Off to Veracruz

                                                                                                       Aug 18, 2014

My third transfer here in the Mexico Veracruz Mission is over. So... what is happening now?

Just like people guessed here... I'm off to Veracruz. To the Mocambo Zone and in the Costa Verte ward. Hna Orta has served in that ward and says that the people are wonderful! This zone also happens to be in the area of temple, and I hear it is beautiful and HOT!  Also... I'm going be in a trio. I already know of one ofthe hermanas I'll be with but I don't know the other one.

This week has been one full of emotions, because we knew changes were coming

Monday night, we had FHE|Birthday Party for Hna Garcia at the house of Hno and Hna Nadales. Also attending were Hno and Hno Herrera, Hna Lidia,and Abi. It was a fun time.

Tuesday was our last district class of the transfer. Elder Boyd talkd about the importance of working with members.  Then he asked if we could all bear a little testimony of what we learned this transfer. So follow that spirit with singing" God Be With You Til We Meet Again",and then this beautiful prayer by Elder Rodriguez. We were crying. I have never been so open about the shedding of my tears until I came out here. Hna Garcia and I, after his prayer, were just crying to each other about how much we love this district and how we've learned so much.  Meanwhile everybody disapears and then comes back with a birthday cake for Hna Garcia.

Tuesday we spent the afternoon in Portrerillo, where S. and K. live. We found S. on the street and he told us that he found his ex wife! They had been separated for 20 years. We are so excited for him and K! So now they're going start the divorce process and their goal is to be baptized in September! Hna Garcia said to me 'They are our miracles' and they really are. Thursday night we had a lesson with them. Before we went to their house we stopped by Pedro's house to see if he could accompany us. P. is a 22 year old convert who is preparing for a mission. He wasn't there, but we told his mom where we would be headed. So...we get to S. and K's house, and as we were going to walk through the door we saw P. running up the hill of the street to come and help us out. Having P. at our lesson was awesome. We taught the first part of the plan of salvation and P. added a powerful testimony to it. Here's something I want to share that will always be special to me. So... Hna Garcia was talking, and the way we teach is that when someone guards their silence,we know it's the other person's turn to talk. She doesn't like looking at the other person to start talking. But this time...she looked at me , so I just started talking about what was coming to my head. It was basically this.... we all have different experiences in this life, personal to all of us. Mine are different than someone else in the ward,and so on. We may not understand why we have the experiences we have, but what's important to remember is that God knows why. God knows why each person passes through different things, different challenges. While I was speaking...there was this look on S.'s face... that these words coming from my mouth were so personal tohim.  These words from my mouth.... were not my words. Before I started speaking I wasn't even sure what I was going say. These were our Heavenly Father's words to S. I was just His mouthpiece.

Wednesday... in the evening was a ward activity. Goodbye to Elder Boyd and welcome back to Samuel Blanco,the stake president's son who came back from his mission in New Jersey. It was a spiritual night of testimony.

Wednesday and Thursday for part of the day we were at a member's house from Escamela Ward. We were recruited by the Escamela missionaries to help them with this 'obra' for a ward talent night. It was a story about a pair of missionaries who were having trouble finding someone to teach. They went to a member's house to see how they were doing and were able to find out there that this girl's mother died, and she needed a messageof hope. So while the missionaries are there teaching her (played by me and hna garcia),there's her mom in the spirit world getting taught up there. And the very last verse in Malachi...about the children's hearts turning to theirfathers. The message was... the importance of this work, that there's hope... not just forthe people here on earth  but for the people who didn't get the chanceto hear this message on earth. They aren't lost. This was done Friday night.

Sunday, the musical number went well. A recent RM told me that her companion sang " Come Thou Fount" all the time and she really liked it.  Other members told us they liked it as well. Elder Boyd gave his last talk...it was excellent.  In the evening the Stake President invited us Ojo de Agua and Escamela to his house for a goodbye dinner to Elder Boyd and Elder Rodriguez. We still hadn't got news about transfers. Elder Figureoa was on the phone a bit getting news about the transfers...and when he was done he and Elder Rodriguez went into another room. So there we are...all waiting to hear the news. Everytime I heard a door open... I would look over and it would be a false alarm.  And finally... Elder Rodriguez comes out to bring the news. Other than he and Elder Boyd going home, I'm traveling the farthest. Another Hna Garcia is taking my place, and Elder Dial who was in our zone but a different area is moving into Ojo and takingthe place of district leader. Hna Orta and Hna Kind stay together for another transfer.

Next time I write I'll be in the deep heat. Here's to hopes I'll be able to survive it well.

Les Quiero

Hermana Jones