Hello all,
The good news is that transfers are in and I have at least one more transfer in Mapastepec with Hermana Renteria.
On Monday I learned two important things: 1st, how to embroider! I'm trying to learn as much about the culture, food and art while I'm here in Chiapas. As a missionary, you have a little family of members and investigators who are willing to teach you things, explain things and give you new, weird food, plus the recipe! It's very different from being a tourist, and I love it. Hermana Lupita, an investigator, is teaching me how to do embroidery, something basically all the women here know how to do and do often. 2nd, the importance of the Priesthood. The power and authority that God gives to worthy men to act in His name for the salvation of His children. These are two very different topics, but on Monday Hermana Lupita's grandbaby fell off a bed and by chance her return missionary son was visiting and able to give the baby a blessing of health and comfort. It made me realize how important it is to always have (or be!) a worthy priesthood holder. In Mapa, it's very limited and lacking and I'd say it's true that you don't really realize what you have, until it's gone.
On Tuesday we visited Hermana J and she told us that that morning she had been praying about what to do, and which church was actually true. That day we came to visit her and she told us she felt that that was her answer. This was actually a super cool experience because we were going to have a District Meeting on Tuesday and be in Tonala but they ended up changing the day on us the night before so we hadn't planned on visiting her but we did.
On Wednesday we did go to Tonala and the meeting was good. I made some serious progress on my embroidery on the bus ride there, which maybe makes me sound like an old lady but I'm pretty stoked. On Wednesday I also hit 8 months in the mission.
On Friday we ate way too much food in Sesecapa and basically waddled back to the combi (taxi). Seriously there is something about being a missionary that makes people want to feed us, I have no clue why. Afterwards we went to visit Hermana G., a less active and she wasn't home but by pure chance there were some goats outside so we stopped to watch them (instead of just walking past them like normal people do) and she came home in that time! Whoo for the little miracles! :o)
On Saturday President Toledo drove us all around Mapa as we searched out less actives. We found a ward directory but with very skimpy addresses, for those living in Newport, it's like being given a name with the address, 17th St. without a number. Basically a LOT of work, but it was really good! We found a lot of people that I hadn't known about. I also had my first dream in Spanish (that I can remember) which is kind of a noteworthy moment for me. Whoo! :o)
On Sunday we had a sacrament meeting full of less actives and basically none of the active members came which was a weird switch. After church we contacted in an area that doesn't have street names or numbers and visited a less active who has 4 sons who are all named Luis. Hermana Renteria and I are both procrastinators who work well under pressure, so you can probably all imagine how every Sunday is a mad rush to contact the whole world. We finished out the week strong and we made it out of the transfer alive! Haha! I hope everyone has a good week.
Con amor, Hermana Dangl
The good news is that transfers are in and I have at least one more transfer in Mapastepec with Hermana Renteria.
On Monday I learned two important things: 1st, how to embroider! I'm trying to learn as much about the culture, food and art while I'm here in Chiapas. As a missionary, you have a little family of members and investigators who are willing to teach you things, explain things and give you new, weird food, plus the recipe! It's very different from being a tourist, and I love it. Hermana Lupita, an investigator, is teaching me how to do embroidery, something basically all the women here know how to do and do often. 2nd, the importance of the Priesthood. The power and authority that God gives to worthy men to act in His name for the salvation of His children. These are two very different topics, but on Monday Hermana Lupita's grandbaby fell off a bed and by chance her return missionary son was visiting and able to give the baby a blessing of health and comfort. It made me realize how important it is to always have (or be!) a worthy priesthood holder. In Mapa, it's very limited and lacking and I'd say it's true that you don't really realize what you have, until it's gone.
On Tuesday we visited Hermana J and she told us that that morning she had been praying about what to do, and which church was actually true. That day we came to visit her and she told us she felt that that was her answer. This was actually a super cool experience because we were going to have a District Meeting on Tuesday and be in Tonala but they ended up changing the day on us the night before so we hadn't planned on visiting her but we did.
On Wednesday we did go to Tonala and the meeting was good. I made some serious progress on my embroidery on the bus ride there, which maybe makes me sound like an old lady but I'm pretty stoked. On Wednesday I also hit 8 months in the mission.
On Friday we ate way too much food in Sesecapa and basically waddled back to the combi (taxi). Seriously there is something about being a missionary that makes people want to feed us, I have no clue why. Afterwards we went to visit Hermana G., a less active and she wasn't home but by pure chance there were some goats outside so we stopped to watch them (instead of just walking past them like normal people do) and she came home in that time! Whoo for the little miracles! :o)
On Saturday President Toledo drove us all around Mapa as we searched out less actives. We found a ward directory but with very skimpy addresses, for those living in Newport, it's like being given a name with the address, 17th St. without a number. Basically a LOT of work, but it was really good! We found a lot of people that I hadn't known about. I also had my first dream in Spanish (that I can remember) which is kind of a noteworthy moment for me. Whoo! :o)
On Sunday we had a sacrament meeting full of less actives and basically none of the active members came which was a weird switch. After church we contacted in an area that doesn't have street names or numbers and visited a less active who has 4 sons who are all named Luis. Hermana Renteria and I are both procrastinators who work well under pressure, so you can probably all imagine how every Sunday is a mad rush to contact the whole world. We finished out the week strong and we made it out of the transfer alive! Haha! I hope everyone has a good week.
Con amor, Hermana Dangl
Learning how to embroider.
