HI FAMILY!!!!!!!!
So isn't it so crazy that 1 year ago today I left for the
MTC? Actually I would be just about off the plane by now.....weird. I cannot
believe that it has already been a year! So today for the celebration of
being 1 year old, Hermana Noyes and I are going to be going to this cute little
cupcake shop down main street and having a cupcake. haha
And I'm sure you all are wondering how this week has been in
a new area? Just hangin on by your finger tips with anticipation right?
riiiiiiiiiight. well...if i could sum up this week into one verb it would be:
Laughing. Hermana Noyes and I have had an awesome week....full of laughter
as I just keep pulling "stupids" or retry moments as my mom likes to
call them. Hermana Noyes is an awesome person who makes it really easy
to be obedient and love the work. Idk. its like stress free and yet were busy
busy at the same time.
Things I've learned this week:
1. dont try to
pull a U-turn when there are cars behind you. pretty obvious right? well i had
to learn that one the hard way. No worries, no accidents and not even one
honked horn. just i wish i could draw the picture of what i did and put it on
here.....
2. Its
really smart to bring your preach my gospel, scriptures, suit coat and nylons
to district meeting. Actually they re essential. How I didn't have those things I
don't know. Here's the story: So every month our zone here gets together for a
combined district meeting where we make our zone goals for the month on the
things we want to accomplish. and its at the stake center which is about a 20
min drive from our apt to the stake center....So Hermana Noyes and I had a
great morning, studying and working out and we were sure to leave the house on
time so that we wouldn't be late for district meeting. We get all the way down
to Naperville and Hermana Noyes looks down and goes "What?! I forgot my
suit coat! instead I'm wearing this! (striped white and yellow sweater)" so
the conversation goes on and I tell her you know I brought mine, its in the
back I just wont wear it so that we are like unified. She tells me it's OK that
I can and should wear it....So I go to get it, only to realized that I set my
coat on the table to grab the keys and forgot it on the table. at the same time
of remembering that I forgot that I also came to the sudden realization that I
had NOTHING for district meeting. Not my english scriptures not my preach my
gospel---nothing. And right as I was about to say something I hear Hermana
Noyes go "I forgot allllllll my district meeting stuff!" Oh boy,
where were our heads that morning? Idk. Needless to say lots of laughter
followed due to the fact that we both forgot the same things and realized it at
the same time-when we were already at the stake center. But good thing from
this story? yes there is one good thing----at least it shows that we are a
unified companionship.
As for the miracles seen this week:
1. Well on Saturday we had been running around trying to stop by and see some
of these referrals we had received and visiting with some less actives and
other investigators, just a busy day. and We were leaving one appointment and I saw
the mexican ice cream/ elote truck. and I had the biggest craving for elote----(what
is that? well ready for this= corn, butter, mayonnaise and chile. padres get
ready to have some when i get home! ) and I asked hermana noyes if she had ever
had one before she said no and honestly you can't be in the spanish program and
not have had elote. so we went and bought one and it was yummy. talked to man
for a bit and then went off. but in literally every area we were in that day he
was there! Like every different part of town he would just happen to be driving
his little truck around the neighborhood. the last time was right before we
were about the head home and he saw us again and we just all started laughing
at how many times we had seen each other that day. and then he asked us if we
were from a church and one thing led to the next and we have a new
investigator! :) God sure is funny....giving me the craving to have an elote.
2. Importance of talking to everyone you don't know......church on Sunday there was
this younger female and turns out that she had just moved from Guatemala to
take a nanny job here in the states for a year. not a member....her boyfriend
had given her a BoM before she left and she went to church like once over there
and when she came here that's the first thing she did was find where the church
building was and she just showed up. we invited her to come to noche de hogar
that night and she came and then we had a picnic on Monday with the ward for
labor day and she came to that as well and we meet with her tomorrow. I'm
really excited she is wanting to learn more and really likes the bom.
3. We have
2 baptisms on Saturday! Rosa y Andrew, they are 14 and 12 and moved from Mexico
to live with their aunt and uncle and they are truly super cool. their baptism
is gonna be awesome. Hermana Noyes and I will be speaking at it and I'm really
excited.
4. We
have another baptism coming up next week of a man named Carlos and he has one
strong testimony in the church. He's a single father with 3 kids-two of which
will be preparing to be baptized on October.
Ultimately this all sums up to this area is awesome.
I feel like I have already been here for a while and that I just get along with
everyone here in this ward....like I already know them, Idk how to describe it
but its like kind of like the feeling of when you've been gone on a long trip
and then you get back and you see your friends that you haven't seen in a while
and its like things just pick up where they left off when you left...kinda like
that. so I'm so excited to be here. The members here even know how to say my
name....something little to know but every other area besides the city didn't know
how to say it....so estoy feliz
(the mission office, and home are in my area hahaha) and Ive
had the opportunity to serve in 4 out of the 8 hermana areas in the mission.
crazy huh?
Anywhooser I better get this off. gosh I feel like
there is so much more I could tell. but I just want to say this work is
awesome. I love being a missionary. It is hard but it also seriously the best
and most funnest thing ever. This gospel brings more lasting joy than anything
else can or will. and I feel so blessed to be able to be the Lords missionary.
This year, my mission has taught me more about who I am, my relationship with
God, my relationship and the importance of family, and more about marriage than
I EVER imagined I would learn out here on my mission. So any of you that are
questioning whether you should go or not I have 2 words for you: DO IT!!!!!!!
high chances you'll regret not going, but you will NEVER regret going.
Love you all! tengan un buen semana!
paz y amor
Hermanita Maughan
