Hermana Dangl - Missionary in Mexico: Semana 30

Friends and Family,

What a week and this week was definitely a weird one. Flashing back to the past Monday, we do normal p-day (Preparation Day) stuff from 11-6, like writing this letter, shopping, and washing clothes. Then at 6, we leave to proselyte and we ate “Chinese Food,” with a member and we always leave so stuffed. So when we go shopping for food I don’t want to buy ANYTHING and then all I week I regret not buying as much stuff. It’s actually a process that happens every single week here. We visited with one of our progressing investigators, who sells and makes bread. We were waiting on him to finish up a sale and it’s possible that I started to scold a street dog for pooping in the middle of the street where people can and will step in it and when I turned around, our investigator had finished his sale and had very wide eyes and raised his eyebrows as he was watching the whole thing. :o) As we made our way home we stopped to chat with a less active about conference and he told us he didn’t watch it because his speakers didn’t work and only had headphones. We ended up explaining that he can use headphones because they are speakers and he wasn’t really getting it until the epiphany hit him: “So, we’re supposing then that the little part at the top of the wire is actually little speakers for your ears?” YES. That is exactly what we’re saying. I’d say it was a life changing moment for him.

On Tuesday it was super hot and it didn’t rain. By this point I’m used to it but that doesn’t mean I like it. We ate shrimp with a member and it was my first time (mostly because I don’t like seafood) to not only eat it, but rip off its head and shell/skin and then eat it. Oh, the experiences I have with food in Mexico. On Wednesday we visited Jubileo and ended up washing clothes for service as we waited and also teaching a new investigator who can’t really walk. He uses crutches or a chair to cross this yard and then sits with us on the curb to chat. We were teaching and his neighbor across the street started brutally beating her dog and I think it’s the worst thing I’ve seen in my whole mission. We had to stop the lesson to plug our ears, and close our eyes, it was absolutely terrible. Something I learned recently is that EVERYTHING has been foreordained, made before the world was. That includes plants and animals, they’re creations of God and evidence that He exists as well.

On Thursday we visited in La Vainilla and it was super pretty and green and blue and full of cows plus a member gave us free tacos. A total PLUS is he told me how to make them, which is pretty exciting stuff. On Friday we taught my favorite family about our 1^st and 2^nd commandments (that many people have seemed to have forgotten) that we don’t worship ANYONE else, only God and that false Gods, idols, statues, and images aren’t acceptable for God. Exodus 20. They kind of glanced at their large Guadalupe statue, candles, and flowers in the corner and nodded dejectedly. We left and as we were walking home, a young couple waved us over and told us they wanted us to visit them because they wanted Christ in their home. It was a straight up miracle, things like that don’t happen a lot. When we visited they were super great and receptive and so we’re pretty pumped about the huge miracle God threw our way.

On Saturday we traveled to Tonala for a district council of all the church leaders in the surrounding area. Hermana Arellano and I got to ride in President Toledo’s truck bed and we were baking in the sun the whole way. Hermana Arellano chose to put a jacket and hood on and hide from the sun and I chose to embrace it and tan so it’s possible I got a little burnt. The meeting was great though because I actually got to see some members and talk with them but the BEST part was when we got stopped at one of the many checkpoints and the officer looked at us in the truck bed and then asked President Toledo if everyone in the vehicle was family. I looked at Hermana Arellano and we started laughing super hard. But President Toledo said, “yes” and the officer waved us on. The drive was so pretty though and I’ll include some pics that I took when we passed through Pijijiapan.

Sunday was super, super sunny and hot. When we were in a combi someone asked us if we were sisters and we looked at each other and then back at the girl and slowly said, “Yessss.” Haha. I feel like it’s super obvious we aren’t actually related. Later we were speed walking because we were late and a little kid started speed walking with us telling us we were walking really fast but it didn’t matter because he was going to win. Like I said, weird week. After we taught a little family that makes and sells amazing bread, a good amount of our investigators make/sell delicious food because we always buy food with the excuse that we’ll contact the owners and then they become investigators. We had a member with us who is a super recent convert but has a great testimony. He had to overcome alcoholism and get married to be baptized and is struggling financially but always sees the blessings and bright side of things. It‘s great! The dad of the family we taught was starting to cry and they we’re all having a moment and it was all super good. We also taught in Jubileo and the investigator who can’t really walk told us we couldn’t visit him anymore as his mom stood there and told him what to say. It was super devastating. I think a lot of people don’t know what they’re saying no to. . . . the opportunity to receive real forgiveness of their sins, to change their lives, to be with their families for eternity and to make sacred covenants with God. Everything hangs in the balance as they decide to listen to us or not, come to church or not, pray or not. It’s very hard to be on the other side sometimes, when you already have the faith and knowledge and KNOW it’s true and people reject it. But that’s life. Hope everyone has a great week!

Con mucho amor, Hermana Dangl