July 25, 2016

The timing of the Lord is everything. My companion and I were talking about this, actually. We were both wanting to be transferred to a new area because we really don't have many progressing investigators. Actually, we have a total of zero progressing investigators. And it is a little hard to contact because people really aren't out in the streets and we can't knock on doors. The members give us references, which is awesome, but it is also a little hard because it is then difficult to find the references. But, my companion and I were talking and we decided that we are still here because there is someone that we need to find. Or someone that really needs us specifically. But it is hard to trust in this. My biggest weakness here on the mission is contacting. And I hate that I can't contact very well. That I get nervous and mess up my words and I wish so bad that I had the ease of talking to just anyone on the street. Being a missionary is a little hard. Especially for me right now because I kind of feel like I haven't progressed as much as I should have. I only have seven more months and I still can't contact, I am still timid, and I still sometimes feel like I could do more good being home, where I don't have trouble speaking. But I know I am where I need to be, for some reason or another.

This week was good. All the weeks are good. But it was a little hard, trying to be better at contacting and feeling like a failure when it doesn't work out. We had one full day that we didn't work because we traveled to Juarez to buy dress pants. Despite that, we still had a good number of lessons. But we need to work more with the members. And find more investigators. And put more baptismal dates. And with everything that we need to do, sometimes I feel overwhelmed, and I feel like I can't accomplish it. 

Yesterday I had a kind of cool experience. We visited an abuelita that is less active, but not by choice. She can't walk for long distances and so needs a ride to church. And sometimes her daughter doesn't let her go to church. But yesterday she went to church and then we visited her in the afternoon. Usually in the house there is yelling and screaming (she has five grandchildren between the ages of 1 and 12) and three of the four older kids don't really listen to her. So she usually looks a little sad and tired. But yesterday it was just  her and her youngest grandchild. And what a difference we saw in her. We always see a difference when she goes to church and when she doesn't go to church. But yesterday she was laughing and smiling and really looked happy. It was the happiest that I have ever seen her. And that was cool. The church, and the spirit that we feel at church, really does make a difference in our lives.

A sister in our ward went to cosmetology school and fixed our eyebrows.  :)