wood
More from this week's message to Hermana Wood's dad:
transfers are tonight! i don't think i'll get transferred. i really hope not. i'd be fine to die [finish my mission] here! if i do get transferred...ahh idk, i just want to stay here, haha. i haven't seen moyobamba or tarapoto, but it's so far away from everything. who knows, we shall see what happens! if i get transferred it'll be tomorrow morning! LOVE YOU.
mamita and my two brothers. now i have four!
More from this week's message to Hermana Wood's mom:
kevin came to church and is continuing to progress! vicotorino also came! he and his wife are having a few problems, though; in fact, we had a lesson where meri, his wife, called him out on some issues. another member couple was with us, so victorino started defending himself to the couple and bashing on the church his wife attends. after like 30 minutes, i finally said "hermanos, we belong to the church of jesus christ - the true church. and, if both of you aren't reading your books of mormon TOGETHER and praying TOGETHER to know for yourselves that it's true, you can't progress together." i testified about the BOM, and you should've seen meri's face; she looked shocked, but i committed the couple to pray and read together. we'll see how that works out. i told them both how much i love them and expressed how much the savior loves them. i also told them that we'd pray for them throughout the week. after the closing prayer (offered by her husband), meri looked at me with tears on her cheeks and said "sister, i feel the 'espiritu santo' [holy ghost]." now THAT is gratifying as a missionary. THAT is what success is. helping others feel the spirit and be influenced by it. LOVE YOU.
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