WEEKS 48-49

OK this was one of the best weeks of my mission! My comp and I have been working like CRAZY. But not just working to work, we've been working efficiently. You could say its been efficiently fast and furious. Things are also literally heating up here in Atlixco, about 90 degrees every day. Needless to say, the novelty has worn off of walking on the cobblestone streets, were dyin here, but its worth it!!! We have been contacting a ton of people through referrals and its so cool when we go to contact said person and they say something like 'actually i was listening to the missionaries when i lived in the U.S. 5 years ago, i think i have my book of mormon around here somewhere'. coincidence? DEFINITELY NOT. 

We have two investigators progressing, they blow me away! Its a mom and her son, he's 13. The young men are really including her son Brian in everything, 'me da mucho gusto' (makes me super happy) when we popped into the chapel the other day and we saw him there being included in the young mens activity!!!! (he also goes to church on his own, not a lot of 13 year old boys doing that) The mom couldn't come to our ward but she made plans to come to the earlier ward. Let me tell you thats another thing that doesn't happen as often as we would like, usually people just say 'sorry i cant make it'. And she went! She has told us with tears in her eyes that she wants her family to be more united, and us along with the members that have visited with us have assured her that THE GOSPEL will absolutely help her family with that goal. She devotes every single day to taking care of her mom who is crippled with arthritis and cant move, its so inspiring. She never complains, she just wants to do what's best for her family. Please pray for Brian and his mom! 

You can see here some cool photos from our zone training. Our leaders prepared a cool activity where our district leader lead us around blindfolded!!! It was really interesting because our district has been having lots of success and working on being more unified and my companion pointed out to me that in our district we all followed our district leaders instructions without hesitating ! Other groups varied in how much they could or couldn't follow their leader. It really gave me a testimony of how we can all work together to achieve these goals! How we should see peoples potential, and trust in the leaders that are in the church to help us.

Blindfold activity

Hermana Best's Zone!

I read something in my personal study that brought tears to my eyes that I would like to share really quick. Its an article called Christlike Mercy, and it mentions all the ways Christ showed compassion on people. one is when he talked to the woman at the well. In this time the jews absolutely did not talk with the Samaritans. It says that Christ talked to her and that "He overlooked the traditions that devalued her in others' eyes."

Is there something that you feel devalues you in others' eyes? Something about the way you are... something in your past... anything? I promise you that Christ does not care about these things. He sees us not only as we are, but what we can come to be. I am overwhelmed by the mercy he has on us. His love has no conditions.

I am so happy here in the mission! My mission Mom went home!! :( Hna Seegmiller. And I was reflecting on how far I'd come since she trained me. SHe was always an example of love and patience. I love how much I can learn from everyone here on the mission. Thank you so much for your prayers!! Until next week!

WEEK 47

I'm so happy! I don't have transfers! Going to complete half a year here in Atlixco, and with my same companion!!! We were so happy! There is so much work to do here and I'm really really excited!

We finally have some new investigators that are progressing but in general we're really working hard and i'm trying to be positive even when we cant see the results of our work.

One experience that really hit me this week is we found a little old lady in our ward that no one has been visiting for a while, somehow she slipped through the cracks. She's 92 years old and wants to go to church but she can't because she can barely walk. When we visit she tells us to sit down and we have to wait several minutes for her to make the journey with her walker into the room. She doesn't want us to help her because she wants to feel independent. She is so sweet and every time I smile at her she smiles so big at me! The first time we went over I told her 'Hermana Im so sorry we haven't visited you, we are going to come visit you and sing hymns and share a message with you every week is that ok?' and she just slowly said ' i really need you girls'.  when i'm in her house i want to cry, she is so humble. she lives with her disabled son who can't talk or hear, and its really hard for him to walk. he's really smiley and we communicate by using a book of sign language in spanish. (whew, sometimes its a little confusing in my head with english, spanish, American Sign language, and spanish sign language) He wants to learn more about God and we are excited to visit this family more.

Another wonderful thing is we had been praying because we need more support for this family from the ward, and Sunday two young women came up to us and said for Personal Progress they need to do service, and how they can we help? We told them Alicia and her family need help!!! That was a miracle. 

Im so excited the conference talks are available in print, im going to be reviewing them and seeing what I need to work on. Understanding the Atonement more and more has been the most important thing on my mission. Its such a deep concept I dont know if ill ever fully understand it, but im trying to apply it in my life, as well as be able to teach others about its healing power. 

Im enjoying every day here, life as a missionary is great, it just flies by even though were busy working!!! I love you all and hope you can review the conference talks, i know youll find new things every time!!!! Atlixco forever!!!

Xoxo

Hna Best

WEEK 46

No time for a letter this week, but we still get to see some great new pictures...

"On P Day we went to see this beautiful display of flowers in the Zocalo (town center). They formed the flowers to represent different parts of Mexican or Atlixquense culture. It was so beautiful!" 

"We cleaned the church and painted the basketball court for conference because our ward is the stake center. It was BLAZING hot- midday in Mexican sun on asphalt... but we still had a good time. I put an umbrella in my shirt in the back so the umbrella was like a built-in hat."