Remember

Here in Mexico chilling,

Yikes what to write about this week.... well I am seriously living the whole mission dream here in Guerrero! We walk a lot, we dont have much success in contacting and just praying super hard to find these chosen people. And you know what I love it. In the beginning it was hard because in our other area we had a lot, A LOT of work. Always running from one appointment to the next. I know that The Lord is really trying to teach me patience because quite frankly I have none of that. Also faith, lots and lots of faith.

Last week all of the state of Mexico, Cuarnavaca and another state , all had a stake conference broadcasted from Salt Lake City. It was super awesome. They talked a lot about families but I love a quote that was mentioned by Spencer W. Kimball "The word remember is the most important word in our lives. Remember our covenants, remember to study your scriptures, and remember the Savior." It is so true. When I had like 4 months on the mission, I remember thinking how can I be focused and how can I remember The Lord more everyday? Then I remember when we went to the pyramids and every detail they made on those pyramids were symbols of their covenants. So that looking there they would be reminded of the sacred promised they made with God. And they believed that by doing that that they could eventually place those covenants in their hearts. There are so many distractions in the world and especailly on the misson but I know that as we strive to remember The Lord and our covenants that we will truely be made instruments in his hands. 

It is crazy to think that I have so much time on the misson. Time flies, sometimes I get really worried like that I am not learning everything that The Lord wants me to learn but I know that as I humble myself enough to listen and to act on His spirit I will become the person He desires me to become. But everything is in His time not mine. 

I also got proposed to this week by a 80 year old man on the streets. That was quite the experience. First he wanted a kiss and then he told me that I looked tired and that he would take great care of me. Oh Mexico. 

Have a great week and make sure to REMEMBER!

Hermana Sanchez

City!!!!

Hello all!

Well Hermana San Roman and I are opening another area. I do not know what I did to deserve this. haha not really, we always have a blast together!! We are in Vicente Guerrero now and it is super pretty. I am now in the Federal District of Mexico. Super close to the Metro and all the cool stuff. Sadly there are only like 3 active members, so much work to do!! Love that. Not going to lie, it has been really hard but I have grown so much! I have figured out on my mission that The Lord has so so so many things to teach us but we wont ever learn them if we dont learn to recognize those oppertunitites. It is so essencial to learn how to desifer wether our trials or dificulties come from our own mistakes, other mistakes, or The Lord trying to teach us something. It takes a lot of prayer but man am I grateful for the oppertunity I have of serving a full time mission. 

Also we are living with another companionship of sisters. It is a blast!! 

 

Hermans Sanchez 

This is me in my new area. Talk about city chic!! 

Hermana San Roman and I before transfers

Self sufficient

This week was so great.

First of all we got to hear from a Seventy 2 times this week. He spoke to the leaders of the Ixtapaluca Stake and then in a multi-zone conference. In both of them he talked about being self suffiencient spiritually. He talked about how perfect God is and He is also auto sufficiente. And how we should all stop all waiting for other to do the work and truley strive to be converted. He talked about how everyone goes to the temple and just expcets a bunch of names to be there, he asked us what it would feel like if we went to the temple they said they didn't have anymore names because we didn't send any. We depend so much on other, espoecially the general authorities. He talked about how much pressure we put on them to help us feel spiritually revived. But that is not how it is supposed to be. We are here to take control and be auto sufficient in our own spiritual well-being. He said "Figure out how you can stay motivated and a strong strong, The Lord has given us everything you need to succeed." Also I loved what he told us missionaries about charity, he said that charity has everything to do with the Obra de Salvacion. He said that people who struggle to have charity don't fully understand the Plan of Salvation...they only understand our life on earth.  I learned so much!!! I have had a rough month on the mission. I was measuring my success with baptisms, terrible. How selfish huh? Like this work has anything to do with me and those numbers. We have taught so many awesome "prepared" people who really have just chosen to not accept our message. That is so hard but I know that I did my part and I know that I gave it my all in this area. I have never worked so much in my life. we are getting transferred to another area. I am super happy because I am staying with my companion!!! I have a blast with her!! I know this church is true. I know that Satan will put a lot of thoughts of inadequency, that our efforts aren't making a difference. But as we take hold of our spiritual well-being we can find comfort in knowing that we are pleasing God. 

Take Care!

Hermana Sanchez 

Some of our favorite members. Sundays are the only days I get ready on the mission. haha

Selling candy in the streets!

All is well!!

Todays game of soccer was a blast. I had a good game day plus we had some taxi drivers join us. At the corner of the stake center here there is a station of taxis and well they saw us and joined in on the fun. They were so good. Sadly I dont have any photos. haha

This week we did division with our sister training leaders and I went to different part of Ixtapaluca and man oh man I didnt know there was places like that in our mission. Every had hummers and Audis it was weird, and they fed us healthy. I pray every night now for that to be my next area. haha 

I also had a little flash back to when I was working at the Utah State Hospital. A new invstigator has depression and was telling us how sometimes she felt and i was able to help her a ton from what I learned those three months at The State Hospital. She is really awesome and has a lot of faith that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can help her. We are super excited to teach her. We also dropped a lot of investigators this week, which seriously is the hardest thing ever! After days of fasting and sores on our knees of praying. We really did everything, like everything we could to help them, the Spirit was seriously so strong in our lessons and we kept teaching them because we love them and want them to accept this message. But it isnt The Lords will. The result of dropping lots of investigators, The Lord blessed us with tons more. Sometimes it is hard to understand The Lords will, but lets face it He knows what He is doing. 

We had interviews this week with the President and he helped me so much recognize that I am so so tough on myself. I tend to focus so much on my short comings, Satan attacks me so much in my thoughts. This conference talk has helped me so much.. its by Elder Klebingot

 "The adversary knows that faith in Christ--the kind of faith that produces a steady stream of tender mercies and even mighty miracles--goes hand in hand with a personal confidence that you are striving to choose the right. For that reason he will seek access to your heart to tell you lies--lies that Heavenly Father is disappointed in you, that the Atonement is beyond your reach, that there is no point in even trying, that everyone else is better than you, that you are unworthy, and a thousand variations of that same evil theme."

Also Halloween was a normal day here, they celebrated it yesterday actually. They tell me that they stole that holiday from the US but instead of candy they give money. And Dia de los Muertos is really interesting, a Catholic tradition. They create an altar with all the foods and stuff that their loved ones, that have already pasted away. liked. Then the 1st of November supposably those people come in night and eat. It is like Santa Clause but with dead people. hahaaha 

Hermana Sanchez

Cute members

Eating flan on Halloween!

Weekly planning meetings sometimes gets pretty boring! 

6 months!

Yikes, it feels like I just got here and now I have 6 months. I have witnessed so many miracles and have really learned tons. Missions are hard, but so worth it. I remember my first area thinking how is possible that I am going to the bathroom on a toilet that doesn't have a toilet seat while trying not to gag at the awful smell of mold. But here I am, many gross bathroom experiences later. haha. This week was awesome, we worked super hard with the ward and it was awesome to see so many people participating in the Sacrament meeting. Really I love the ward, they are such a blast and so hard working. I also love my district we do like everything together, our zone leaders live in our area and are so good at soccer!! 

My mission right now is really focusing on how we can really live the mission scripture, which is Helaman 3:35.  Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax strongerand stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea,even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.

How we can really yield our hearts unto God, how we can turn in or give our hearts to God. How we can be really be FULL TIME missionaries. I love this and really saw the blessings that come with striving to do what the Lord would do in my area and not what I want to do. I also learned the power of diligent scripture study, The Lord gave me so many oppertunities to share what I learned throught the day. 

I love this church and I love serving The Lord. Thanks for all your prayers!!

Hermana Sanchez

Teotiwacan

Hello!!

This week was super hard. Our baptisms didn't happen and a lot of horrible food that was eaten. In the brightside my zone is bomb!! They recently divided the zones and now they are a lot smaller. My zone Ixtapaluca went from 18 companionships to 8 and now they have cool names, Ixtapaluca is now Teancum.

I wanted to share a little bit about Teotiwacan, the pyramids that I have  twice while on the mission. There are two huge pyramids that are the Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun, then there are a ton of little pyramids all over the place. These are the grades of glory in the Plan of Salvation. First going down you see all the pyramids of the stars, just a bunch of little pyramids. Then you pass by the pyramid of the Sun, then at the end of the trail you have the Pyramid of the Moon. It is super symbolic, if you were to lay down on the trail your head would point to the pyramid of the Moon, and your heart would be at the Pyramid of the Sun. To represent the people that are in the Celestial kingdom are the people that have their covenants in their hearts. As we strive to have our covenants written in our hearts we truly become converted, we become the people that the Lord intends us to be. I have really felt the spirit and have felt really guided as I have strived to remember and to live the covenants I made with The Lord. 

SHOUT OUT TO THE BEEHIVES FROM MY WARD. I loved loved your letter! 

Have a great week!!

Hermana Sanchez

General conference!

Hey all,

This week was great and ending with General Conference was bomb. I watched it in English, I know lame! GUESS WHAT THOUGH? I am dreaming in Spanish!! My companion said she heard me last night talking in my sleep about my investigators IN SPANISH. haha Our invstigators are doing well. This week we felt The Spirit so strong in our lessons all because we are applying the principle of praying with more faith and sincerity. Keep Candi, Adela, Abraham, Efred, y Elizabet in your prayers that this Saturday they can finally be baptized. They are super great. We taught Efred and Elizabet about the word of wisdom this week and man do they have so much faith. When we taught that coffee is naughty all she said was.. I could do without it. Love that couple, seriously they are super awesome. We also talked about her baby Jesus that she has. For reals though everyone here has a baby Jesus and they baptize it in the Catholic Church and then just sit in the house for protection and blessings. That was a little harder for to accept ahaha. But we came to the conclusion that she can bring it out in her nativity set. ahhahah. Oh Mexico and your Catolicismo.  Candi and her children are getting super excited for their baptism, her children are super smart, I love teaching them. Also my neighbors are less actives and they always invite us over for carne asada, makes me miss home. We talk to a lot of drunk happy people, mostly because it is fun. We always give them the word of wisdom pamphlet, it is great. 

Anyways this week I really learned about having faith in our prayers and in our hearts. Faith takes three things really we read in Alma when he compares faith to a seed. In verse 43 he says that we shall reap the rewards of our faith through diligence, patience, and long-suffering. I love that, as we really strive to lose our selves in the mission and do The Lord's will not ours we have faith that through our work (diligence), patience in the Lord's timing, and just learning from every bad and good experience, ANIMO (long suffering).  Love this gospel and love my mission. MEXICO CITY CHALCO MISSION IS THE GREATEST MISSION IN THE WHOLE WORLD. 

Love you all have a great week.

Hermana Sanchez