Misionando!

the hermanas de las montanas!

HOLA HOLA!   Another week of miracles here in San Marcos! 

First off, to explain the title, we were teaching someone this week and I asked her, why do you think we are here right now?  What do you think we are doing as missionaries?  And she answered: misionando? ha!  People here make up words all the time.  I've heard, evangelizando, predincando (which is actually a word) but my favorite is misionando!  That literally means missionary-ing.  So yeah I'm just doing my thing missionarying here.  And I'm loving it!

Me in front of the namesake for our ward, the Palacio Maya :) It's so cool!

So this week was incredible, calm after the storm they say?  We were just flooded with blessings this week!  This week we had a few area attacks, where you all go to an area and contact to help the other missionaries, and we didn't really want to go, but we did and the Lord blessed us!  On Tuesday we met this sweet girl who is going on her mission to Costa Rica in April!  She isn't working or studying so she was like hey can I go to citas with you everyday?  Um, heck yeah you can!  It has been so fun teaching her!  She is incredible!  We told her when we were going to our first cita that she would be doing all the baptismal challenges, which is exactly what our mom told us- hard love right?- and she was incredible! Challenging everyone to baptism!  Best part, her name is ERICKA!  Basically she is my soul sister! Cutest girl ever!  She will be an incredible missionary!

Speaking of teaching things, I'm teaching my companion English.  It's a riot.  She is awesome but sometimes we have some hilarious word switching going on.  Like when I taught her head lights and she can only say head lice?  Ha, I adore her!  The same with some expressions.  I taught her a few, like "are you kidding me?" and "you're killing me!"  But she has combined them together into, "are you killing me??" HA!!  I'm trying to explain the difference but eh... it not working.  One thing we do have down is "lets cross!"  That's for every time we cross the street!  She's cute.  Have I mentioned that I love my companion yet?? I LOVE MY COMPANION!!!!!!!

Other thing I taught this week: cinnamon rolls!  Yeah!  My comp was sick so I was with  hermana Betancourth and we taught all the ladies in Sociedad de Socorro how to make my fave thing ever!  It was so fun!  We have some professional bread makers in that group too, so they insisted on kneading the masa for like 30 minutes!  Hilarious!  These women are tough and so strong!  I was like what in the world, this is kneading! more like murdering!  But it was so good!

It was awesome because we had an investigator there so to use all the time we watched the movie the Testaments while the masa was rising.  It was incredible!  Our investigator felt the spirit so strongly!  Then after everyone left we had a mini lesson with her and it was just incredible!  I love finding people that are so prepared!

So Hermana Betancourth and Hermana Morris (my mom!) came to visit us for 4 days this week!  They are the hermana lideres in the mission so they come and do divisions with us!  It was so fun!  We really learned a lot about challenging people to baptsim and being more effective in our lessons.  Basically now we challenge every body to baptism when we contact them and challenge them with a  a baptismal date before we leave!  It's nuts!  But it helps us find those who are truly prepared!

Our mom, Hermana Morris

the six of us this week.  We love it when the hermana lideres come to visit!

We went to help out the elders this week with an investigator to help her have more confidence or trust in the missionaries.  We went and taught her how to make these french toast sandwiches that we learned how to make on Monday!  So fun!  But I wasn't expecting to be cooking over a fire.  So that was new.  And I definitely know the the Lord blesses his missionaries because that place was anything but sanitary, cats were being born under the stove!  But I survived and now she's getting baptized!  Yay for working together in the ward!   We went to their area and its this place called Piedra Grande, or big rock.  It's way the monkey up the mountain, my calves can testify to that!  Such a hike!  We now know why its called piedra grande!  There are HUGE rocks everywhere!  They are from a volcano that exploded forever ago and it threw big boulders everywhere.  It was so beauitful!  We could see all of San Marcos.  Such a beautiful place. I live in the most beautiful place in the world!

Today we went to a Quetzal reservation and it's where the national bird of Guatemala , the Quetzal, can live in peace. :)  It was kinda the coolest thing ever because people told me when I got to the mission that I would never see one because they're all in the north but HA!  I saw one! It's so beautiful!  

(editor's note: she said she sent a picture of the bird but it was a duplicate of a picture of her and her companion.  Hopefully we'll get it next week.)

There were waterfalls and bridges and beautiful views and pure water to drink!  Then the hermanas and I went to a fancy restaurant in a hotel because we are sick of janky street food!  I love good food.  That will never change! :)

Drinking water from a stream. Pray I don't die!  No, they say it's pure.  Let's hope at least!

Waterfall!

yummmmmmmy

I have been reading from the Book of Mormon a lot lately.  Every time I need comfort or am having a hard time I just open that book.  I've got a pocket sized one in English, and I just start to read.  It always brings me such comfort.  Last night I read 3 nefi 18:21.  It's exactly what I needed!  The other day, 2 nefi 31:10.  I just love this!  If people really want to follow Jesus Christ, like everyone and their mom says here, they need to follow the commandments!  So I just thought, hey all you people here,  I'm not making this up!  You have to be obedient! 

Fast Sundays in any ward are beautiful, but I think yesterday was one of my favorite fast Sundays ever. The highlight was when a 3 year old girl went up and said, "I love Jesus because I can get married in the temple and have eternal life!"  Amen to that sister! :)

Really I have been incredibly blessed this week. The members have really stepped it up.  We had more lessons that I have ever had with members before!  We had quadruple the amount of lessons with members than without!  I'd like to call that hastening the work of salvation.  I've just felt so happy lately.  Something my district leader said really explains it well, something like, "Keep walking on sunshine Hermana Moore."  Gladly. :)

I recieved an amazing package from home this week! THANK YOU! I NEEDED those tights so badly!  Now I'm not gonna die!  The scarves are beautiful!  A cold front has moved in and I'm basically dying, but less so with the amazing scarves and tights and sweaters, thank you mommy!  It smelled like the house, (baggy moment!).

My lucky penny!  I found a centavo in the street! First time I've ever seen one, they don't make them anymore because they'e worth nothing.  But I was so happy. Lucky!

Oh and I would just like to take a moment to freak the heck out that 

MY BROTHER IS ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I couldn't be happier for him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Oh my gosh!  Tim and Katie,  I'm so pumped for your wedding!  You'll be able to feel my excitement from Guatemala! :) Such a cute couple! 

Love you two! :)

Alright.  Well I'd better go!  But I love you all!  Choose to be happy this week!  No matter what situation we are in, it's up to us to decide how we react!  Choose HAPPINESS! :)

love love love,

hermana moore