WEEK 25

Hola!!!!!!

Things are going super well here in Castillotla. Thank you for the birthday wishes. My birthday was pretty much a normal day in the mission, but I opened packages from my family in the morning!!! I was surprised how nice it was not just to get a package but to see my mom{s and  my Aunt Laura and all of her family{s handwriting. I miss little things like that!!!! My other one request for my birthday was platanos machos fritos. A platano is a banana, but platanos machos are huge and kind of orangey, and frito means fried. In conclusion, even though I HATE bananas, theres this large fried banana dish here that I love. Here's me super content with it.

Platanos Machos... mmmmm...

 Also this Hermana made one of my favorite dishes here, Picaditas. AFter the fried bananas I was super full, but my convert Max and her kids came over with a big cake! IT was a really cute surprise. THey sang the Mexican version of happy birthday which is REALLY long and everyone yelled for me to bite the cake at the end (its tradition) so I gave in.

The traditional biting of the cake

Things are on the upside with the investigators here!! Whew!!! I was getting so desperate I didn{t know what to do. One new investigator that I particularly am super excited to teach is named Eldy. She{s like a super ...with it? snappy, on the go, active grandma. We were walking down the street one night and she goes 'what are you still doing working girls? are you selling something?' we explained that we are missionaries and she invited us over. Its literally so hilarious how fast paced she is. She lives with her mom who is in her late 80s-easy. Every time we explained something she{d yell out to her mom in the other room 'hear that mom? its like ive always told you! listen this is important!' hahahah.

 Also she came to church that very Sunday. She showed up in clothes that I would literally wear, and when the bus didnt arrive she whipped out her smart phone and called a private taxi service hahaha. On the way to the chapel people are always selling things in the streets at stoplights and she bought this HUGE thing of juice, it was so funny seeing her walk into the chapel with the juice like it was a sporting event. She was commenting in gospel principles class and making everyone laugh. When we teach her and bring a pamphlet she starts reading the pamphlet outloud without us asking her too haha! I think she will get baptized really soon, shes very receptive to everything. What a blessing that we happened to pass by her in the street and she asked us first who we were. Just reminds me that we should be talking to EVERYONE we see!!!

Another investigator Im super attached to is Leslie. Shes this cute little 15 year old that I feel like would be my friend if I was born here in Puebla. Here she is on the left. I first talkd to her way back in July just randomly outside the chapel, I felt like I should practice my Spanish with someone. I told her I liked the red little bracelets everyone wears here, and the next time I saw her she had bought one for me and my companion! Shes super thoughtful like that. Her family is less than thrilled with her desire to be baptized, but we are praying like crazy and each time we arrive theyre more and more open to the idea. THey finally said its her decision, and she doesnt need to wait until shes 18!!!!!!!!!!! Her cousin is actually a member and gets home in 2 weeksfrom his mission and she wants him to baptize her. We are praying that her parents don{t change their minds at the last minute and that they can continue to see what a difference _Leslie is making in her life since she started going to church and living the standards!!!! 

Hermana Best with her new(ish) companion and Leslie (I think)

I am enjoying EVERY SINGLE DAY here, especially because I only have less than a month left in this ward that is like family for me now (unless I stay here more than 6 months but I highly doubt that). I can see that when we exercise more faith we receive more faith, which is an odd concept, but its the truth. I have faith that a lot of the people we{re teaching right now can be baptized in this transfer before I leave, and if not, they are in good hands in this ward!!!! Until then, working SUPER HARD. 

Can't resist the dogs

Les amo bastante !!!!! Cuídense mucho