I feel like this was a really eventful week but I really can't remember many details. I'm hoping I'll think of more as I write. So here it goes...
Sunday was one of our roommates birthdays. It was so fun! We had bought a piñata and candy and cute little girl dress up jewelry. She loved it! I'm sure it's hard to have your birthday on your mission. It was so fun to see her so happy!
It's really hard to tell where I'm at with my Spanish. I can understand some people more than others. I can usually get the gist of what they're saying. Speaking is the same way. Some people stare at me and can clearly not understand me. Some people just pretend to understand me. And some people are like, Wow you've only lived here for a few weeks? Your Spanish is amazing. So who knows. I just know Heavenly Father helps people understand me when He really needs them to.
This week we had an interesting experience. Most of the white people here are interesting. This is kinda like Boulder but in Guatemala. It's weird. But one day we were walking around and I hear this guy yell at us in English asking us what Church we were from. It always throws me off when I hear English. So my companions started talking to him a little. He was a very interesting guy and he explained all his beliefs. And we tried to explain a little of our message. He kept insisting that we were wrong. He said that he had done his research and that Joseph Smith did not fit into his "truth box". He looked at me and was like "I can tell she really wants to say something. Your parents must really think this is true." I started crying and he said he felt bad for making me sad. I just looked at him and told him I wasn't crying because I was sad. I was crying because I knew our message was true. I told him that I was so happy he had such strong faith in Christ, but this is the truth. I told him that I prayed to know Joseph Smith was a prophet and I received a very clear answer from God that I cannot deny. He still insisted we were wrong. I didn't expect him to change his mind right in that moment, but I know he will never forget what I said. I just wish so bad he could taste for a moment how happy this message could make him. The things he believes are so good and so close to the truth. But the few things he couldn't accept are where some really awesome blessings are found. It broke my heart to walk away from him knowing he didn't want to know the truth.
General Conference was so awesome! We got to watch it in English! It was kinda funny because most the time the only place we could watch it in English was the tiny clerks office. But it was fun! We bought some snacks and it was a really awesome weekend. I learned so much! Maybe it's just because I'm here on my mission, but I felt like there were a lot of good thoughts about missionary work. It really makes me wish that I had been better at sharing the Gospel back home. You'd be surprised at how many people are prepared to hear this message and how much people can change! There are some really awesome scriptures about how our testimonies are prepared to share with others. So share your testimonies! It's not as hard as you think. The second you get scared just imagine trying to yell your testimony to a bus in Spanish. See! Missionary work is easy when you're not a missionary!
General Conference was great for every one, including our investigators. We have a couple who is waiting to get married this month and will get baptized the day after. The wife has a strong testimony and is trying so hard to do what is right and get baptized. We went to their house Saturday night and something was wrong. We pulled her aside and she said she didn't know if she should get married or not. They have 5 kids and she wants them to have a father but they just weren't getting along. So we promised her that she'd get an answer in conference. Sunday night we went back and had family home evening with them and asked how they felt about their wedding and baptism. She said conference helped her know that Satan is attacking her family and she wants to return to Heavenly Father with her kids and married to her husband. It was so powerful and awesome to see her finally know what to do. We asked him what he thought and he said that when he heard President Monson talk about how much he loves his wife, he knew marriage was the right thing. It doesn't sound like a cool experience in this email but it really was amazing. It was cool to feel how strong their testimonies were and how strongly they desired to do what's right. Families are so important and I'm glad they realize that. We're so excited for them! Their family is beautiful!
I feel like this email wasn't as exciting as usual. I wish so bad I could put all this into words. But I really can't even come close to describing anything. This is so amazing. I'm always learning. I'm always happy. You can't not be happy when you get to share this message for hours every day.
Thanks for everything!