We Brought the Primary

Hola to all!

This week was nice and full of things! I am now very tired from it all, but it was great! It started with Monday. We had two lessons (which could have been better, but it was still pretty decent). But right before we were able to go into the house of one of our appointments a creepy man came and started to talk to us (mostly me). I felt very unsure of what to do, so I just pretended like I didn't speak Spanish (sometimes being very white comes in handy). And I just kept trying to not do anything, but it's hard and finally the people opened the door and we were free from the creepy (and I think drunk) man! I'm safe, so no worries my friends (or family).

Tuesday we had splits and to be honest they were super great!!! I was with Hna. Aldas from Ecuador. She is super nice and a really great missionary. And she's new as a sister training leader. I was the first split she had as Sister Training Leader. I actually had things to do all day (we had 6 lessons, found new people, and I was happy all day)! So that was really good! The sad result of this split was that I got a bit sick (just with a cold though). It's not really from splits, it's just the day I was lucky enough to get sick. Everyone here thinks they are a doctor though and I'm beginning to go insane from that. Also everyone tells me that I need to call the doctor. But it's just a cold. I'm not dying or anything. Geez!

Wednesday we had another zone meeting. I'm not sure when the next one will be because we have had a weird month as far as meetings go. But it was good. We discussed the conference from last week and all that fun stuff. Ever since the day of splits we have had a lot of great work. We've been doing better with contacts, invitations, and everything. We had a lot of lessons too!

And yesterday we had 5 people come to church (four of which were children). We went to pick up all the children for church and everyone looked at us a little weird, but it's all good. We just brought the primary. It felt so odd walking with all of us.

There's my week for you!

Hna. Humphrey

Eating peppers

Big rain with splash

:)

Hola everyone! I'm still  here out in the land of tortilla. We're doing so awesome! This week we've really seen improvement and progress. We've had more members coming to church. We had some solid lessons and a fairly full schedule. Everything is really great!! It's nice to be with one companion for extended time because the members get to know both very well and everything ends up being great! So that has been nice this week. It's been ever since the first day of this new transfer. I'm hoping that the whole 6 weeks will go this well!

We had a conference on Wednesday that was really great. Elder Johnson (I think of the area 70) came to speak to us and he had some great things to say. He raised our excitement for the work and it was a great conference. It was fairly long though (five hours in the church for it - four of which were the actual conference). It was nice to be all together (two zones). And I saw the trainer of two Hermanas from my MTC district and also and Elder from my district. So that was pretty cool. There's actually quite a few American Hermanas in this mission now. It's pretty fun! 

This week I actually ate something spicy. It wasn't ridiculously spicy, but enough to loosen my tounge so I can speak Spanish. :) Pretty much that is my week. A good solid week. Every day is super if you make it super! Just remember that! And I'm just going to keep on pushing on and working because that's how we can help others come unto Christ! 

Have a great week everyone!!!

Hermana Humphrey

Hola World!

So this week was lovely. I had a birthday which is always good news. I'm no longer a teenager. Now I'm like a real adult.. My birthday wasn't very birthday-y though. It felt like another day of missionary work, but it was a great day of missionary work though. We had 5 lessons and they were quite great ones too I might add. I haven't had ice cream yet, so my birthday isn't quite complete and may not be until I return, but that's all good. It'll be the best ice cream when I get back after such a long time!

Today is transfer day (and we've known that actually for a while), so all week my companion told me (and everyone else) what she felt was going to happen. One day it was that I would be transferred. Another day was that she would be. One day she said that we wouldn't change. And another was that both would go. So all the options were what she felt at some point. I was starting to go crazy though and I just feel like it's best to wait until we're told the results of the transfers. And the result is.... no transfers!!! All the companionships in my zone are being changed supposedly except mine and the zone leaders. Kind of odd, but I'm ready to hit the streets and keep on working!!

One lesson was really great. We're teaching this little 12 year old and her grandparents. The grandparents are not really super interested, but the 12 year old is super excited about this all. When we came she brought out her Book of Mormon and a paper. Then she read us what she wrote about her reading! It was like a book report - so cute!

Saturday was mother's day. A very difficult day for work. No one is home or on the streets on this day and it's certainly a challenge to fulfill the work I'm here to do, but we did have one lesson and a grand old time, so that's what counts!

All in all that's the general gist of the week. I hope you all had a lovely week and that your next week is super too!

Hermana Humphrey

Birthday hermanas

Enjoying the birthday cake

The zone (changed today)

Great cooks

Hermanas

Week of Birthday!

Hooray for rain!!

This week was lovely. We got to do service! We helped paint at an investigator's house. So that was pretty neat. Also I met an English speaker. Well I met him a while ago, but this time when we were with this family (a less active family), he said something like "so how's your Spanish?" in nearly perfect English - like he's from the U.S. even though he's not. And then yesterday we saw him and his family again and as we passed by he said "guten tag" so I responded and spoke a bit of German to him. It was pretty cool that we both know some German and Spanish and English. I think he was a little surprised.

Wednesday we had a zone meeting. It was really a great one too. My companion and I had to go up and do a practice start of a lesson with an inactive member (about half of us had to do it). When we did it, it actually went well too! So that was pretty nice. :)

We have a family who we are teaching. They are really great and the granddaughter is just so excited to learn and is great at remembering what we teach and all that great stuff! Also another investigator really is excited about all we are teaching and when we come, her girls are always so excited to see us. The problem is that they are sick and that she can't read, so I'm really learning a lot about how to teach to her needs. It can be hard to know what and how to teach, but the Gospel is perfect and can help everyone, so we are dedicated to helping her improve! I just love being out here teaching and helping others! It is so worth it!!

Also, yesterday we did a little celebration thing with a family that we really love. We celebrated the birthday of both my companion and me (her birthday was yesterday). So we (they) sang the strange birthday song and then pushed my face in the cake. It was quite an exciting experience! 

And this week it has finally started to really rain!! We've had two wonderfully rainy days and I'm so stoked for more to come!

Hermana Humphrey

Happy Birthday Hermanas!

See the iguana hiding in the grass? They run wild everywhere.

The mouse caught in the apartment

Some rainy hermanas

This is real rain!

It's probably easier to walk.

Hola!

This week hasn't been super eventful, but it was a good week. I'm sorry my last two times writing I wasn't as cheery and exciting as I would have liked to have been. I am doing great though, so don't you worry! I've had a little bit of a cold all week, but now it's almost gone! YAY for that!

We have had the pleasure of keeping a mouse (I previously thought it was a rat, but it's not that gross) in and out of our house. It's been found many times over the past few weeks (maybe 4 times). But Wednesday we finally caught it. We had a sticky trap that it ended up in. Taking care of it was quite a challenge for us because we didn't want to kill it or touch it and we really didn't want it to stay in our house. So we swept the trap into a grocery bag and tied it. It was quite a process for us, too. We did have another one appear on Friday. We just find them everywhere. Aren't we lucky? So that was our exciting animal adventure of the week. (We all know there has to be at least one a week).

On Saturday, we had hamburguesas (hamburgers, but possibly better) with a family. We each ate two. Then that night we had a different member offer us one too. So that was fun. We always seem to have the same food multiple times in a week and then not again for a while. Also I ate a real coconut (one from a place where they actually grow, not Utah). It was slightly better than the others I've tried, but still not my favorite. 

Yesterday we had a rainy hour or so. Within about half an hour or 45 minutes of starting we had a river outside the house where we were. Probably about a foot or two deep of water. It was crazy. I'm excited for the rain to really start! We didn't have much time walking in it, so I'm ready to experience the RAIN.

I've learned that it is important to just make the decision to be happy. It doesn't matter what other people feel like or their attitude, we can be the one to make the decision to be happy and it is always better. Just smile and be happy! 

That's about it. :)


Hermana Humphrey

What a week!

This week was Easter.. But did it seem like it? Definitely no. :( but it's okay. It was still a good week. 

Monday and Tuesday were fairly regular working days. This week was a bit more difficult than a lot of other weeks because we had everyone gone for the week (Semana Santa - Easter week). People being gone is about the only change from normal life that I had here as a missionary, but it's all good! We did still work and do good things though, so that is what counts. And this week our investigators will be back so we can teach them all again/more!! Yay!! 

Wednesday I was just super happy and in the best mood ever. I had no reason for it, it was just a good day! 

Then.. we had Thursday. We did our regular weekly planning and as we were about to finish we had a ring of our doorbell. It was the sister training leaders there because we were going on splits. It was really weird because we had no idea that they were planning on that day. And what's more? I was supposed to direct our area. They couldn't have chosen a worse day for that. Why? Because that was the day that we had no solid plans and the previous two days we visited pretty much everyone we had possible that wasn't gone for the week. So our plan was to visit old investigators. I don't know the area that well. So I kind of freaked out. It stressed me out and they thought the reason why I was stressed was because of the language, so they talked to me and tried to comfort me and all, but I was just stressing out more. It ended up being okay enough. I found my way to the places we needed to go. We contacted a lot of people (well, my companion for the day - Hna. Martinez - contacted and I spoke a few words). That day it rained a super lot which would have been super awesome if I wasn't in a house having a lesson during the best part of it, but when the lightning and thunder tried to attack, we were inside which was kind of nice. I'm not sure how close it was, but it sounded very dangerous. Anyway, I survived our splits and even learned new things. 

Then the next day I was sick :( which wasn't the most fun, but we still had four lessons that day, so it's okay. A few times this weekend we saw one of the families we are teaching and I just love them. the 7 and 4 year olds can even pronounce my last name (hardly any of the adults even can)!! They are just the cutest and so sweet. I learn a lot from them because they have hardly any money, but still are just so happy and live great sweet lives. Being here is such a great experience and I'm learning a lot every day!

Mexico is so great and the people here are wonderful. I feel like I have family not only at home, but the members and even some of the nonmembers here are family too!! It's wonderful!! I love it and each day is a new experience!! Have a solid happy week! And I hope you all had a happy (spring - I mention this because it totally doesn't feel like spring to me here) Easter!

Long Week in the Land of Tortilla

Hola familia! 

I'm still here hanging out in Mexico (the land of tortilla). This week was a bit of a longer week than the last few because I was thinking more about home than usual and also because we had a lot less success with people. No one wants to have appointments with the missionaries. :( But we are working hard all the time to see what we can do and hopefully in time (preferably minimal) we will be able to find the people who are really ready right now and want to hear our special message. They don't know what they're missing!

Anyway.. I forgot my special paper that I write on each day. It's like my mini journal about a line long for each day so I remember at the end of the week when I finally write in my journal and here. But I do remember that on Friday, the family that we ate with had a lime tree. So I had the pleasure of picking limes for the first time. That wasn't too exciting, but I now can say I've done it. It's just a pokey tree that tries to hurt you then blesses us with tasty food. I also helped with making some of the food, but I felt weird because I had no idea what she wanted me to do and because making food here is different. It's just weird - like washing the fruit with the Mexico water and soap. And just all the things.

We met together on Tuesday with my zone and the other one near us to watch the recording of the Mexico MTC dedication. That was pretty nice - to see other American girls who are just so great! (I see two others briefly each week, but this week I saw five or so and talked with them).

Monday after all of our P-day activities (tasks) we were headed to our lesson about 15 minutes (walking) away. And it was starting to rain. By the time we got there we were looking for a place to cross the street with less than an inch of water in the streets so we wouldn't fill our shoes. It wasn't easy to find either. When it rains, it rains!! And I love it! I truly don't remember much from this week. It was just long and I'm just hanging in there with the heat. Maybe soon we'll have more rain like we did Monday! Have a happy week and be good! 

Hermana Humphrey