Lots of Emotions

So, on Monday, I had to say good-bye to Hermana Mora  :(  She boarded the bus at 10 am and since the new companions wouldn’t be arriving from Zacatecas for a few hours, several sister missionaries and I went to the central.  I was with Hermana Perez, Hermana Fullmer, Hermana Franco, Hermana Funk, and Hermana Tobar.  We all bought our gifts for the gift exchange we are going to have on Wednesday  :)  I was assigned to Elder Fuentes (my previous zone leader) and wanted to buy something unique - and not the classic tie.  So I got him a head massager, a foot massager, and a shoulder rubber thing (kind of hard to describe), but they were super cool, and after a long hard day of missionary work he can use them to relax.  I thought it was pretty creative.  Then we all ate tacos and ice cream together before heading back to wait for our new companions.  When Hermana Gonzalez arrived, I was nervous, but also excited.  I quickly learned that we are similar in many ways.  She is 22 years old and from Tijuana, Baja California.  She’s the oldest of 4 and is studying to be an elementary school teacher.

This is my new awesome companion!! Her name is hermana Gonzalez

this is us today when we went to the capital.

When we went to the computer cyber to write our families, I learned of some heart-breaking news.  My Mom informed me that my Grandma Sue (my Mother’s Mom) had passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.  I cried in the cyber, pulled myself together for our evening visits and then balled once we returned home.  I must admit, that it was the saddest and most emotional moment I’ve had in the mission so far.

On Tuesday morning, I woke up with my eyes so swollen that we chilled some manzanilla tea bags to put on my eyes.  The rest of the day people kept asking me if I was sick or why my eyes were so red and puffy - so that was embarrassing, but I was able to testify to several people that the Plan of Salvation is real.  That although I won’t return from the mission and see my Grandma, I know that after this life I will be with her again.  I love this gospel because it provides comfort and hope.  Even when our loved ones pass away, we can feel peace because we are familiar with the Plan that God created for our families.  We can all be together again one day - I know that our relationships are eternal.

After our district meeting, Hermana Gonzalez and I had some great lessons - including with 2 new investigators that a member introduced us to.  Serving others and teaching the people here has really changed my point of view and has given me a greater appreciation for all the blessings that I’ve been given.  I love the mission and it is a privilege to serve as a representative of Jesus Christ in this area.  I can’t explain in words how happy I am and how grateful I feel.

With Hermana Anderson

With Hermana Gonzalez

With Hermana Perez

Wednesday was just fantastic!  We got together with the other 3 zones in San Luis Potosi to have our Christmas celebration with the Mission President and his wife.  It was a blast!  I was able to see and socialize with so many of my missionary companions & friends.  We ate breakfast and lunch together and had our gift exchange.  It was fun to see what all the other missionaries had bought  :)  My gift was a 8GB memory stick and a super cute hat / beanie from Hermana Cuque.

Then each zone sang a musical number - and of course our zone was unique because we all had bought Christmas hats.  :)  I think our zone is awesome.  We took lots of pictures and I couldn’t stop smiling.

All the sister missionaries currently serving in San Luis

We finished around 4:30pm and Hermana Gonzalez and I squeezed in 3 visits.  We taught Lulu, her neighbor, Monica, and then Hermana Toleda.  It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed every moment.

Thursday went well.  After our weekly planning, we visited Hermano Jose, who still seems to be radiating light from his baptism  :)  Then we helped Irma make 100 San Luis enchiladas!  It was fun and she gave us each one enchilada to snack on.  The enchiladas here are different from other states and are known for their orange color.  Afterwards a member accompanied us with Teodulo and Maria.  Teodulo decided he wants to get baptized on his birthday - but that’s not until February 17th !!  We are trying to convince them that January 17th would be just as special  :)

Here i am with some of the elders from my generation!

Friday we made a lot of visits in the morning before lunch, which all went well.  In the evening was the Ward Christmas Party and Artuo and Brandon showed up!  They are the 2 new investigators that came to church last Sunday and are golden!  We ate, played games, and had a small devotional / activity.  Oh, and yes, there was a piñata!  :)  Hermana Gonzalez and I get along super well and are always laughing.  She’s a lot of fun and although we’ve only been together as companions for a week, I can tell we are going to have a great time!

Hermana Gonzalez and I with Hermana Villareal

Saturday was a fantastic day!  Wow, I am just so excited for the progress I’ve seen here and all the people who want to be baptized  (we are expecting a lot of baptisms in January :) )  

Today we visited lots of investigators, including Teodulo and Maria.  Teodulo was excited when he learned that once he’s baptized, he will be able to receive the Priesthood.  During the lesson he asked us  “Do you think the Bishop is ever nervous when he speaks in front of everyone at the pulpit?”  And before we could reply, his wife surprised us by saying, “Don’t worry, with practice one day you too can speak at the pulpit and won’t be nervous.”  It was incredible how strongly I felt the Spirit and I can truly see Teodulo being a great leader in the church some day.  

In the afternoon we taught a new investigator about the importance of prophets - and that if there excited prophets in ancient times, shouldn’t we still have prophets in our current time if God is the same “yesterday, today, and forever?”  She totally agreed with us and at the end of the lesson was bold in her reply to our invitation to pray about what we’d explained.  She said, “I don’t need to ask, because I know what you taught me is true.  The true church must have a current prophet.”   She is super smart and really interested in our message.  

Then to top the night off, we had an excellent lesson with Artuo and Brandon who are the most prepared investigators that I’ve ever met!!  They want to be baptized as soon as possible and are really motivated to start reading the Book of Mormon.  All I can say at the end of the day is … Wow.  The Lord is truly “hastening the work” and preparing so many people here!

Have a great week!

Hermana Eliason