Wednesday, April 23, 2014

I survived Semana Santa

I want to make that into a T-shirt for every missionary that has served here.  Semana Santa was a adventure.  Everyone was out of town.  And the people who were in town weren't from here.  But it turned out to be a good week!  Almost every single night there was a procession.  And they decorate the streets with really pretty colorful designs.  Everyone goes and looks at them before the processions late at night.  I should have taken pictures but I didn't. Dang.  There are processions for each part of the Holy Week when Christ was taken to be tried, when he was taken to the tomb, when Mary was looking for Him, and when He raised from the dead.  It was pretty interesting.  They also have a tradition on the Friday of Semana Santa where they make giant dolls (kinda like a scare crows) that are super ugly and scary to represent Judas.  They go around trying to sell the dolls like Judas betrayed Christ.  Then at 6 pm Friday everyone burned their dolls.  The traditions here are so interesting!  Totally different for an Ester Bunny, egg hunt, colorful baskets kind of day.  But two of my converts are so sweet adn are always thinking of me.  They found a little plastic egg and gave it to me.  Inside was a little bracelet that says "Sister Haymond".  Ah! I can't explain how much I love these people.  It was a fun little taste of an American Easter.

So I have a new companion!  She's from Utah and is so awesome.  Fresh out of the CCM!  She is doing great!  Ten minutes into our companionship I made her contact a bus and she id it like its no big deal.  She contacts like crazy and is always diligent.  It's great!  I am learning so much and being pushed to be better and better.  She is learning so fast.  her Spanish gets better every lesson.  It's going to be a great change.

We have suffered a little though.  This weekend we got food poisoning.  We're both fine now but man it was a rough weekend.  For a solid day and a half we were throwing up in the middle of lessons and in members houses and calling the nurse a million times.  Ah, We suffered and smiled through it.  That's just what ya do in the mish.  But it was a good bonding experience.  And a good way for her to get to know the members really fast.  And we didn't even have to throw up at the same time.  Count your blessings : )

The suffering on the mission never goes away.  There's always something going wrong.  But you just get used to it and learn to love it.  It's all for your good.  I really am happy.  I've never lied in my emails saying I'm happy when I'm really not.  You just learn to be super thankful for the crazy things in life.  We are doing super well with our goals and our investigators are doing great.  We'll have lots of baptism pictures next week!  I know that it's all because we've been able to learn form our challenges we had this weekend.

I love Easter. I know that Christ lives.  I love telling people that he Lives and directs this Church.  I know that he atoned for our sins and sorrows and afflictions and sicknesses and weaknesses and everything we could ever feel.  I know that He chose to do it because He loves us.  I  know that He rose from the dead and that we will too.  I love the meaning of Easter because Easter wasn't the end of Christ's life.  It was the beginning of our eternal life.  And I wish everyone could feel the joy that comes from coming unto Christ through repentance and baptism.  I'm so thankful to be his representative.

Hermana Haymond

My hija. She is from Orem Utah.

Say hello to Herman W.  Straight from the CCM!

LOOK WHO'S IN MY DISTRICT!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED I ALMOST CRIED WHEN I FOUND OUT.  I have been companions with every sister in my district. District meeting today was a party!  (Hermana G trained with Alexis and then when they were done training their trainer left them and they were left together as companions.  Alexis loves Hermana G)

Gross bug that flew into our house.
'They make huge and make really loud  wierd noises. Its like its from a movie.