Spiritual Slap To The Face

whattup everyone que paso? 

 Marcos is getting baptized!!! His baptism is the 26th of this month and he is SO ready! He comes to every lesson, activity, or class we have, asks the most insightful questions, and always does thr invitations we give him! This man is pure goodness and makes everyone happy! Even this member that i have not seen smile or laugh once since ive been here was laughing and smiling after 2 minutes of chatting with marcos! My heart is so full and i am so excited for him! Continue to keep him in prayers though because Satan really works his hardest during this time! Our other friends are doing good too! 

Literally everyone here is Hispanic and a good majority of them don't speak any/very minimal english. So one of the ways we find new people to teach is we teach an English class Wednesday and Saturday nights and on facebook live. Lots of people from all over Central America live here. Theres actually a lot of people who speak different dialects here meaning they're not written they're only spoken. Like from Mexico or Guatemala. And a lot of missionaries here have been called to speak Mixteco which is a dialect in Oaxaca so they have to learn spanish and mixteco

We've been getting fed sooooo good! We've had enchiladas and tortas and burritos and carne asada and flautas and tamales and tacos and pupusas and arroz con pollo and so many other things i cant remember. Every time we go somewhere for dinner the ladies always say "hermanita!! eres demasiada delgada !!!" And then load my plate up more. But im not complaining too much 

Also I thought i was supposed to be getting stronger on these bikes?? My legs still barely make it 

Pensamiento espiritual 

Its crazy how God can speak to you through other people. This week has been really hard spanish wise. Sometimes im frustrated because ive been at this for 2 months and it feels like im at the same level i started my mission at. I know its not all gonna come overnight and it doesnt just magically happen but ive been studying really hard I just feel like im not retaining anything. I try to start talking with people and my mind just goes completely blank. (Im also just not a patient person)

Well id been having this little woe is me pity party many times this week. And i just kept thinking how am i ever supposed to get this down? 

And then i got one of my friends weekly emails from their mission. As a missionary its hard to read every email right away but i usually get to them within a couple days. I saw they had sent one out and first thought i dont have a ton of time ill read it later. But for some reason i went back right then and read the whole thing. And it was a long one. I almost clicked out of it a couple times to read later but something kept me reading. They said

"One day I was talking to my trainer/comp and I told her how frustrated I was cause I know that no matter whatever else happened I would be totally okay if only I could speak English. French on top of everything else is just so discouraging because I know I can teach but I don't have any words and i dont know if i ever will. 

She told me that that was exactly why I was called french speaking, so that God can show me that I can do it. 

So what is something in ur life that u don't think u can do? Maybe the only reason u r dealing with it is because He knows u can do it and He wants to show u that"

That was a spiritual slap to the face. Heavenly father wouldnt have called me to do this if He didnt think that i could. 

And then another friend sent out their weekly email and recommended a talk that i then read, and theres a part that says "The feeling of being okay does not imply that the person has risen above all his faults and emotional problems. It merely implies that he refuses to be paralyzed by them.”

The biggest thing thats been holding me back is my own thoughts of inadequacy and the mindset that i cant do this. If i keep thinking i cant do this then im right, ill never be able to. But it doesnt mean its easy to just switch your mindset like that. So thats what im working on. Poco a poco. Its ok to have moments of frustration. But let them be just moments. You can have 10 minutes. Then pick yourself up and tell yourself you got this. Cause you do ;) 

And look for the ways God is speaking to you through others

Quotes

♡ "I will make it through this week looking for light in little things"

♡ "God doesn’t measure our talents or our looks; He doesn’t measure our professions or our possessions. He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other."

♡ "One day you will tell your story about how you overcame that battle you went through. And God will send you the exact people who need to hear that story." 

♡ "Jesus Christ didn't give up on you with the thorn

Jesus Christ didn't give up on you with the whip

Jesus Christ didn't give up on you with the nail 

WHAT MAKES YOU THINK HE'S GONNA GIVE UP ON YOU NOW? 

Jesus sacrificed everything for YOU!

What are you willing to sacrifice bc of his sacrifice for you?"

Pictures 

Celebrated elder hills birthday! 

Las hermanas de Simi Valley

Branch volleyball team

District hike to Mt McCoy cross