This is a bug bite that swelled a TON!
This week has been a very interesting one! There were many good times and many times that were unexpected and at times difficult. But like always, the mission is incredible and there is no possible way for me to describe everything that has been going on.
I´ll start off with one of the funnier moments from this week. As I´ve said before, the people here speak very lazy Spanish and many times it makes absolutely no sense. When I talk to the Latin missionaries I understand with absolutely no problem but when I try and talk to a Dominican I can´t understand a thing they are saying. We were in a lesson this week with our investigator Leslie. In the middle of the lesson my companion asked him if he was´casado´. I was confused why she was asking him if he was tired. I though ´how rude´! Then I was really lost when they started talknig about this country and papers, etc. After the lesson she told me he couldn´t be baptized because he is not casado. Again I thought, why does it matter if he´s tired (sorry can´t find the question mark on this computer). It wasn´t until later when we were filling out the area book that I finally understood that she had said casado and not cansado. He´s not married! He´s living with a woman and they have a kid but they aren´t married and he is an illegal immigrant so he can´t get married and therefore can´t be baptized. It was definitely a funny mistake. I realize that even thought the Spanish is so crazy here and it´s really hard right now, I´ll be better off in the long run because if you can understand a Dominican, you can understand ANYONE!
Hermana Stuber moved in with us last week and that definitely changed the dynamic of our house. Her stove exploded the first day on the mission and I could tell she was a little traumatized from that. She came to live with us because she wanted to leave and go home and they thought having me there (her old companion) would help. I was very grateful for my training at Sunrise (like always) because I spent most of the week counseling her and trying to help her work through everything that has been going on in her head. Nevertheless we still went to visit President Douglas many times the past week. It was a good opportunity to get to know my mission President and his wife. They are amazing! Hermana Douglas is the founder of a charity in India that helps people with leprosy receive medical treatment and enter into society. She has started a school there, a business program, international dance troupe, and many other things I don´t even know. It is fun to hear her talk about all the people that she knows and the places she has spoken. She has won emmy´s for documentaries about her and her charity and has been listed as one of the top 10 most successful women in the world. She knows Mother Theresa for pete´s sake! It has been really fun to sit down and talk to her as we waited for Hermana Stuber to talk to President. She is such a humble woman and I have loved seeing the power a latter day saint mother can have. Even with 10 kids, she has been able to make such a difference in the world and it inspires me to be able to do the same.
Well, long story short, Hermana Stuber decided to return home today and is probably back in the states as I type this. That means that I am now the only American in our house with 3 Dominicans that don´t speak English. But I know that I will learn to speak and understand even more quickly now, and I´m always grateful to know that Heavenly Father listens to every languageI think it will be good for her to go back and prepare a little more so that she can be more ready to come back out next time. I was grateful for the opportunity to try and help her be converted to the mission this week and learned a lot in the process. I know the Lord called us here for a very special reason. We need to trust Him that everything will be okay. If we´re always focused on bad, that´s all we will see, feel, and be. This life is about learning how to accept God´s will and plan for us. We need to trust that He knows what He is doing and knows what is best and what will help you the most. Without our faith or without our total heart and mind, He cannot change us or bless us like He plans. I have full confidence in my Heavenly Father and I know that is why everything is going so well for me and why we are having success. Faith is the key.
It also says in my patriarchal blessing that I will be a peacemaker to those around me. This week I realized that that doesn´t only mean that I break up arguments or try and dissolve tension. After this week I realized that maybe it´s that I can help others feel the spirit and find peace in their life. I really like that blessing...and that´s really all I want to do with my life. Help others find peace.
Lets see...what else...I gave a talk on Sunday...in Spanish. It went pretty well though and the ward members are so nice to me. We also had 3 of our investigators come to church which was really exciting. We are teaching a 12 year old girl Niyeli and I absolutely love her spirit! She is always so excited to see us and it was fun to see her interact with the other girls at church. We really are doing a great work here. Last week was nice and busy and we were able to teach 29 lessons! When I called in the numbers our district leader asked me 3 times if I was sure that was how many we had taught. At first I was concerned because I thought we had done poorly but then he told me that a number like that in one week is almost unheard of. I´m grateful that we have so many people to teach and that many are open to listening to a message about Christ.
There is so much more that I could share but the time is short as always! I love you all and am grateful for your prayers and your support. I know that the Lord loves us and is looking out for us. I also encourage you guys to pray for missionary moments in your own lives and get to know the missionaries in your area. They definitely need your help finding people and teaching people about this wonderful gospel. Share your blessings and your testimonies with others! This gospel is true, Jesus Christ is our Savior, and I am grateful to be worthy to be called His representative.
Much love,
Hermana Ewell
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