We're already three weeks into my mission in the field and three months total! Crazy. This week has been super... interesting!
Monday was p-day- that was nice! We go to walmart every week and get what we need, so it's good that we can actually go get what we need. Although, is it weird that I feel like people look at me like i'm a polygamist in public sometimes? The only difference between me and other people is that I have a name tag!
Tuesday we had district meeting, those are fun because we learn a lot, feel the spirit, and we go out to lunch after with everyone and our meals usually get paid for by the members! Bonus! There are a lot of people that come in the VC wondering whether or not they should go on a mission, it's really fun talking to them and hopefully leaving them with good feelings about going.
Wednesday
Weird day! We had a part member family to teach so we decided to bring them to the VC and show them around. We went through "Gods plan for His Family" and I was feeling the spirit really strong- even though the movie was in spanish so i didn't understand all of it. But at the end I went to go talk and one of the little boys (3ish years old) went up to the mom and started... well.. breast feeding!! The boy just walked right up to the mom, pulls down her shirt.. and goes at it!!! Spirit? Gone.. It took everything I had to keep my composer. She let the little boy do that all night. Different culture in the Mexican world, that's for sure. We also had a lesson with our excommunicated investigator that the bishop asked us to teach. Apparently he's in denial that he's not a member of the church anymore.. awkward.
Thursday
Workin hard on spanish! I love when it pays off. I had a couple people tell me that i've improved! It feels good when I can actually express myself. Sister Fors tells me that my spanish is SIGNIFICANTLY better in lessons. That's a testimony to me that it's not me who's talking :)
Friday
For service we went to go pull weeds for the bishop and the bishpos wife said that the bishop already did it so she wanted us to dye her hair for her! or as she put it, "paint her hair" It was pretty fun. After we gave her 1/4 WOLF a bath. It was scary. I thought "titan" was going to eat me for sure. I see miracles every day at the VC! People call in all the time searching for things and it's so rewarding to be able to give them hope and something to work towards being happy again!
Saturday
We helped a neighbor move in. We try and take any service we get because it doesn't come around very often when we have a lot of investigators. We also helped clean the church too! I had the craziest time in the VC so far!!! Ah.. So FIRST we had a guy come in that we thought was drunk so we called security and apparently he had been in there for like 6 hours and security was already aware of him. But he wasn't drunk, he just wasn't all "there". But we had a guy pacing back and forth in front of our window and looking at us. I thought it might be someone from security because we had just called them and he looked suspicious. After pacing around, the guy finally came in. He walked right up to me and started telling me that he had just gotten baptized and random stories about church. Sister Fors had left to do a tour at this point and he started asking me how long I had been on my mission and stuff. Obviously I didn't tell him, but I got this panicked feeling that i've never felt before, i can't even describe it! He was nice to me, but my heart was pounding so hard. He finally left and security guy called me. He said, "what was that guys name you were talking to?" I couldn't remember because I was scared but he asked if it was "jean" I said yes and the security guy said that he had come in before making trouble and telling people that he was Jesus Christ. That made me even more scared! So the guy said he would keep an eye on him. My shift at that post was over so I went to the front greet and you'll never guess who came back a couple hours later! Jean! I told the senior couple that we needed to call security and I made the cute little senior missionary scared and she pulled the panic button before I had even explained the situation! She pulled it and then walked away, leaving me there by myself! What the..? The security guy called and asked what was happening I said that Jean was in the building again. The panic button is only if ALL the security people need to run as fast as they can. I was so embarrassed. To make matters even more awesome, "Jean" had apparently turned his life around and was going to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. I don't know why I got that feeling and why he was starring at me and stuff, but it turned out to be a way bigger deal than it needed to be.
I had a huge tender mercy to make up for all of it though. An investigator came in with some missionaries and I have her a tour. Infront of the Cristus she broke down and said that she felt like she knew me and that she knows she needs to be baptized.
One more little frosting on the cake to end my night- the break room was locked for some reason and no one knew why. We thought one of the "Crazies" were back there or something and the priestood leader made ME go back there to check. False alarm. Oh and there was one more lady that came in literally 12 times back and forth to the bathroom and in and out of the building that was drunk (we think). I have a feeling this was preparing me for the Easter Pageant (starting tonight- march 27- april 7th). I'm really excited for it! Although they'll be a lot of crazy people, there will be thousands of prepared people. I have been getting my spanish ready! I will just be doing tours inside all night, but we get to watch it because during the pageant the VC will be closed. From what I hear, it's AMAZING!
Sunday
Fast sunday! We have the best ward ever! Seriously, everyone is so dedicated to helping us
Monday
For our dinner appointment we ate at a Chinese Buffet! Mom, I know you're jealous. I was thinking of you the whole time. You would have thrown a fit. They had pizza and doughnuts on the same plate right next to the sushi! I felt so cultured being a white girl going in with mexicans to a chinese restaurant. I felt like I was in Vegas. We had FHE at our ward mission leaders house. We had over 30 people come! Awesome!
Today we played soccer this morning and I rolled my ankle! One of the Elders said "woah, I just heard somethin pop really loud!" Yep.. my ankle. Ouch. It's swollen, but it's fine! Not broken :)
Anyway, it's been, like I said, an interesting week, but a good one for sure! Livin the dream! Thanks for all your love and support! I need it! :) Love you guys! I'm sure I'll have lots of other stories from the pageant next week!
Love you!
SFTE
Love,
Sister Cottrell
