"So I've Found the True Church?"

So I didn't tell you last week, but after we wrote you, I took Hna Corriveau to go to a Thrity Ice Cream. Her first time. I took a video of her eating mint chocolate chip and she was speechless. haha. Since we do divisions in Cuernavaca, President always makes jokes about how we are getting close to Thrifty and so I always tell him that we are waiting for him to take us again. But we were just craving it and went on our own. I talked to President last night to tell him that we are doing divisions in Cuernavaca this week and AGAIN we started talking about Thrifty. He told me, "In my celestial kingdom, there will be mint chocolate chip ice cream for everyone!" haha. I told him that I am borrowing his idea. He's literally the best. 

Ok, let me tell you about the worst day ever. On Tuesday morning, my companion had the double dragon. The poor thing looked like she wanted to die. I told her to sleep and she was able to until the district meeting. We went basically so she could get a blessing. She still felt bad after the meeting, so we went home and she slept for like an hour and then we left to go work. We had a good lesson with a recent convert and his family and then left to visit Francisco and Amada. When we got to their house, they had some visitors from another church and I felt like they weren't going to be too amable with us so I asked if they wanted us to come back and Francisco was like, nooo, pasenle! So we went and started getting to know them. It was a man and his wife and daughter. We introduced ourselves, talked a little about what we believe and what we do as missionaries, the normal "how to begin teaching" and it was good until I asked the man if he had any questions about what we do as missionaries or about what we believe. He said...MUCHOS. So I told him to ask us ONE question and he said, "What type of fruit did Eve eat?" My companion literally blurted out, "That doesn't matter!" and he was like...YES IT DOES! IT'S THE ORIGINAL SIN and blah blah blah. I sat up a little straighter and asked him why he thinks it matters and he started going off about how we have the original sin and a whole bunch of stuff that I don't remember but that made me angry. I looked at him and said, "We are not here to contend with you. Thank you for expressing your question and what you believe, but we know that it doesn't matter what type of fruit Eve ate and we do not have the original sin. We are children of God who loves us and he wants us to be happy." We gave him the plan of salvation folleto and told him that we were going to talk to Amada. After that, he quieted down and we had our lesson. 

THEN, we got in the taxi of the taxi driver of the devil. We started out telling him about who we were and he also asked a really dumb question about the Bible. How old was Adam when he died? We said...900 something years old. And he corrected us and then started ripping us to shreds telling us that we need to know more about the Bible before we preach and yadda yadda. I was like so done at this point. I asked him if he was a TJ and he wouldn't answer my question, and we basically just testified and stopped talking. The whole rest of the way he kept making rude comments and once we arrived at the destination, we thankfully got out of the taxi and got on the bus headed to do divisions in another area. We just looked at each other and said, "I think the Lord is testing our patience or something because today has been...interesting." 

Even though all that happened...we had a really great rest of the week. I've discovered that the attitude is everything. DUH....I've been told that my whole life, but here on the mission, it is super important to just keep on going with a good attitude. We had great divisions with Hna. Merejo, Hna. Lopez, and Hna. Canaan and it was fun to be with them.

ALSO....we did divisions with PRADERA this week and GUESS WHO I SAW?!?! The Pintor family! Well, not the whole family, but Fabiola, Edgar, Eder and Fernando. It was literally the best day of my life. We knocked on the door and I was hiding around the corner. I popped my head around and Eder screamed. Then I walked in the house and Fabiola literally screamed so loud and started waving her hands around and came running at me to give me a hug. I started crying. I thought, I don't care if mean angry TJ taxi drivers hate me and don't appreciate what I am doing, there are people who do. 

We also visited a sister that got baptized after I left but she was a contact that I made! We taught her a few times and then the other sisters took over when they came from Guerrero to live with us. She got baptized and she is progressing so well! It was amazing to see the transformation. When I was teaching her, she was in a hard situation with her family and work, now she is taking the classes for the self reliance program they have started here and is just glowing. She LOVES the gospel and the church and goes every week. I felt so grateful to see that one of the seeds that I planted grew and that Alicia is so much happier now! 

I have to tell you about Taurino. He is the old man with arthritis that loves his "güeritas" and he is progressing really well. We taught him the restoration and he said, "So I've found the true church?" And we were like...yup! And he said, "Entonces, aqui me quedo!" which means...Well, here I will stay! He's awesome. Then, the member who gave us the reference told us a HILARIOUS STORY. I guess the Testigos de Jehova were visiting him but stopped visiting him a while ago. They returned for some reason but Taurino wouldn't let them in his house. (The member sells bread in the streets so he saw this all go down.) I guess they were kind of yelling at him for something...I think he was refusing to pay an offering and what did he do? He grabbed his Book of Mormon and a card of Jesus that we hand out and just put it in their faces. They got so mad and he just said, “I'm Mormon now.” And they left. It was the ultimate "talk to the hand" moment ever. He is so cool. 

Also, this whole week we have been working with Katya to get her married! She kept putting it off and putting it off. We told her that it might be better if she moved out. She told us one day that she was going to move out but then the next day she said she was going to get married. She said they had plans to go on Friday but they didn't end up going. We were really sad and I will admit, I was lacking in faith that she would actually do it. We kept praying hard and on Saturday we called her and her phone was off, so we called her mother-in-law and guess what? She told us that THEY GOT MARRIED and....so did her OTHER son who was living with Gris, another investigator that has wanted to get baptized for a long time but she just hasn't been able to because her husband didn't want to get married. THEY GOT MARRIED, TOO!!! So Katya is going to get baptized this week and Gris will get baptized in 2 weeks! I may or may not have screamed on the phone. haha. It was the miracle that we have been praying for. I just felt so happy that we are seeing the fruits of our work. 

We have another investigator named Fabian. I think I have mentioned him before but he has mental issues. We were a little worried at first but our ward mission leader is always with us in the lessons and we have talked to his family and they told us that he isn't dangerous or aggressive. He goes to counseling and takes medications and he is a good person. We have been teaching him for the last several weeks after church and he comes EVERY Sunday. We hadn't put a fecha for his baptism because we weren't really sure how fast or slow he would progress but yesterday he said, "I've been thinking lately that I really need to be baptized." We had given him 3 Nephi 11 to read. We were like...we have been thinking the same, too! We put a date for his baptism. He is really sweet. He understands what we teach him and is so nice. Sometimes it seems like he is zoning out but when we ask questions, he remembers. He always says really good prayers, too. We really like Fabian. 

Also, on Sunday we had the best surprise ever. Well, it wasn't really that big of a surprise but HNA. GARCIA CAME TO SEE ME. And I got to meet her family! They are literally the nicest people in the world. They came by on their way to visit an old area of Hna. Garcia. I literally love her parents. I told them that I am going to move in when I get home. hehe. I also got to meet her grandparents, and I have been praying to serve in their ward my whole mission and I never got the chance, but there is always hope for next change, right? Honestly, I am so grateful for the people I have met on my mission. 

Honestly, this has been a great week. And not because it was happy and fun all the time, but because we made it good. We looked for the good and we were able to see miracles. Every day I am more and more grateful for the gospel. It is so true. When we study in the morning, we always end up with the same conclusion...if people would just listen to us, they would know how stinking true this church is! I am so grateful for the gospel. SO SO SO grateful. The plan of salvation is perfect. I love knowing that our Heavenly Father really loves us with such a perfect love and that we have the chance to become like him. All that we do and learn in the church is designed to help us reach our potential. 

I know this church is true with all my heart. I am so grateful to be a missionary during this time. I have been so privileged to see the Lord's hand guiding us to his prepared children. Live the gospel, people. Just live it and love it and do all that you can to build up the Lord's kingdom. I promise you won't regret it! 

I love you all. Thank you for being the best family ever. 

Love, 

Hermana Durham

 We got caught in the rain.

The Cat Jumped Over the Wall...

Hello Family!

This week was great. I know I say this every week, but the weeks are going by faster and faster. Also, I had a scary revelation this morning. Yesterday, we ate lasagna for dinner (it was delicious) but this morning, both my comp and I were a little sick. My companion says that it might be because we are not used to American food anymore. Is that true?! Will I really have to get used to the food again? I hope not. But nothing is going to stop me from eating that Beef Stroganoff when I get home. :)

This week we only did divisions once with Hna. Moran and Hna. Guzman in Cuerna. I went with Hna. Guzman. She is from the DR and her accent is so different! I am so glad that I am serving in Mexico because the accent here is normal. We had a good day with them and I liked getting to know her and her companion better. Hna. Guzman was great at testifying at every chance she had. 

The highlight of the week was my last zone conference of my mission! We had it on Friday and it was so much fun. We did it with zona Iguala so I got to see mis hijas!! They are doing great and really working hard in good old Iguala. We did skits and they were...well, super awkward like always. I had to dress up like Hna. Kusch and Hna. Corriveau dressed up like one of the sisters that works in the office and it was so funny. But the actual skit was super dumb and no one knew their lines so I just felt uncomfortable. Luckily, we got it out of the way in the beginning and we could forget about it the rest of the day. haha

The conference was so good, like usual. We were taught about the Book of Mormon and the importance of using it in our teaching. The assistants did a training and had us do a role play and GUESS WHO THEY PICKED TO TEACH PRESIDENT KUSCH! Me and my companion. I was so scared. Not that I don't know how to teach, but in front of everyone teaching President is different. But they said we did a good job. At the end, President and Sister Kusch shared pictures from their mission and reflected on their time here. President also showed us pictures from when he was a missionary and when he had more hair! haha. It was so cute, but made me a little sad because they are leaving so soon. But I know that I will see them again after the mission. In fact, they told us that they will be having a reunion in October before conference. Woo hoo. The whole time they were speaking, I just kept thinking, "I am so glad I was a missionary at this time and in this place. I know that they needed to be my mission presidents." It is really crazy how things work out, but I know that the Lord truly directs his work and he puts his missionaries not only in the right mission, but with the right mission president. They gave us each a little tile that says, "Adelante Con Valor!" which is the mission theme. Our zone made a little book with letters for them and gave it to them at the end.

This week was good. We are working with some investigators that are really progressing. 

You might be able to tell that I am getting less enthusiastic about writing. hahah...

I will tell you two funny stories though. 

On Saturday morning, while we were exercising, we heard what sounded like a big cat fight...like with cats. You know how cats scream? Anyway, it was weird but I forgot about it until I walked outside to get the bucket for my shower and I see a white cat JUMPING so high trying to get out of our house. Just so you know, we live behind a big wall with a huge gate/door thing called a porton and the cat somehow got over the wall but couldn't get out. I took a video of it because it was hilarious. We named it Maria Guadalupe and eventually let it out the porton. It was just funny and we came to the conclusion that the neighbor must have thrown it over the wall because we also have pieces of glass on the top of our wall (haha...that is the security system here) and so we think someone had to have thrown it over! 

Also, we were eating at a restaurant place on Saturday with a member of our ward for the comida. We were talking about the second coming and the importance of being prepared because he had read the lesson for gospel principles for the next day. We started eating and minding our own business when this creepy man with a beard interrupts us and says, "Excuse me...I have a question. Who is the beast?" And we were like, WHAT? Long story short, this crazy man basically told us that he is an apostle and that Christ has already had his 2nd coming and all sorts of weird things. We just testified and left as soon as possible. When we left, Hna. Corriveau was mad and we were just feeling annoyed at people in general. We headed to a cita with our investigator Taurino. Taurino is an old man who has really bad arthritis and knees so he doesn't work or anything. The JWs were visiting him but not anymore. He isn't the most learned man, but he is really nice. In the end of the lesson, we invited him to pray and he told us that he couldn't because he doesn't know how. We explained how and encouraged him to do it. He decided that he would and we bowed our heads and he said, "Padre Celestial. Te doy gracias por mandarme las güeritas. En el nombre de Jesucristo. Amen." (Heavenly Father. Thank you for sending me these white girls. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen." It was the shortest but most sincere prayer I had heard and I will tell you, we entered into the lesson feeling a little bugged but when he said that prayer, my heart was filled with the spirit and I wanted to cry. It sounds silly, but it was a little tender mercy of the Lord. 

I really love this gospel. It really is so simple and perfect. I am grateful for the spirit that can testify to the hearts of the people and help us feel the love of our Savior. 

I hope you all have a great week. 

Love

Hermana Durham

Iglesia Mormonica

Yesterday we contacted a man and he asked if we were from the 'Iglesia Mormonica' He combined Mormona and Catolica...you probably don't think that is funny, but I did. :)

The weeks are starting to fly by and I honestly don't know where the time is going. We are always so tired but so happy. Sometimes I just catch myself thinking...I am so happy to be here. Even though I get frustrated and I look and smell like I am at girls camp, I am so happy to be a missionary in this mission. 

We did divisions...or as Pop corrected me, SPLITS, twice this week...which is normal. I really love doing divisions because I get to know the sisters and I learn so much from them. We went with Hna Veylupek and Hna. Avila again and this time I was able to go with Hna. Veylupek. She is awesome! She asked me if I cried a lot in the beginning of the mission and I told her that she should read my journal! My poor trainer Hna. Garcia was a saint. She just laughed and I told her what every new missionary doesn't want to hear but it's the truth. It just comes with time. I didn't believe it in the beginning either. I thought I would never learn Spanish or get the hang of things, but it just came with time. I can't really explain why or how...but it did. I LOVE being with new missionaries. I miss mis hijas in Iguala but I will get to see them this week at conference!

We visited this lady named Gloria when I was with her and she is this TINY OLD lady who is pretty much deaf. She has a hearing aid so we asked if we could sing her a song. We helped her put in her hearing aid and sang to her and she loved it. Then, I asked if we could take a picture and she was so excited and kept posing with the hymn book. I was dying laughing! Oh the people you meet on the mission...

Hna. Corriveau and I really aren't in our area very much but I will tell you, we see lots of miracles. This week we found a ton of new people to teach...mostly families! And most of them were references from MEMBERS! That is the best. We were really blessed and we are excited to work with them!

I know I have mentioned them before, but we just love the Bocanegras. They are seriously the best and we took a picture with them this Sunday. We ate with them on Thursday and we just left feeling uplifted. You know those people who just 'get it'? They just get the gospel and just work hard. We taught the food lesson on the sacrament and the importance of it and Hno. Bocanegra ended up teaching us. He said that when we are clean, we don't want to get dirty. We avoid the stains and the mud. But once we have a little stain, and another and another, it gets easier to justify another and another and before we know it, we are all in the mud and it's a lot harder to get clean. That is why we need the sacrament. To cleanse us each week so that we AVOID sin. Nailed it. #teambocanegz (that's our favorite phrase these days). 

Let me tell you about Francisco and Amada. So, we thought that Francisco was a less active member and his wife isn't a member. Well, this week we found out that FRANCISCO WAS NEVER CONFIRMED which means he isn't actually a member! Oh goodness. Well, that is actually good because he literally knows nothing about the church, so he needs to actually have a testimony before he makes a sacred covenant with God. We invited him to be baptized and he said that he has been baptized in 4 different churches! He asked if that is bad and I said...nope, because none of them were valid. One was half valid, but that won't help you make it to the celestial kingdom! But I really love them. At first, to be honest, I thought Francisco was really weird (because he is...) and he seems a little like a TJ, but he is growing on us and really has a sincere desire to find the truth. Amada is my favorite. She is so hilarious and LOVES church and is reading the Book of Mormon. She always notes every scripture reference that is shared in the classes at church. They have been to church twice and I really feel like they are progressing so well. 

There is always so much I could write, but I guess one day you can just read my journal for all the good details. 

I will end with something I really liked from church yesterday. Our ward mission leader gave a talk. He is really awesome. He said that once we decide to be members of this church, we no longer have the option to not follow Jesus Christ. We made our decision when we decided to be baptized.

I loved that because, well, it's true. We already made our decision, so there is only one way...endure to the end doing all we can to build up the kingdom and follow the example of Jesus Christ. This doesn't mean we don't have our agency, it just means we are using our agency in the right way. The only smart way. Really, it is just an intelligent choice to follow Christ in His church. Don't you think? He set the perfect example and He is the only way to eternal life. We need HIS authority to make covenants that are valid and that will allow us to have our families forever. The gospel is so perfect. I love it so much. 

I love you all. Have a fantastic week!

Love, 

Hermana Durham

P.S. I was thinking about Beef Stroganoff the other night and I think that is what I would like to eat the night I get home. Not that I am trunky, but you got to think about the future a little bit, right?

Just chilling with the perros waiting for the combi.

Just harvesting mangos at our investigators house.

Also...look at this nasty pillow I sleep on. It has years of sweaty Elders. I swear, I will be lucky to come home alive. I think I am going to ask for a new one. haha. 

Divisions with Hna. Hernandez and Hna. Zelaya

Some cool rice fields. Our area is actually really pretty.