July 13, 2010

so first off let me apologize again for not sending you the video of our house. i keep forgetting my cord in Villa Ahumada! we come here to Juarez every week for district meetings on our p-day so yeah, we're here a lot. its kinda hard having a district leader as a companion but come what may and love it! turn every experience into a learning one! yeah, and i celebrated my 'happy one month in mexico' this week! honestly though it has only felt like two weeks. its crazy how fast this month went. it'll be faster too once i can talk to these people here! (ok, so i can talk to them but its really hard i have a very limited vocabulary) i found a hidden gem in our backyard this week too. we have a pomegranate tree and it has little granada's on it already! i was happy then. So this week has been pretty crazy, i've gone to Chihuahua twice to sign for my papers (I'm not illegal anymore, YAY), which is a 5 hour busride both ways, so the missionary work has been kinda slow in our area. we only have one investigatior (who has a baptism date) and its the end of this cycle. crazy!!!! so next cycle, if i'm still in Villa Ahumada with Elder Robles, we decided that we're going to go crazy and just start burning the field. not literally burning, but the biblical burning, working hard, gathering wheat, you know that kind of stuff. so i'm getting way excited for this next cycle. this last week i've also been sick again. i thought i had food poisoning cuz i had a headache like crazy that was making me dizzy and i had bad runs. we called the mission Doc and he said to drink a lot of water and elder robles gave me a blessing. in the morning we were getting ready to go to chihuahua cuz i still wasn't doing better and right as we were getting ready to leave i threw up. and then i felt instantly better. it was wierd but definately a blessing! we didn't have to leave Villa Ahumada again and have another day of not working. i didn't know that grandma had surgery on her hip! i was only told about that lump thing that they took out of her neck. but i'm glad that all is well and i hope that she recovers fully and quickly! grandma, your in my prayers! well got to go but i love ya and we'll talk to ya next week!

P.S. i didn't get your package or your letter. i did get a letter from Jeff that was dated the 7th of June a few days ago so your letter should be coming soon too. they said if i had to get packages from home my family should send it through UPS. its a little more expensive and a little more safe, but not totally safe, its still Mexico. So really i'm not expecting packages or letters much while i'm here, lets just leave it to e-mails :)

Wow! I can't believe you have been on your mission for 3 months and in Mexico for a whole month now! It sounds like you are adjusting to both the weather and the food. It sure is a different culture, isn't it! When we think of Mexican food, we don't realize how different it really is from the real stuff! How is the language coming for you? I'll bet it gets easier all the time. Have you been able to give lessons in Spanish yet? I'm sure you have had the opportunity to bear your testimony. I'm sure you are having wonderful experiences! On Saturday, we got home from St Louis. It was a real fun trip! I'll send you a few pictures. We also got to go to Nauvoo. It was fun and I thought about you a lot.. especially at the top of the arch and in the temple! Dad couldn't do as much as he would have liked because his ankles and feet were swollen..probably from all the humidity, but he did get to go to the pageant at Nauvoo. That was really cool! There is so much history there and you could feel the spirit of the saints that lived there. We'll for sure have to plan a trip when you get home, in fact, I was talking to Andy yesterday and she and Larry have never been to Nauvoo. I told them that we should plan to go after you get home. She was excited to do that...so just plan that way! I don't know if you remember me telling you that Grandma N was having a hip replacement. She had her surgery on the 7th and is now recovering. She is at South Health now getting the physical therapy she needs. She will be home in about a week (we hope it will be a little less). I am going to go out to help her when she gets home, so I will probably be there next week. Keep her in your prayers! Do you care if you get emails from ward members? Everyone wants your address, but we know how that will go!! Maybe I will still give them your address and keep your email address for family..what do you think? By the way, did you get the package I sent and did you ever get the "dearelder" letter? I would guess we could still get letters to you that way because it goes by pouch mail. Let me know!! You sure seem to be going to Juarez a lot lately! How often do you have district meetings? Will there be any change for you with a new mission president there? It will be interesting to see what happens. Do you like your new President and his wife? Where is he from? How is Elder Robles? Tell him Hi! and I don't really know him, but I love him and the work you two are doing! I keep you both in my prayers and even though we are far from each other, I feel your spirit and the power of missionary work. I am so grateful to you and I have felt so blessed through you for your willingness to serve. I know you are feeling the blessings and rewards, also! It was so go to hear the commitment in your last email. Know that you are CONSTANTLY in our prayers and thoughts. Keep up the good work and positive attitude!! I read a scripture in the D&C this last week. It was a letter that Joseph Smith wrote about a "voice of gladness" upon hearing the gospel. Maybe you have read it, but if not, it is D&C 128:19 and 22-25. It made me think of you!! Well, I'm sure you have other emails to read and respond to, so I'll let you get to them. I love you so much and am so proud of you!!!! Love you lots, Mom