5-14-2012

Maria's Baptism

My Companion 

 Maria's family with Hermana's

A dead Tarantula

¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡FELIZ DIA DE LA MADRE!!!!!!!!!

Well, it was great talking to a lot of you yesterday on the phone! Also, I hope you had a fabulous birthday this last week Robyne!! :) so glad we share a birthday.  Just a few things to say this week:

AWKWARDS INCOMODOS Y CHISTOSOS

• this last week I heard some hilarious pick up lines, and also had some creepy experiences, haha. 
• (as we´re walking down the street and I am peeling a mandarin and eating it) some kid in a soccer field yells that he wishes he was that mandarin... bahaha, for real??
• (as we`re talking to a weird old man in the street) we ask him about his life and who he lives with and he tells us that he is a widower and lives alone. He then grabs my arm and says ´you wouldn´t want to live with me would you?? :)´ I, being an awkward missionary and not knowing what to say, reply with ´ha ha...... no.. sorry!....´ hahah
• in a lesson, a guy is asking us about how the mission is and if we have kids and families and boyfriends and stuff and we tell him that no we are single in the mission and he starts to say ´well lets suppose for example, you wanted to live with me, could you do that?´ and then he starts to reason and say ´oh but no that would be hard because you travel every six weeks and go to different areas.....´ etc., as if he was really considering it, hahah. I responded with ´oh.... no. in the mission we are single. single single single, like, we don´t have anything to do with that, we are just single and we stay away from guys, and then after the mission we go back to our own countries and get married there´ hahah.
• it´s funny, I remember always talking to Hermana Payne about how in the states we are just normal girls, but here just because we are different we stand out a lot and for some reason people just notice us and say weird creepy things all the time! ohhh Argentina
• this week our investigator Maria had her baptismal interview.  In the interview with Elder Robinson our district leader, he was asking her about the Sabbath Day and what it is, etc.... she goes on explaining ´ well we don´t buy stuff, we go to church, we spend time with the family, we don´t have sexual relations´ hahaha and Elder Robinson went completely red and said ´what?!?  what did you learn that??´ and she went on to explain that her mother-in-law who is a member told her that haha and Elder Robinson was so embarrassed and didn´t know what to say.  He just said ´umm... I think you can.......?´ hahaha. Ohhh poor Maria was so embarrassed but it was SO funny, we were all laughing so hard when she told us after

AWESOMES

• my first baptism here in Formosa! Woooo! Everything went smoothly, and it was so awesome.  He is a member already but was really inactive, and she wasn´t a member.  He cheated on her a few years back and they had some issues but they started fixing things up and the night before her baptism they stayed up all night talking and he told her that he has changed and is going to move forward in this with their family now forever.  She cried to me in the bathroom right before she went in to get baptized, telling me about this.  I am soo so happy for her and her family.  They are going to be strong members forever and I know that this was SUCH a blessing for their family

And now, in honor of Mother´s Day, a nice little tribute to my MOM! :) I can´t thank her enough for everything she has done/does for me.  My mom is the perfect example of a faithful member of the church, a sibling, a daugther, a friend, a wife, and a mother.  She is an example to everyone who meets her and I don´t know anyone who could ever have bad feelings towards her.  She is ALWAYS working hard, doing everything for everyone else.  She is quiet and shy until you get to see her silly dorky side--which is the funniest thing to watch. :) I have countless memories laughing my head off with her, whether she is making up silly skits for church activities, putting on her bike helmet backwards, or dancing in the kitchen with me.  Many adventures such as trips to Hawaii, Mexico, Las Vegas, and of course California and getting lost in Tijuana Mexico.  I love talking to my mom and I can´t keep any secrets from her... I trust her with everything.  She is very respectful and smart, and always open-minded, non-judgmental, and charitable towards everyone.  Of course I miss her excellent cooking and her cinnamon rolls :).  All of my friends love my Mom and love just sitting and talking with her.  A couple of months ago my companion and I were talking about parenting and how we feel like parents should be, and I went on to explain how my parents were so great and how much I respect them for how they raised us in the gospel.  My mom is the perfect example of a pure and virtuous, but not naive woman. (ok ok yes naive in some things but we just like to tease her for that... for example-spooning. hahah, love you mom!!)  I am so grateful to be raised by the mom that I have.  She is my best friend and my best hero and example.  I hope you had a fabulous Mother´s Day mi Madre!! Thank you SO much for everything you are.   LOVE YOU!!!