Ask. Seek. Knock. Invite.

Lunch with the Zone

Cutting in preparation for the festivities (see letter)

Carolina Polio and her sweet baby.

Making fiambre. Not my favorite dish



Eating fiambre.

Our sweet ward member that feeds us every Fast Sunday.

Breaking our fast with the other ward's missionaries

Mis chicas



"My life is like a pair of shoes- to be worn out in the service of God" - Pres. Kimball

Tecun Uman. He is like the Mayan warrior that saved Xela back in the day.
I like to think that he is Teancum.

Family.

Wow. This week was nuts. November 1st here is el dia de los muertos. Everyone makes tons and tons and tons of food and goes and eats it at the cemetary and flies kites and visits their deceased folk. It is great. But so crazy. There were horses and carriages in the streets and everyone is busy all day every day cutting vegetables and preparing food. So we basically just did a lot of service this week and cut so many vegetables. But it was great! The traditional food is called fiambre. Eh. It is horrible. Basically it is a plate of every kind of meat, cheese, and vegetable that you can find in the whole world- drenched in vinegar and served cold. I seriously thought I was going to throw up the whole time because it is SO much food and tastes like you just shoved a bunch of stuff in your mouth that doesn`t have a flavor and just keep chewing and chewing and chewing. But we were so grateful for it because the hermana that gave it to us in an investigator and it is really expensive to make so we just kept eating to make her feel happy. And after they gave us chunks of cooked pumpkin with cinnamon and honey and yams. Mmmm... oh man, I cannot wait for Grandma`s Thanksgiving dinner. They even told me that if I wanted I could take some and freeze it and take it on the flight with me so that you guys could try it... hahahaha they want to share all that they have.

Speaking of sharing all that we have... don`t laugh at me for having all the same clothes in every single picture. It just breaks my heart to see people without clothes and things so I just give them things when I can because I won`t be taking it home anyway... this week while I was in divisions we carried firewood from the yard into a house for about 1 hour and now I have giant scratches on my arms. I love them. They remind me of these precious people. Also while in divisions, the hermana took me to meet some inactive people to try to commit them to coming to church this week. We went and read where they were reading in the Book of Mormon and it just so happened to be one of those not so plain and precious Isaiah chapters in 2 Nephi. I love Isaiah, but sometimes it is hard to explain. My comp started reading and the members just looked at us puzzled and I didn`t understand a lot of the super big words in spanish either... then she looked at me and said ¨Hermana McGill is going to explain this part.¨ ha! I have never prayed so earnestly in my life for the gift of interpretation of tongues. But it was amazing. All the sudden the spirit filled the room and I had so many ideas come to my mind and explained it so simply. They loved it and got so into the Book of Mormon and we kept reading for an hour. They all committed to going to church at the end. It was so great. I love that God answers prayers, and that even when I don`t understand, the Spirit can open up my mind and mouth to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to help his children understand.

La familia Cayax was sealed on Friday and it was so amazing. We didn`t get to go to the temple but they told us all about it and it was such a special experience. It was especially cool for them to feel that connection with their son that died years ago. They said they felt the influence of the sealing power and that it changed their entire mindset and perspective on life. The dad even started saying ¨te amo¨ to his wife after years of not saying it. She cried telling us about how her marriage has changed. I love converts. They are on fire with missionary work now and motivating everyone else to go to the temple. They are really into helping Jenifer as well. She is awesome and still progressing and really praying to know. But once again, her family is so so so hard. They all smoke and drink and do crazy things and she is the only one that wants to listen. But she listens and the spirit will therefore speak to her. She is doing so well.

I love a part in Preach My Gospel, chapter 4, that I found this week:

God loves you and all His children. He is anxious to support you in your practical and specific challenges. You have been promised inspiration to know what to do and have been given the power to do it (see D&C 43:15–16). He will help you as you try to recognize and understand the Spirit through diligent scripture study. He will guide you to people who will receive the message of the Restoration. He will give you power to deliver the message and to testify of Christ and His gospel. He will shower His blessings upon you through the gift of the Holy Ghost. He asks that you remain worthy of this gift and that you ask, seek, and knock (see D&C 4:7; Matthew 7:7–8).

 

That is so true. This week I was looking for the phone number of someone named ¨Dinora¨ in my past agendas from this area. I kept looking and looking and could not find it. But I kept seeing the name and phone number of someone named ¨Didiana¨. I could not remember who she was but I felt impressed to just call the phone number. So I did. A girl answered and I just said that we were the missionaries and before I finished she was all happy and talking to me. She passed me to her mom who then asked when we were going to visit them... I was still so confused and had no idea who I was talking to. She said ¨I am going to pass you to my husband and he can explain where we live.¨ Okay... I was praying so hard to remember. He answered and said ¨Hermana McGill! So good to hear from you again...¨ and just from his voice I realized who it was! 

They are a family that came to church months ago because they had remembered the invitation of a friend and wanted to get closer to God again. They came that sunday and after Relief Society, the spirit was so strong and I invited the mom to be baptized right there in the hall. She started crying and said yes, that that was why they had returned to church. Then we found out that they didn`t live in our area and so we passed the reference to the elders. I hadn`t heard anything since then... but we talked to the elders of the other area, and then put a cita with la familia Vasquez and it was amazing. Last night we went there with our ward mission leader, taught the Restoration with that same incredible spirit and power, and challenged them to be baptized. They all said yes. They didn`t really want to accept a specific day, so we are still working on that, but they were so happy. They said that it would be hard to go to church for the full 3 hours because of work. We promised them that if they would put their trust in God, instead of in their work,and come to church for the 3 hours that God would bless them according to their needs and that they would have enough. They looked at each other, and said yes. They would do it. And then our ward mission leader invited them over for a lunch after church. Oh man. It was so great. The spirit was so strong and I know that he led us to them for a reason. Just pray pray pray that they can keep going strong and accept a fecha fija (specific date?) for their baptism.

Alma 13:24 For behold, angels are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory.

 

We are working hard to lift the faith of the zone that people are prepared in their areas to receive the gospel and to be baptized. We are working hard. I love this gospel. It is happiness. I love searching for the souls that long to feel peace and joy and unity in their families. What a wonderful time it is on earth. We are so blessed, and so ready to work this week. I love my family and I love my Savior.

All my love, Hermana Jane