May 27, 2013 FHE, "Blondie" Flores, orphaned kitty, friends at church

Ward Mission Ldr Rosario, Nellie, Hna Bean and Family Home Evening FUN!

Mon. May 20:  After late night email at a member's house, we had FHE with A LOT of members, and a couple visitors! :)  It was an activity about agency, and trying to roll water and cornstarch into a perfect ball. :)  We had a light dinner afterwards, and Nellie told me my blog is being acknowledged by OTHER missionary blogs!!!  :)  

Hospital

Tues. May 21:  We visited Marta, who is in the hospital (asthma/pneumonia) and the hospital is scary!  It's a grey, blank, plastered, place.  :(  I think it's one of the older hospitals).  I had an impression to rub Marta’s feet, and she enjoyed it!  I also enjoyed it ’cause she was wearing fuzzy socks!!  Haha ! :)  Mom - I miss the massages!  Haha!  We contacted, and then visited with member Betsy (had dinner at her house).

Wed. May 22:  I FINALLY put tiny, colorful tabs in my Spanish Bible! :)  YEAH!  :)  He met with Magaly and her niece “E”, and watched the amazing DVD Finding Faith in Chris t- in English! :)  It was great!  Then we met with one of the families who live WAY up in the mountains.  Sadly, our progressing investigator, 14 yr old “M” was gone. :(  Today, I also started the All Scripture challenge.  :)  I will try and read The Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price before the end of Sept or Oct. :)  It's great!  :)

Hermana Flores as a blonde?!?!

Thurs. May 23:  We had the opportunity to have ward mission leader Hermano Rosario with us for a couple hours.  We met with less active “A” and then “AR”  :)  They were great!  We then had lunch at the Balle's (members).  We visited with their 10 yr old granddaughter, and she brought out a long, blond wig that Sis. Flores tried on.  It was hilarious, and we just had to snap some photos!  Haha!!  :) 

We stopped by the Lopez's house and I found a very, very talkative, loving, hungry white and yellow kitten!  It slept in my hand!  The heartbreaking thing was that a family member pointed out a grown white and yellow cat in the road that had gotten killed. :(  It was the same color!  The kitten lost it's mother  :(  I cried and cried.  Lopez gave the kitten some food.  I took a picture of the kitten, and then just had to get outta there.  I NEVER want to see a run-over cat again.  No no no. (I love cats - we have 4 back home).  Anyway, we then went to Marta's house, and visited with her mom and niece “T”- who gave us hot chocolate, sandwiches and crackers.  They give us so much when they have very little!  It's hard to accept, but they so want to feed us!  They are so humble, kind and giving.

Fri. May 24:  We visited Marta again in the hospital- she's getting worse. :(  She's in intensive care. :(  We then visited with a recent convert, who needs support in keeping the Word of Wisdom.  I LOVE teaching about the Word of Wisdom!  And I felt the spirit like none other as I was testifying to her that she can overcome bad habits/addictions.  :)  I have a firm testimony about the Word of Wisdom, and love sharing it with others!  It is…  FUN to teach and testify about it!  Then we got young women Flor and Abigai to go with us to visit “M” up in the mountains- but sad news.  We learned that the children have been divided up into foster families elsewhere in Puerto Rico to help them sort out some family problems. :(   I will miss “M” a lot.  She was doing so well, and was truly coming closer to Christ.  I hope she seeks out the missionaries in her area.  :)  She has a lot of faith.  I know God has His eye on her, and she is in His watch-care (as well as the rest of the family).

Sat. May 25:  Sis. Flores and I were running out of food, yet she made spaghetti with sour cream sauce!  It was actually bearable!  :)  What a surprise that was!  Haha!  After lunch, we drove in a serious rain storm (IT RAINED ALL WEEK!) and we met with Yamari- and talked about something- but I couldn't keep up ’cause it was fast Spanish!!  HaHa!  We then tried to make other visits with other people - but…no one was home that afternoon.  :(  We ended up helping clean member Betsy's house while my clothes washed in their washing machine.  yeah! :)

Sun May 26:  An iguana was across the street from our house!  They run REALLY scary-like!  They will haunt my dreams now.  Running Iguanas.  Terrifying.  Haha.

Church, though, was great!  “A” and “O” (less active youth) came to church!!  I called them that morning, left a message, and they came!!  It just goes to show that everyone needs a friend and an occasional invite :)  We all sat together during sacrament meeting. :)  Later, we visited with Marta's family, and even though her husband isn’t particularly interested in religion, he repeated Sis. Flores's closing prayer.  He smiled so big after that prayer.  A smile sure means a lot. 

We took a picture of all of us (even their cat Garfield).  It was a great lesson!  

Afterwards, we followed the Elders of our zone up to Pontezuela, for a meeting Monday morning in the Bayamon Mission Office. :)  We slept at Sis Erickson's house! :)  We sister missionaries all had a great “girl's night out,” and all wrote in our journals together, with buns on top of our heads, writing about our missionary experiences.  Haha - it was quite fun ! :)

Mon. May 27:  We drove to the office, and had a GREAT conference with President Cornish (our area president), and Pres and Sis. Alvarado.  :)  What powerful messages!  It's SO sad to think how much I will miss the Alvarados.  We are getting a new mission president the end of June.  Hermana Flores and I then drove ALL the way back to Mayaguez, and bought food for the week. We called around to find a place to email, and then drove to the Bishop's.  :)  YEH!  :)  Well, I LOVE YOU ALL!  I wish I had more time to go into more detail, but know this: I am grateful for these experiences!  Transfers are the beginning of June, so I dunno who I'll be with or where I might go, but I think I may stay in Mayaguez…We shall see. 

THANK YOU to Lonette Stoddard and Aly Jensen for your letters!  I'll respond soon!  I still need to write Anne Adams, and other people who wrote me!  I love you all!  :)  Shout out to Jonathan -  you are awesome! Happy Birthday tomorrow!  Thanks for being my brother.  And thanks, too, to my twin Elder David! :)  Love you Mom!  Thanks for all the support!  I really do love you all.  Have a great week!  This work is real.  This work is hard. This work is worth it.  :)   Hermana Emily Bean