Independence Day

Buenas casi Dia de Independencia por Mexico,

It´s tomorrow. There are a lot of flags, and red and green and white.  It makes me think of Christmas. Also, they closed off part of one side of the calle principal for a little carnival. The rides have been sitting there for  2 or 3 days now, and they're not even open yet.

Also...before I forget to add the funny thing that happened this morning, I´m gonna write it now.  Hna Jensen wanted to take a glance at the sky this morning to see if it was going to rain, because it rains a lot here. She opened the front door, and right as she did it this man walked by. So she just says 'Buenas Días!´', because it was a little awkward and then she closed the door.  We just start laughing really hard.

So...last week I lied and said that Ana had to wait 4 more Sundays. It was actually 3. So now she just has to wait 2. We went to go visit her yesterday at her house, and the night before we were wondering what to teach her because she basically has everything.  Saturday night Hna Jensen flipped to a random page in True to the Faith and we decided we'd teach her that topic.  It turned out, it was something she really needed.
Something that breaks my heart a little...she and her husband are moving...basically right after she gets baptized. They're moving to Escamela. I won't get to teach Ana as a recent convert, and I won't be able to see Oscar get baptized for when he finally gets a break on Sundays. Or see their adorable daughters. Tomorrow President is coming here so we're having a zone conference with Orizaba and Cordoba together.  I'm going to tell Hna Kind to take good care of them.

We had divisions this week. I worked in Orizaba with Hna Terry. There, I was part of a lesson  teaching this little girl about baptism.  That was fun. I really do love divisions, and I always feel like in the mornings when we get together to discuss what we learned... they help me. Like they are directed at me.

Let's talk about Keyra. This week she told us that since we've been coming to visit her, she's noticed a change in her house. A good change. She told us that she and her mom are getting along a lot better. The first time I went to her house, we were talking with her mom, and she was telling us about how the relationship between her and her daughter was a little rocky. So to hear that from Keyra felt so good, and that part of my service as a missionary is making changes in peoples lives.

When there comes good, there comes some adversary. I've been struggling a little bit, forgetting the power that I have as a missionary. Sometimes because I can't always understand the people so I'm not exactly sure how to help them. But right now I'm doing okay. I just need to find time to read my scriptures for myself a little more, as reading for myself always gives me a form of peace. I studied about hope this morning, and there's a scripture. Romans 15:4 that talks about how we can find hope through the scriptures, and then a little further in 15:13 it talks about how God is a God of hope. You should all read it. I want to find a scripture about hope everyday.

We found someone new to teach this week. The poor thing. Her daughter passed away 10 years ago and she's having some other trials too. All these people we teach really need the gospel, but it's a little sad when they don't quite see it.

We had to drop Raquel. Whenever we went to her house she was never there, and she didn´t show up at church the past two weeks. I know agency is a gift and we all chose to have it, but sometimes it just kills me a little when people don't use their agency to recieve even more blessings.
Rayo also told us on Sunday when we dropped by her house in the morning to see if she wanted to come to church with us that she was going to continue going to the church of her parents. She has a lot of fear. But I feel that one day she will overcome that fear and join the church.

Continue the prayers for Ivan. He's had so many answers to his prayers...he's basically a walking miracle from what Hna Jensen has told me... but he's not recognizing them as answers. We really do want him to have all the blessings he can get from baptism.

Oh...so the other day we went to visit a less active recent convert of 6 months. He hasn't been at church because he's been opening his store on Sundays and other things that are going on. We saw him at church yesterday, so that made us really happy!

Hopefully nothing too crazy happens tonight, as everyone gets excited for Independence Day here.

Les Quiero!
Hermana Jones