Dear family and friends,
Well, I can't believe I am actually writing again, oddly enough? I think that time is slowly starting to speed up. Today is my 2 month mark and I'm a 2 month old baby missionary!
Tuesday
We attended our Zone Conference which was good! We talked about faith, seeds and investigators. I think you can piece the rest of that discussion together! What really touched me the most was when Elder Kemp stood up and began to talk and then cry because of the great love he has for his investigators. He talked about how they are our BROTHERS AND SISTERS and we are here to help them return to our Heavenly Father! He spoke of the great joy we can feel when we help them and watch them grow and progress. I am so glad he talked about our brothers and sisters because it really helped me remember my purpose for being here and why I really wanted to serve a mission in the first place (because sometimes I really ask myself that). I wanted to serve because I have a desire to help others and to experience that great everlasting love which is charity in my life. I wanted to feel the great everlasting joy that the Sons of Mosiah felt as they served and loved and baptized their brethren the Lamanites to the point that they desired that none of their brethren should perish in this wilderness. In addition, I have made the decision to be happy. I will be happy no matter my circumstances or how bad or crazy things may get. I may not be happy every second of every day, but my personality will be happy. Ser Feliz! This is actually one decision that we can surprisingly make in our lives. Personally, I suggest you all make it, but that is just me.
Wednesday
Last week Papa emailed me and told me about the cockroaches he had in his apartment on his mission! Well, tonight I was about to go to bed when I saw a cockroach on our wall above our beds! It was huge! I totally screamed and then made my companera kill it ;). Ew, so gross. Luckily, I haven't found any more. Thanks for cursing me Papa. ;)
Thursday
We went on Intercambios. I got to re-enter civilization for 24 hours! It was insane! I didn't know what to do with myself there were so many people! On the way to the city of Torreon, I passed through 'Paris'' and I also went off-roading in a public transportation bus. Good times, good times! The city of Torreon is actually kind of pretty. However, the people there are not very nice. They avoid the missionaries like the plague and only talk to us when they want to argue with us. And of course, there was more staring at the white girl in Mexico.
Friday
Still on Intercambios until 4. We saw and taught people. A large number of people were preparing for the "Reliquia" which is a Catholic celebration of the Virgen Maria Guadalupe. I don't know when Mary got a Mexican last name, but hey, it is also the Catholics in Mexico who light off fireworks all day. Afterwards, I returned home to my castle (my house is like a castle and even has a witch for a weather vane). In the evening we taught Free English classes with our district! So much fun! For once I had the upper hand in the language category! ;) I also found out that Geydi got permission from her parents to be baptized!
Saturday
We practiced our play in the morning. It was so stinking funny! Later, I learned the true meaning of keeping our baptismal covenants and comforting those in need of comfort. These people have such huge life changing problems that I often don't have anyway of really helping. Sometimes all I can do is hug them, comfort them and cry with them. Sometimes that is our whole lesson.
Esmeralda was baptized today. I am so excited for her and Emanuel, her boyfriend, to get married in the temple in a year! She has such a sweet spirit! Oh and in our pictures, I had to stand on the ground and my companion and Esmeralda stood on a step to be the same height as me. That is how short everyone is here!;) On another note, our mission leader forgot to fill the font, so before the baptism he had buckets and was running water to the font! It was so funny! After the baptism we watched the cultural event for the Tijuana temple dedication. It was so cool! Then we locked ourselves in our house to protect ourselves from the crazy people celebrating the Virgen Maria Guadalupe.
Sunday
Tijuana temple dedication! What a beautiful temple! I want to go to it one day! President Uchtdorf performed the dedication and there were some pretty good laughs during the whole thing!
Monday
I got my arm workout in for the day with my wash. (We are not allowed to have the members do our wash.) We then went shopping and even had a mini camping trip in our kitchen as I roasted my hot dog over our stove! Pretty good day if you ask me!
Answers
Mom: In Argentina we clapped instead of knocking on doors. What do you do? Hermana Lutze: We bang on their gates outside their house with our rings or a coin to get their attention.
Mom: Where's your companion from and what is she like? Hermana Lutze: Hermana Rubina is from Peru. She is super super short but super nice and a great trainer. She works hard.
Mom: Do you eat with members or do you cook your own food? Hermana Lutze: We don't eat dinner at members' homes. We eat La comida (they have four meals in Mexico) which is at about 2. The food is soooooo good here! I love it! Hannah would love all the rice they eat here and she would love all the soccer courts everywhere.
Mom: I shared the goals I had when I left the MTC. Hermana Lutze: Oddly enough my goals are very similar to yours. Like mother like daughter
Mom: What is your area like? Hermana Lutze: My ward covers a very large area. There are 6 missionaries in the ward and we all have different areas. The church is not that big here.
Papa: Do people believe you when you tell them you're a quarter Mexican? Hermana Lutze: No Papa, people do not believe me when I say I am a quarter Mexican.
Last Thought
I have been thinking again about the in between (middle) moments and how sometimes we are in the desert in our lives and we feel like we are going to die of thirst and hunger. We feel like it will never end and there is no point; but I can truly testify that as we COME to our Savior, willingly and in humility that He will help us! In John 7:37 we read, "... If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." I know that we can truly be filled when we rely on our Savior!
1 Nephi 21:10 "They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor the sun smite them; for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them."
Alma 32:42 "And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst."
3 Nephi 12:6 "And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost."
3 Nephi 20:8 "And he said unto them: He that eateth this bread eateth of my body to his soul; and he that drinketh of this wine drinketh of my blood to his soul; and his soul shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled."
Love you all!
Love,
Hermana Lutze
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