From 1/13/14
Hi friends and family!!! I'm here in Mexico and the keyboards are weird and I don{t have much time. Double whammy. But just know that I am safe and doing well!
After a whirlwind change of plans last week to come to Mexico and so many changes, I am in Cuernavaca. I arrived Thursday night at about 5 or 6 pm. All along the way traveling here, the Lord really really blessed us. Little miracles with every turn. I travelled with two beautiful Hermanas from my Zone at the MTC to Mexico City. Their Spanish is super good so they knew exactly where to go and who to talk to. We ran into the AP elders from my mission who were there to pick me up. We also met the mission president for the Mexico City East Mission. TAMBIEN, I ran into another Sister from my Zone at the airport by an incredible 'coincidence' which really wasn't. It was such a tender mercy to feel welcomed and supported on every hand by people I love so much.
My elders and I took off and met up with President y Hermana Kusch at the airport and we took off to the offices in Cuernavaca. It is about an hour and a half drive from Mexico City to the mission office, but with President Kusch driving, it took like an hour hahaha.
OKay, so first of all, Mexico City is huge and busy and amazing and soo vibrant. There's tons of people, probably about 10 per square foot. haha. Not kidding though it's like the New York City of Mexico on steroids. As we left the city and began driving into Cuernavaca, the temperature dropped and felt AMAZING. We actually drove through a forest to enter Cuernavaca. There are TREES EVERYWHERE. Beautiful trees and flowers and vegetation and life right in the middle of the city. Trees grow through the sidewalks here and break up the walkways with the roots. Oh wow, but really it is gorgeous here in a way that is beautiful to me. I immediately felt comfortable here. It's still foreign to me as far as the people, food and culture, but the Lord has helped me feel at peace.
I am currently serving in Cuernavaca about 15 minutes away from the mission office and mission home. What what!! My companion is Hermana P. She's 19 and one of three in her family. Her older sister served a mission and is now home and married, and her older brother is almost finished with his mission. She's been out for about 4 months now and is fantastic. BUT REALLY. She's super chill and really kind. She has a really special spirit about her and understands the needs of the hearts of the people she serves. I am so grateful to be here with her. What an incredible person she is. She eats a TON too--she's itty bitty but can pack a ton of food haha. She eats what I can't...but that also reminds me that I have yet to struggle to eat the food here.
Saturday I ate my first plate of beans like. a. champ. I prayed really hard beforehand and took a photo to show you all as proof!!!! haha. I really really love it here already I know that I am here for a reason. A few other interesting things:
1) THERE ARE DOGS EVERYWHERE. Every kind you can possibly imagine. Also there are butterflies everywhere. They constantly remind me of mom and dad too. Then I think about the whole family and I love that. A massive white butterfly followed my companion and me yesterday as we walked, then it stopped flying next to a gentleman who was watching soccer in a field. I felt like I should talk to him so we did and gave him a pamphlet with info about our beliefs, and he accepted and was excited about it. That was really neat. When we finished talking, the butterfly reappeared (haha) and went the opposite way from us.
2) There are no traffic laws. There are no such things as pedestrians, it's every man for himself. Crazy.
3) So many less active members. This is definitely a reactivating mission. President Kusch said that if every member of the church in our mission were active, we could have 15 new stakes. STAKES. That's a lot of people. There's a lot of work to do!
4) Hills, everywhere. Legs. dead. Bags=super heavy. Back=dead also. I am trying to be really careful though and take care of myself, healthwise :) I have felt much more energy than I could normally have on my own.
Another AMAZING experience which truly shows that the field is white already to harvest and that the Lord is preparing His children: Friday my compañera and I were walking down a street after visiting a less active member, and a young man approached us. His name is "O" and he is 16 years old.
He called us out as we were walking and said, hey you are missionaries right? Mormons? We started talking to him and he said he wanted to know more about our church. His family is Catholic, but he says he wanted to know more. O said that he doesn't have good friends, they mess around, and drink and smoke and do all kinds of things that he doesn't agree with. He said also that he wants to know others that will be good friends to him.
I tried not to stare with my mouth hanging open at what was happening but I was really shocked that he approached us wanting to know more. We spoke with him and invited him to church and he said he would be there fosho.
Hna P and I prayed for him everyday. Sure enough he showed up to church on Sunday, alone, but really excited to be there. He even brought the pamphlet we gave him about the restoration. He stayed all three hours of church and got to know the young men of the ward. And this week he is going to go to mutual and then to a stake dance for the young men and women.
Before the dance on Friday we are going to teach the first lesson with him and another young man in the ward who just received his mission call. We'll see how everything goes, but I have a really great feeling about O. He is so humble and prepared to hear the word of God.
SO so so many great things have happened this week and I hope you all know that I love you and I'm grateful for you and your letters. I'm so sorry if I don't get a chance to write back but I received them and I love them so thank you!!
I have witnessed this week how much the Lord loves His children and that we are constantly in His watchcare. Always always always. He has a way prepared for each of us to be happy even among our trials.
There's a story in the Book of Mormon where Alma and the Nephites were persecuted for praying and were even threatened with their lives if they continued worshiping aloud. The Lord answered their prayers not by taking away their burdens but by strengthening their backs to carry the load they had been given.
Sometimes it's that way in life. We plead and pray for our circumstances to change, but maybe the point is pray to know what we can learn from our situation and difficulties, temptations, and trials. God knows. He wants what's best for us and will never leave us. Continue to pray to Him always with sincerity and even the smallest particle of faith and He will help you.
Much love Family and Friends. I hope you all have a wonderful week!!
Con amor,
Hermana Fernelius
No comments:
Post a Comment