Semana 72 - Making Pozol, Singing in the choir, & the Holy Spirit

Hola, hola everyone!

• To start, thank you to all my friends, family and ward family who sent me things for my birthday.  I finally got the package (note from mom: I used DHL and sent it on a Friday and it arrived at the district office in Tuxtla on Tuesday, but the missionaries have to wait for them to bring it to their area, hence the wait.  I also put some astronaut ice cream inside the care package for her birthday, and this was her last package as a missionary.)

• This week we had an awesome Monday!  The 3 sister companionships in Comitan all went to Hermana Basual’s hosue and she taught us how to make pozol.  It’s a chocolate corn drink that is very typical in Chiapas.  It has a loooong process because you have to boil the corn for 2 hours and then grind it.  Meanwhile, you have to toast the cocoa seeds, take off their outer layer and then grind it many times as well.  In the end we put it all together with water and sugar and it turned out AMAZING!  She also taught us how to make chocolate. It’s so much better when it’s homemade than store bought.

• English classes and afterwards we ate cake for the Ward Mission Leader’s Birthday.  We smashed his face in of course! :o)

• We sang in the church choir for an event about religious freedom.  After we sang, Elder Martinez, an Area Seventy talked for like an hour.  It reminded me a lot of Article of Faith #11 that says, “We claim the privilege of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.”  We ALL deserve the right to worship as we please.  Afterwards they asked us to sing again but we weren’t prepared . . . but we sang anyway! 

• We focused a lot on visiting the less active members this week – especially focusing on the Armor of God!  In Ephesians it says “Of all the things we have to protect us, we only have ONE weapon, the Holy Spirit.”  When we are baptized and then every Sunday after that we worthily partake of the sacrament.  So when we don’t go to church, it is harder to have the spirit with us as a constant companion and we can’t fight against Satan’s fiery darts. 

• On Sunday a member sister gave us chicken that she cooked in Coke. . . it turned out to be pretty good!  Who would’ve thought?

• We are already in the last week of the transfer, craziness!  Times flies when you’re at the service of God.  Love you all! 

Con amor, Hermana Dangl 

 My name written in the pozol!

Making pozol! 

 Boiling the corn

 Shelling the toasted cacao

 Grinding the chocolate.

 Grinding the corn.

The finished product! POZOL

 Happy sisters making chocolate! 

 Chocolate!! It's soft and with time hardens up. 

 Hermana Dangl and Hermana Diaz with soft chocolate = D2

 The chocolate making group.

 Hermana Diaz and Hermana Dangl with the Lorena Family.

  Cake with our Ward Mission Leader

The choir in the Multi Religious event. (2nd from the left) 

 It rained super hard and even hailed for a little bit on Sunday! 

Semana 71 - Love, Work, Enjoy!

Happy Monday!

This week we had a lot of days, that weren’t long enough. . . as in, we have so much to do and there isn’t enough time in the day.  Time is running out for me in many ways.  I am trying to take President Doman’s motto to heart though: “Love, Work, Enjoy!”  I think it’s a great life motto honestly. 

On Monday (P-day) we had a zone party for one of the Elder’s birthday.  He bought us all pizza (with you guessed it, Coke) and we sang and the Elders smashed his face into basically the whole cake.  We’ve been dealing with a lot of investigators who believe what we teach but for whatever reason, don’t want to keep their commitments.  It stinks!  Something that it says in Preach My Gospel is that when we apply or “liken” the doctrine to ourselves, we create a mental bridge between understanding the doctrine and living the doctrine. page 110.  It’s true!  For example, we all know that it’s bad to steal – yet robbery is a common crime.  The mental bridge has to happen for all people.  

A member treated us to Gringas, they are tortillas with carne al pastor, pineapple, onion, peppers, and lots of good stuff.  It was super good.  Hermana Diaz and I are playing a game so that we contact more people in the street.  I give her a random word and she has to work it into the conversation.  If she does it successfully, it’s my turn! 

District meeting!  We got lost though and couldn’t find the combi but in the end arrived.  When we got there, we found a tree loaded with mandarins and couldn’t believe it so everyone picked one to eat. . . and then we found out why there were so many, they were  basically lemons!  Super sour!  The meeting went well, I taught a small part about leadership and shared a quote I really like by President Uchtdorf that says (basically) that leadership in the church isn’t as much about “leading” others and is more about being led by God.  It’s so true!  We watched some inspirational videos and then our Sister Training Leaders washed our feet . . . it was actually a super cool and different experience.

Companion Exchanges!  Hermana Marrero was in my area, Comitan 2, with me and it went really well!  We totally saw a miracle . . .while we were walking, we contacted a man whose wife and kids are members, but we had no clue.  So he didn’t really want anything to do with us, and later on an appointment fell through so we decided to visit a less active and we only knew that she lived in a certain neighborhood with a white gate.  We knocked on the first one we found and the same guy we had contacted before answered the door.  What?!  This time he couldn’t deny God’s hand in all things. 

We taught J, one of our investigators who has never accepted the baptismal invitation, and we went over the Restoration again even though he’d already learned it.  My testimony of the importance of this lesson, the Restoration, grew because when people actually understand, they can make their mental bridge of application.  At the end of the lesson for the first time ever, he accepted to be baptized. 

16 months in the mission!  My companion asked me how I felt . . “Viejita” (old) haha, but really, it’s crazy and I try not to think about it.  I think it’s harder to leave the mission than to come.  I hope you all have a great week, don’t forget to love, work, and enjoy! 

Con amor, Hermana Dangl

So many HILLS!

 The gringa with her gringa... :) 

Gringa!!! Tortillas with carne al pastor, pineapple, onion, & peppers.

  Hermana Dangl & Hermana Diaz

Comitan

  16 months in the mission! 

Semana 70 - Karaoke Fun, Miracles, and Goals

Hi Everyone,

This week was so busy, and we had a lot going on! Honestly I have no clue how we get through the week sometimes and suddenly it’s Monday and it all starts over again.  Recap of the week! 

• We’ve been working a lot with E, but it has been super hard because he really wants to be baptized, but is battling a lot of addictions.  Addictions stink, it’s so much better to not even start with those things because I’ve seen how it ruins people’s lives and causes so much suffering.  We are doing all we can to help though. 

• English classes have started here in Comitan!  It was great and afterwards, our Ward Mission Leader bought us pizza and Coke . . now that we can drink Coke everyone wants to give it to us. 

• We had interviews with President Dorman!  We were there all day because they taught us a lot of things and we had interviews for the whole zone.  It went super well though and I learned a lot. 

• We taught one of our investigators who always has a million deep question, but we love it because we learn as well as we answer them. 

• We looked for a referral we received but instead we found his mom . . she received us well and after we left we went to eat with a member.  Then 5 minutes later she showed up as well.  What?!  God’s hand is in all things. 

• Missionary Activity!  We did karaoke and had members, investigators, and less actives come.  It turned out well but I’m learning that Mormon Standard Time is a huge issue here and everyone arrived like an hour late.  It was fun and the food was good, we prepared it, and our investigators who came, all sang!  There were a lot of Spanish love songs sung and it was quite an experience. 

• You know you live in Mexico when you eat tacos de cabeza de cerdo for Sunday dinner (pig head tacos) haha. I asked after I ate it just exactly what in it.. I was told that it was a fun mix of ear, snout, head and eyes. It was pretty good though so I can't complain... 

• We continue singing in the choir, It turns out that the Multi Religious is actually a pretty big deal so more people came this week than last week. Haha

• We left to look for a new investigator that we are teaching, but it was kind of dark and we were having trouble finding his house.  We stopped to contact someone instead of continuing to walk and thanks to that, we were there in that spot for the exact time that the investigator took to leave his house. We would have walked right by the house and kept walking!  Afterwards, we were waiting for a bus so we could get back home and a taxi driver who is a member of the other branch gave us a lift! Talk about good timing . . . small miracles!

• This week was actually a bit rough - we have set the goal to baptize 32 people this month as a zone. ahh!!! The second we set the goal, Satan started working sooooo hard against us, seriously.  The whole zone started having all kinds of problems with investigators and companionships and everything. Whyyyyy?  We have been facing a lot of opposition here in Comitan.... but I know that the Lord is preparing something big for this city and for all the people who live here. Miracles are real and still happen! WE CAN DO THIS! 

• I am doing well and am excited for everything that my mission still has in store for me!! 

Con amor, Hermana Dangl

 SUPER COOL the sun!!! Did you see this back home?

 Lunch with our Zone.

  Lunch with Pres. and Srs. Doman.

 Las Hermanas with Srs. Doman.

 Getting ready for our conference. 

Preparing for the Ward Activity.

 Karoake

 Hermana Dangl with a child at the activity.

Hermana Diaz, Hermana Dangl, and Hermana Lopez 

Semana 69 - 60 degrees, Book of Mormon in a month, & miracles happen

Hi Everyone,

I used to think that the time was flying by but now I think it’s going at the speed of light.  It’s impossible to slow down!  I’m getting used to Comitan though little by little.  This week was “cold” and I realized that I’m basically going to freeze to death when I go back to Utah because “cold” here is like 60 degrees.  Some bullet points for the week.

• We went to Trinitaria, a colony about 25 minutes from Comitan.  We visited a less active and then started looking for more less actives.  We weren’t having luck though so by a stroke of inspiration we went to the Post Office and asked for their help.  It turns out that all of the people we were looking for live super far away, very sad.

• Hermana Diaz  and I had an in tune with the spirit moment when we were both walking and talking but stopped at the same moment, looked at each other and turned around to contact a teenager who was smoking a cigarette in front of the liquor store.  I asked him when was the last time that he had felt peace and he said, “never.”  My heart broke a bit for him . . the Gospel is so awesome because Peace is exactly what it offers to all people.  #PrinceofPeace

• District Meeting!  My first one here. . . they announced some changes in the mission. . . now we can drink Coca-Cola!  What?!  I don’t even like it that much but we had to drink one to celebrate.  Also they’re going to give us a huge map to cover our whole wall, basically.   We learned a lot though about how to be better missionaries.  It’s easy to blame lack of success on everything or everyone else except yourself. . . the area, the members, the time of year, the climate. . . but the best missionaries make the best out of what they have and find success.  I think it’s a principle that applies with life as well . . . we can accept the circumstances of our lives or we can change them.

• As a Zone we’re going to read the whole Book of Mormon in a month . . . that’s 23 pages a day!  We are underlining in purple every time the Lord promises us something . . . it’s actually really cool to see just how many promises there are when we are obedient. 

• We’re in the church choir and are going to sing in a Multi-Religious Event.  They say that the Catholics always win and it’s possible that it’ll be true this year as well but we’ll see.

• And our miracle of the week was finding JL.  We were stopped on the sidewalk because we were lost and a man approached us and asked us who we were and if we could teach him . . . He went to church on Sunday and we visited him in the afternoon, and we invited him to be baptized.  He has gone to many different churches but he told us that when he partook of the sacrament he felt peaceful and calm and knew that it was the true church.  So when we popped the question . . he said, “When will I be prepared?” MIRACLES ARE REAL, and God totally prepares His children and puts us (and them!) in the right place at the right time. :o)

I’m doing well, I’m getting accustomed to my area, companion, the house, the climate and everything and praying for more miracles!  I hope you all have a great week!  

Con amor, Hermana Dangl 

 Hermana Dangl's Zone 

 They are allowed to drink Coca-Cola now. 

 Her new planner for her new area. 

 I subbed as Jeffrey's Primary teacher and the lesson was on Missionaries so I had the kids write Hermana Dangl a letter. 

Hermana Dangl's new Mission President and his wife are the couple in the center.

Semana 68 - New Mission President & Area, Cooler weather, and Playing the piano

Hello Everyone!

Happy Monday! Greetings from Comitan! This week was very different. I feel like I'm in a different world! I remember feeling that way when I got to Tuxtla too.

• I left for Comitan at 5:45 pm on Tuesday, so we basically spent all of Tuesday packing and cleaning. It was a mess! I now have a lot more stuff that I've accumulated over the past year. But I still have the same 2 suitcases,
• I got to Comitan around 9:15 ish. I traveled with other missionaries. We had a lot of people waiting for us when we got there.
• Hermana Diaz is my companion, and she's from Guatemala. She's only been in our humungous area for only 1 transfer, but she sort of knows her way around... but not really, and I know nothing. So we got lost several times. The area is super huge, and there's not a cheap mode of transportation available, so we end up having to walk around a lot, a LOT. 
• The weather is way weird. It's kind of hot in the sun, but it's cool in the shade. The sun burns though!  When it rains it's cold though and it's cold water, so that is the difference between here and my other areas. It rained on Sunday, and it was pretty dang cold out there for me. A member told me that it was 69 degrees out. 
• We are trying to find a lot of new people to teach, and Hermana Diaz is conquering her fears about contacting people in the street.
• So many hills.
• We taught E. our progressing investigator, and he set his own baptismal date for his birthday! It was super cool! 
• We met our new mission President, President Doman and his wife. Woo! We got a call on Friday in the morning that said we had to be in San Cristobal by 3 pm., about 2 hours away, so we had to leave by 12 to get there in time.  One problem was that we didn't have any dinerito (cash) because it was the end of the month. So we said a prayer, and I found 500 pesos, so we were saved. We ended up going as a zone together in a combi and President Doman didn't get there until 6:30ish. His wife talked to us in English and the Assistants translated. It was so good!  She talked to us in her mom voice, and I haven't had someone talk to me in a "mom voice," in a long time. I'm excited for everything that's happening. We got home super late though because we had to travel back.
• On Sunday, I went through a mini crisis. No one (absolutely no one) else plays the piano in the branch, even though it's huge - it's ward sized. So, I am now the Ward Pianist! What!? It was way different from when I did it in Mapa like twice. Here there are a lot more people, and I always get nervous when people sing while I play... but I thought about the Parable of the Talents in the Bible. 
  
  Matthew 25:14 – 30
  14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
  15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
  16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
  17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
  18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
  19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
  20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredstunto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
  21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
  22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
  23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithfulservant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
  24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
  25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
  26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
  27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
  28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
  29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be takenaway even that which he hath.
  30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
  
  I felt that if I didn't get to practice the talent I had been given, I would lose it, and God wouldn't bless me with more. So I played, and it went well!
  
  My advice: Ask God what your talents are and then get to work developing them!
  

Con amor, Hermana Dangl

 Saying goodbye to members in Terrazas and... arriving in Comitan!

Hermana Dangl & Hermana Diaz in San Cristobal

Eating with members and the other missionaries in the branch.

Our zone went out to eat while we were waiting for President Doman because we hadn't eaten for awhile and it was so good!

 Comitan!

 More of Comitan.

Selfies with Hermana Diaz

Pres. & Srs. Doman incoming and Pres. and Srs. George outgoing.

They took care of Hermana Dangl for 15 months and are going back home to Wyoming after three years of service. 

 Group hug for Pres. Doman from the Elders. 

Hermana Dangl to the left of Srs. Doman.

 Group hug for Srs. Doman.

Hermana Dangl's Testimony for NB Youth Conference 2017

Click on the link above. 

Rachel, Jeff, and Sherrilynne all went to Youth Conference last week and we asked the missionaries in the stake to share their testimony and talk about our theme, "Lift Up Your Voice," and this is her video we shared with the youth. Notice her hammock in the background, that she bought herself for her birthday last month.