Happy Valentine's Day!

It feels so good to be back home! We had quite the week travelling on exchanges with other sisters. From tuesday to thursday we were in campeche, and then thursday to friday in Aeropuerto..We slept on the ground two nights in a row as well, I have some nice big bags under my eyes, but am so grateful to be able to serve the wonderful sisters in this mission. This morning, we were able to go to the temple (our P-day was switched to today so that we could go) and I did baptisms! We had to wake up at 3:30, and 12 sisters stayed in our house last night. Lemme tell you, it never stops! Life is so busy, and that´s why I love the mission. You don´t ever stop. It´s the best. I´ll sleep when I´m old, I suppose.

I wanted to write a little today about one of our investigators, Luis Felipe. One hot afternoon about two weeks ago, we were walking down the street and felt impressed to contact Luis while he was standing outside his house. Using the good ol "we´re lost" tactic, he gave us help (little did he know we know the streets pretty well, haha) anyway, he was so nice and I could see from the beginning that he is just a very sincere and noble person. We set an appointment with him for the following day, and he accepted a baptismal date in the first lesson. He is trying to quit drinking, and the Gospel is the answer, I know it. The lessons are going great, and he is so excited about the gospel that he is sharing it with everyone! He introduced us to his sister and two nieces who each have like 4 kids, all super interested. It´s harder to find them at home because they work alot, but we´re teaching his sister who now has a baptism date, and his son, Alexis. Last night we went to the family history center with Luis and started filling his family tree with names! It was so great, and I love seeing how excited he his about the gospel.

Also, on Saturday night, we were working with a brother in our ward named Jose who is gettting ready to leave for the MTC in March, and as were walking he commented about a family that lived in a little store near where we were and said that the missionaries were teaching them before, so we decided to stop by and introduce ourselves. We ended up teaching them for almost an hour, and it was VERY difficult. The investigator´s name is also Jose, and he is a man who is very...incredulous, (is that a word?) and just tough...he has a lot of doubts and deep questions abotu God.He wanted to argue at the beginning, and didn´t believe anything we said, but as both my companion and I began to say a prayer in our hearts, we watched as the lesson changed. I went from having NO idea what to say to him, to opening my mouth and just letting the Spirit speak. The words came out, but I honestly don´t know what I said. I was able to connect with both him and his wife, and was amazed that as we just rely on the Spirit and not ourselves, what it says in Doctrine and Covenants really becomes true, Neither take ye thought before hand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man.

What I love about the mission is that I learn something each day. My testimony is strengthened a little more each day, and I feel closer to my Father in Heaven more and more each day.

Seguiré con fe en cada paso,

Hermana Maki

fotos 

 1) dinner two nights ago, fried bananas. They sell a certain type of bananas here that are only to be eaten when fried..and I´m not kidding. They serve it with rice, and I LOVE IT.

2) Hna. Imelda and I cutting the birthday/valentine´s cake yesterday!