Milagros!

Please bear with me if this email is really not exciting or doesn't make sense.  I cannot focus at all because tomorrow we have to get flu shots.  And anyone that knows me knows how I feel about shots.  I'll have to let you now next week if I make it without passing out.

Its still cold. I wake up shivering at night sometimes.  I feel like such a wimp!  Its a good adventure.  And it poured rain last night.  So I take back my good news from last week.  But the good news this week is that yesterday I accidentally broke the only mirror we have in our house, so I won't be able to put mascara on anyway!  So it all works out in the end.

Hna E and I are doing good.  We are always making each other laugh.  The other day she said something that was just so funny to me.  She gave me a hug after our companionship prayer at night and I freaked out because she accidentally tickled me.  Then she looked at me super surprised and asked me 'Can gringos be tickled?  I didn't think you guys could be tickled.'  It was so funny!  Of course we're ticklish.  Its funny to hear all these myths and weird ideas people have about the United States.

I feel like this sounds like such a downer email.  But I really am happy!  We have seen so many miracles this weekend! We are finally seeing more and more fruits of our labors. The zone leaders had told us to commit every contact to come to church. So we did and we found some positive people and took down their numbers to remind them of church. Saturday we couldn't find any of our positive investigators who had told us they'd come to church and that was rough. But that night we sent out messages to all our contacts to remind them of church. Sunday we had 6 investigators in church, 4 of which were street contacts from Saturday. We hadn't even taught them before and we didn't pass for them or anything! It was such a miracle. They all had a really good experience and are very pilas. I know we are going to be able to reach our goals this month. Heavenly Father is blessing us for being patient in our trials.

I love you all!
Hna Haymond

p.s.
and also with the funny things people think about Americans...there are beehives (12 year old girls) that leave with us (go visiting) and they are obsessed with my arm hair.  They always tell me that my blonde arm hairs are so cool.  Its just hilarious to me.  I went a whole lesson with one of them touching my little blonde arm hairs.  When you're feeling down just think about blonde arm hairs and that will cheer ya up.

This is the only picture I took this week. A member gave us toe socks for the cold.  My new latest look... cheetah Crocs with toe socks. (don't worry I don't wear them outside.)

Tanner, Fatter, Blonder

Just a warning.  The punctuation marks on this key board are all messed up.  So if I sound bored for using so many periods I'm sorry.  Just pretend like I'm excited.

We've had lots of adventures these last two weeks that I haven't had time to write about. We'll see if I can get it all in today.

Last week we had some funny faith building experiences.  There's a Beehive (12 year old girl)  that loves to leave with us.  She got baptized in August and shes already an awesome missionary.  She reminds me of Sadie.  She's just funny like that.  But last week we were walking and we saw a jocote tree.  Jocotes are fruits that are really good.  I don't really know what to compare it to.  But they're good. So the Beehive girl wanted to get some down to eat.  This tree was huge.  So we started chucking rocks to knock some down but we just couldn't.  I didn't want to waste time and be late for our visit so I told her okay five more minutes.  This is a trial of your faith.  We can get them down.   So we kept throwing rocks as hard as we can and she was getting kinda down because we weren't having any luck.  Then along comes this guy who stops and see what were trying to do.  He picks up a stick and on the first throw he knocked a ton down.  We were shocked. We had been trying so hard.  And the Beehive girl was so happy to get her jocotes.  She just kept saying I had faith I had faith.  It was a funny way to see that when we have faith everything is possible.  Even when other people need to help us.

Now for a segment of good news, bad news.   Good news...IT STOPPED RAINING:  Rainy season is officially over.  Which means I can wear mascara again.  What a blessing.  Bad News.  ITS STILL COLD.  I have to cover my head and use hoodies to sleep like camping.  Last Monday we went to the pacas to find clothes for the cold and I had to explain how to dress in the cold to Hna E.  She pulled something off the rack and said this would be so good to sleep in.  They were a pair of snow pants.  Its been an adventure for the both of us.  Anyway... Good news...We found Samuel the Lamanite and he went to church and hes going to get baptized(!/(¡  Bad news...turns out he lives in the Elders area. So they're going to be teaching him. But the important thing is that he gets baptized.  But that's all for now with good news bad news.

Hey.  Is anyone is still doing the Book of Mormon challenge?  If so let me know.   But its not too late to start.  I think you have to read like 6 pages a day to finish by the time I get home.  Its doable.  That's probably easier to say as a missionary who has an hour to study the scriptures everyday. haha but I know you can do it.  That's probably 20 or 30 minutes every day.  And you'll be blessed for it forever.  

The other day I had to show my ID to some one in the store to buy something.  They just laughed and said That's not you.  They didn't believe it was me until I pulled out like 3 more documents showing that it was me.  Yes, the picture on my id is from when i was 16.  But even when I pulled out a more recent one from 2 years ago the lady was still suspicious.  How many tall white girls are there in this country that I could have stolen an ID from.  It just made me laugh.  Apparently I look nothing like I used to.  Hna E has told me that too when we sees old pictures of me.  I'm thinking I can nail the changes down to three things...I'm tanner, blonder, and fatter.  That about sums it up.

Hna E was never part of the Young Women's program because she got baptized when she had 20 years.  So she started her personal progress on the mission.  Its really fun to help her with all the goals and read scriptures with her.  Shes so excited about it.  I wish I would have made my personal progress a more meaningful experience.  I did it.  And I can remember a few of my projects.  But its just not the same.  Helping her with personal progress is probably better for me than it is for her. haha

This week we realize that people are so eager to believe in the Book of Mormon.  In Spanish there aren't scriptures that come with the bible and the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price all stuck together in a giant book.  We have the bible and the triple separate.  And I always get out my triple and have it on my lap during lessons ready to look up scriptures.  So this week we were in a lesson with a really nice lady who was really passionate about what she believes in in her church.  She was starting to argue with us a little.  She pointed to my triple, clearly thinking it was the Bible, and said all we need to know is in that book.  Every single thing that God wants us to know it right here.  We don't need anything more or anything less just THAT book.   It was so hard not to laugh so we just agreed with her and finished with a prayer.  Afterwards I told Hna E that I have never seen anyone receive such a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon that fast.  It gave us a good laugh.  But later that week it happened again.  We were dying trying not to laugh.  But Hna E just was honest and said Hermano, wow what a miracle.  You have already testified of this book and you didn't even know what it is.  The Spirit made you know its true.!  Ah.  Good ol Libro de Mormon.

Were teaching this cute little sick grandma.  She listened to the Elders before and she has a strong testimony but shes really sick and can't really come to church.  One day when we visited her she was feeling worse than normal, so we explained blessings and that the Priesthood holders have the authority from Christ to heal people.  She quickly accepted to receive a blessing.  So we ended the lesson and went out looking for some sacerdocio.  We ran across the high way to a members house (that's just how you get from point A to point B.  There's no other way to cross.) and within 5 minutes we had 2 priesthood holders at her house to give her a blessing.  The next day she felt good enough to go out walking with her friends.  She has a lot of faith.  It was a good reminder of the power of the priesthood.  That's really the only difference in this church when it come down to it.  This church has the authority of Christ.  It works miracles.  I'm so thankful for it and for the priesthood holders I know back home.  Its really good to know that even in Guatemala a priesthood blessing is only a jay walk across the highway away.

Love you.

Hermana Haymond

some sisters in our zone

So. Cold.

Its been so cold.  Someone please send me what the temperature is because I can't tell if I'm not used to the cold or if it really is cold.  But we're dying.

Ah!  And I'm almost out of time.  But if I don't write a lot today I'll do a recap of this week in the next email.  I won't forget anything I promise!

This week I thought of dad because I split an apple in half with my bare hands..TWICE!  Looks like jogging around the house half asleep for 30 minutes every day is really paying off.

So last month our district had the best retention.  Which means almost all of our recent converts came to church!  But today we get our prize.  We got 200 to spend how ever we wanted.  And we decided (and by we I mean the elders) to buy 2 ducks and have our cook cook them.  But we decided (and by we I mean hna E and I) that we need to use the money more wisely and buy 2 pizzas (since its 2 for 1 martes) and 1 duck.  So right now I'm waiting to go eat pizza and pato for lunch.  What a prize!  I'm actually way pumped.

Things aren't getting easier  but we are still happy!  I'm thankful for my companion and other missionaries that help me stay positive.

Well.  I have to go eat duck.  I'll send something better next week

Love you!!!

Me. Cold this morning. In my bed.  Whats the temp in el tjar chilmaltenange in ferinhit

Theres a less active family that has a lemon tree that has HUGE lemons.
They always give us like 10!

We were trying to take pictures of how wet we were after a really rainy day.
But I was too tall and she was too short.
This is my favorite.  I feel like Mike Wazowski and Sully.

Adventures of Alma and Amulek...Change #3!

First things first.  Yesterday we found out the Hna E and I don't have changes!  This will be my 4th change here and our 3rd change together!  Woo!  We're super pumped and we are so determined to baptize and help the ward.

I've been reading in Alma lately and I've decided that Hna E and I are like Alma and Amulek.  She's a cute little pilas convert and I trained her and now we're ready to go out and work miracles!  Just like Alma and Amulek (mas o menos).

Last Thursday we got up on the wrong side of the bed.  Actually, We woke up LATE!  It was horrible.  I opened my eyes and Hna E had just popped up to tell me 'It's really late!'  It was 6:57!!!  And we have to be out of bed by 6:30.  We always wake up at 5:30 but neither one of us heard the alarm or saw the light come in the window or anything!  It was awful. So we called president and repented really fast and forgave ourselves so we could go on with our day without feeling like losers.  Waking up late is basically one of the worst missionary sins to me.  That morning I opened my eyes and I had already sinned!!!! I hadn't even gotten out of bed and I had messed up!  What a great start to your day.  But it's funny to think about.  I'm pretty sure that only as a missionary you could wake up and already have sinned.  

So the reason Hna E woke up´was because she felt a super sharp pain in her neck.  We joked and said that Heavenly Father punched her in the neck just so we would finally get out of bed.  But the greatest part was...karma.  She made fun of me SO much 2 weeks ago when I couldn't look left because my neck hurt so bad.  And this time she couldn't look right.  She kept saying 'This is all for laughing at you, I just know it.'  She's fine now. But she learned her lesson.  Don't make fun of your trainers!  :)

Things aren't getting easier in the area but we're not losing the faith!  I really feel that we get this one more change together to work lots of miracles!  We have lots of ideas to work better with the members and to get people to church.  We have lots of really positive investigators.  Now is the time!  We just know it!  As a mission we have the goal of 400 baptisms again in November.  And I just know its going to happen!

Thanks for all your prayers!  We sure need them.

Love you!

Hna Haymond

This family is way cool.  the younger ladies in this picture are less active.  but the old grandma is so PILAS!!!  Her whole family got baptized but her and her husband.  Her husband said he was going to kill her if she got baptized.  But she kept going to church.  She told me she was SO HAPPY when he died because she could finally get baptized.  She is so shakey and fragile.  But she is always the first one in church on sundays.  she walks like 40 minutes to get to church and never misses.  so next time you think you should stay home in your jammies and not go to church, think of this little abuelita pilisimas.

So one of the Sisters who does divisions with us got addicted to this candy that comes with these little soccer player figures.  So she started giving them to us with little quotes to motivate us during our studies.  we've made a few more too.  

these ones say... 

i love how you recieve inpriation during your personal study.

 You look good when you make lesson plans.

and....

I will wait for you!!

Chicote quita el Bigote

It was another week with miracles and lots of chances to learn.  Last Wednesday we thought we had 0 candidates for baptism for this month.  But on Thursday we were knocking doors.  It was like 20 minutes before lunch and I wanted to leave to eat.  But I felt like we needed to keep knocking.  We found a girl who has lived in our area for 2 months.  But before she was going to church and listening to Elders in the capital! She has like a million assistances at church!  It was crazy!  It got us so pumped.  Then later that night Hna E contacted this guy on the bus  Who had just moved here from the States.  He also has gone to church forever!  When I called him that night he said 'me quede con ganas de bautizarme.' Which basically means when the Elders stopped coming he felt like getting baptized!  His name is Samuel. We call him Samuel el Lamanita.  By the end of the day we had 2 new candidates to be baptized!  There's still lots of work to do with them.  But it was awesome.

Saturday the stake did a mini MTC with the young men and young women.  They had training Saturday morning.  Then each companionship in the stake received a group of jovenes (umm...the only word that comes to mind to explain that word is youngsters.).  We received 9 girls!!!  We were like holy cow no one is going to want to receive 12 of us.  So we did divisions.  Hna E had 3 of them and I had 6.  It was so crazy!  And so fun!  I felt like all of a sudden I had 6 daughters.  They were so brave and contacted and taught and did awesome.  We didn't teach anything I had planned, but that's okay.  It was fun to see them get to teach. At the end of the day they slept at a members house and couldn't use their cell phones or anything so it was just a real mission experience (kinda.).  How cool is that activity!  They all bore their testimonies in church and want to go one missions.  But I wish someone would have taken a picture of me and 6 little jovencitas trotting through the rain filled streets.  I'm sure it was a great sight.

I'm feeling a lot better.  But Monday Tuesday and Wednesday I pretty much didn't have a voice.  I think it was good because Hna E had to take the initiative.  I feel like I'm leaving with changes next week, so it was good for her to take the lead.

Thanks so much for all the love and support!

Hna Haymond

My group of girls from the mini CCM.

Imagine me all alone with these girls in a line behind me running around Guatemala.

Other cute girls.  They were with hna E.

This is an inactive guy.  He's a member of a really pilas family.  We thought he was older than he was because he had a mustache.  So we told him to shave it off and he did.  If only people would accept other commitments like he got rid of his mustache.

This is a recent converts daughter.  SHE IS SO CUTE!

Look where we went yeterday! woo!

After eating crepes.  I still eat a lot.  I finished the elders crepes.  One time my district leader say 'wow you eat like an Elder.  And work like one too.'  I quickly corrected him and told him I work like a SISTER! way harder than the elders.

We went to colinas again last week.

Sufra con una sonrisa

Okay!  Today I have way more time so I will actually get to write a decent email.

Oh by the way I'm writing on a Monday because we have interviews with president this week and it throws everything off.  I'm sure you're confused about that.

First off...I still need to talk about conference.  Conference was way awesome!  We always get to watch in English.  It is so refreshing to hear the gospel in English.  I love teaching in Spanish.  It just feels so right.  But lets be honest.  Hearing the voices of the apostles and prophets is just awesome. (Everyone in the world should learn English just to hear an Elder Holland talk..whoa.)  But I learned a lot about being a team to help rescue people who have fallen away form the church.  I liked what Elder Holland said about taking care of the poor.  Being here made that talk hit me hard.  I also loved Elder Bednar's  talk.  It helped me remember why I'm here and why missionary work is so important.  Ah.  Conference just feels good.  Now we've just got to apply what we learned and felt.  I love the example of the wise man and the foolish man in 3 Nefi 14.  The only difference between the two is that one did the words that he heard.  They both went to conference.  They probably both took notes.  Maybe neither one of them fell asleep during the Sunday afternoon session.  But the foolish man's house fell because he didn't change!  He didn't apply the things he learned.  Don't build your house on the sand!

We also had stake conference this weekend.  That was way cool too.  I liked a talk by a member of the 70 about how our spiritual growth doesn't end like our physical growth does.  Conferences are awesome.

I slept way weird last week or something because my neck has been killing me!  I can't look to the left to save my life.  Its just kept things interesting because in the lessons I want to look at my companion to listen to her.  Or I'll want to turn to see her walking behind me.  But I can't!  And somehow she ALWAYS ends up on the left side of me.  She's always so kind to point it out to the investigators saying 'Don't worry.  She's not giving me dirty looks.  She just can't look to the left.'  It's given everyone a good laugh.  Hna E always puts herself to the left of me and I'm sure it's not a coincidence.

Things have been hard lately.  But I'm  happy. It's been so hard to help investigators progress.  And I have a cold.  And there have been more rejections.  And people aren't coming to church.  And ah!! It's rough.  But I really am so thankful because we always always see miracles.  Even on our hardest days I can be happy because Heavenly Father always puts someone in our path to build our faith.  I know I need to be here and have these little trials because it's just the best way to learn.  Thanks for all your prayers and love!! 

Love you all!
Hna Haymond

Hawaiian Haystacks

Ah!  I have like no time.  This will not be a quality email.  Sorry.

Yesterday I made Hawaiian Haystacks.  Of course we ate them with tortillas.  So good!

I've learned a lot about how Heavenly Father puts the right people in our path.  We were contacting a bus like normal.  Not usually a super spiritual environment.  But this lady started to cry and really wanted us to visit her.  We found her yesterday and she's going through a lot with her family and her faith.  It's so clear that she's prepared for this message.  I also found a teenage girl that was in my first area.  In my first area there were 2 companionships and she was an investigator of the other sisters.  She came to church every week with her sisters and was going to get baptized when I left.  Turns out she never got baptized, But she now lives in my area with her family.  It is such a miracle because she recognized me and still wants to go to church.  I know Heavely Father loves her so much and that she gets another chance to accept the gospel. How great is the worth of souls in the sight of God!

Love you all!  Thanks for the prayers and sorry for the lame email.

Hna Haymond

The gringa can cook!  Me making haystacks

A plan of salvation puzzle I made yesterday.
Things missionaries do when they're bored on p-day.