Tuesday, March 26, 2013

#16 [Azua - 12] March 25th, 2013

Well first off!!! I am officially training this next transfer!! :) I am super stoked. We found out last night, and then about 20 minutes ago, we found out that we are staying the night in Santo Domingo and picking up the trainees tomorrow morning. So that is why I am writing a little bit earlier :) haha, yay!!!! and we had to move around all of our furniture because H G is training too, so we will have the 4 of us in the same house.

But to answer your questions, mom:
•    How are you doing? Really great. I have been doing a lot better. I feel great, my body is functioning. I don’t have any amoebas that I know of. Life is good. I am starting to really love my mission. At first, I wasn’t sure, but I am starting to just love it; which is good. It’s about time. I also really love H G. At first, I had to pray for patience and to love her, but now I love her. Prayers work. :)
•    Any progress with those that you’re teaching? Good question... not really. We are having slow progress, but it is still progress. K... will probably be getting baptized this transfer. He keeps bringing all of his friends to church, and he asked in Elder’s quorum how to get the priesthood - so that is a good sign. Maybe he will want to be baptized now. He also told us that he loves the commandments and wants to keep them all 100%. Not sure if he has realized that baptism is a commandment, haha, but wow. I just love him. If we come back and visit (I am definitely coming - but if we go like we did to Peru) you will have to meet him. He is so great. He is also reading the BOM and is in.. Jacob now. Proud moment. I feel like his mother, just so proud all the time. Probably how you feel towards me :) hahaha
    We currently have a few baptism dates. T... and his mother both have fechas, and we’re excited. T... came to church with us. He took out his earrings, and eyebrow things, and even cut his hair - just for church!! How exciting. We haven’t talked about the word of wisdom, and in church, someone mentioned that we can’t drink alcohol, and he got pretty confused. He asked questions and a nice less-active member that came explained it to him, haha. I think we will have to talk about the word of wisdom next lesson :) His mom didn’t come to church because she was getting teeth removed or something.
    The other 2 fechas are really cool. They are friends, and one is 52 years, and the other one who is a girl is like, 30. She has 4 kids, and is POSITIVE that she is sending her youngest one home with me. I think she is brainwashing it into her head, because when the mom asks the daughter, the daughter says that she is going to come with me. She is like, 2, and adorable. Except the other day, she just squatted in her cute dress and pants and started going to the bathroom; which totally grossed me out. I don’t think I could have my daughter doing that sort of thing. haha.
    R and M are progressing slowly. They have yet to come to church.
Found out that E..’s older sister (actually her niece, who is older than E) is a less-active member! She was baptized 16 years ago, so hopefully she can get baptized soon.
    The other investigators are slowly progressing.

•    How do you feel about your Spanish fluency? I am feeling pretty confident actually. I realized that I had been comparing my Spanish to the people and elders who have been out for 20 months and such. So it was discouraging. And then I realized what I was doing, and I have been much more confident. I actually do most of the talking in the lessons now; :) kind of a big deal, but it is just at a perfect time, since I will be training :) yay!!!!!!

OH!!!!! THANK YOU SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH for all of the stuff you sent with Riss!!! I had no idea that you were sending all of that. I really appreciate it. Thank you for the packets of Crystal Light. We have been enjoying them. So, that is fun :) haha. I love the purse. I am scared to use it because I don't want to ruin it, but it is adorable. And I did realize that there weren’t any vitamins, which made me pretty sad, because I was really looking forward to them. I am glad that Riss has them. I will get them somehow, hopefully :) and all of the hand sanitizer wipes! I loved looking through the purse to find more and more. They have been quite helpful. And also, the super super cute stamps. They made me so happy; as well as the recipes. We are going to try them sometime. Last week, we ate out every single day - because it was our last week together. We had a zone meeting on Friday, so we ate out with the zone as well. I love our zone. I have made some pretty good friends. They all think I am pretty cool because I beat Elder M... in soccer – in long pants; barefoot; and they just give him a hard time about it. Hahaha poor guy. He will never live that down. I hope we play soccer again soon :) But, like I was saying. Thank you for all of the things you sent me. We are still eating the Honey Bunches of Oats. I wasn’t expecting you to send me so much, but I am very grateful. (Just two boxes.)

Oh, something that I have noticed that is super random, but worth mentioning is that I feel prettier on my mission. I don’t know why. It could be because I have the spirit more, or it could be because the people tell me I am pretty, or because I am now tan. Who knows, but I feel really pretty and it makes me happy, and really grateful, and not proud in any way; which is weird because at home, I would feel proud when I had a cute day or something. But I am not really focused on my appearance here, and maybe that is why I feel pretty. Who knows. Thought that was interesting. Did you feel the same way?

So this week is Semana Santa. It’s a pretty big deal here. They celebrate all the time, and the kids have no school, and it’s a celebration. They also have all sorts of food. The members have been bringing us food to eat the last few days, and it’s great. They make really good spaghetti here. The other night, we were planning, and we hear someone yell, so we went out to the door, and saw a girl there, holding a container of something. I realized that it was a girl in the ward, so I went and got the keys and opened up the 2 locks. She gave us a pitcher full of something, and we said thanks and she left. We decided to eat it with our spaghetti, and we were excited. It was a special juice thing (made for the Semana Santa - because it had the special cookies that are only used for Semana Santa in it). But we start drinking it and it was hot and thick. Reminded me of the spaghetti juice. Kinda made me gag. Tasted like beans. When I was laying in bed that night I remembered that people here love a thing called HABITUELAS CON DULCE around Easter time. And I was thinking that I would love to try it, because I have only heard good things about it. Then I realized that HABITUELA means BEAN, and that we probably had it for dinner!!! ah!!! HOW DO PEOPLE LIKE THAT!? People are just so generous and love to give us food; but yeah, I drank beans. Sweet beans.

Haha, funny story. So the last few days, H G has been feeling a little sick; like stomach sick. I didn’t think anything of it, because when my stomach hurts, I just assume it’s gas, haha. But she wanted to go do a poop test. Gross. So we went and got the little container and we went home. The next day, we went back to the lab and such and she got her results. Turns out that she has an amoeba which is why I mentioned it earlier haha. But, it isn’t anything super bad. We have to go to the hospital today to take out blood and do another sample, but she should be ok. The amoeba is from unclean water. The lady at the lab said that pretty much everyone here has that amoeba. So, I am not too worried. She is though, and it’s pretty funny.

But I thought to myself during that experience that I really never want to do a poop test. I will never do one. I have too much pride. I will not do it. But let’s be real. I have been praying for more humility, and that would be a perfect thing to humble me. So, I might be getting sick soon – just so you know. I will probably be humbled through the poop test. Ugh. I am prepared.

But not much has been happening this week. I feel bad for not talking about the investigators very much. If they were progressing, I would not talk about myself so much. I feel like other missionary Emails that I have read are about the work and the investigators, and then mine is about poop tests and cheese thieves. Haha, oh well I guess. Such is life.

I love you all very much. Thank you for your love and support. I am so lucky to be a missionary. I feel proud to have the Erickson name on my badge every day. I love my family. We had a testimony meeting in the district meeting the other day, and when I started bringing up the plan of salvation and being a forever family, my eyes started tearing up, so I had to stop talking about it. I just all of the sudden get so emotional all the time. (Kacey, your eyes, they’re wet. – inside joke) all the time, haha, but oh well. I think I needed to have them washed out. I never cried before. I have 21 years of tears bottled up in my tear ducts – haha

But I hope you have a great week. I will tell you all about my daughter (new trainee) in the next week. Thank you for your love, and for the goodies you sent with Riss. I feel so loved all the time.

Also, if you see Melanie please get her address. I would like to write her. Her birthday is coming up as well, just so you know, haha.

But HOPPY EASTER!!!! I am so thankful for Christ and His infinite atonement. I can feel His love and the power of the atonement in my life. I am so grateful to be a part of this wonderful church. I encourage you all to spread the gospel in whatever way you can. Go to church. Make sure you are receiving the blessings that God has for you - some blessings can only be found in church.

Love you all infinitely,

-Hermana Erickson 1.

ox ox ox

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