Semana 15

Hey fam!!!

So, im hoping you still have some of that crazy fabric.... cuz I´d love some of those tights if its possible. So, I also loved the book that you sent me. That picture book honestly made my week. Thanksgiving was definitely not thanksgiving this year but I think I´ll be okay as long as I can keep finding cool stuff to think about other than the holidays.

So, actually, I made a mistake this last week. Hermana Goulding is from California, not arizona. Don´t ask me why I thought that she was from Arizona because I can´t remember enough to tell you. And so you know what this all means? I am the one who knows the most spanish right now and it’s kind of a really scary thing because I don´t know a whole lot!!! So, it´s a little bit of a challenge but we are working through it. So guess what my biggest temptation now is? To speak english in the house all of the time because she will actually understand me. The struggle is real. Because if I talk to her in English she will never understand spanish or learn it like she needs too. But I´ve got it covered I think........ We´ll be alright.

This week was also interesting in the fact that we have miracles that are happening with our less actives. One pair of less actives that I never ever thought would come back came to church yesterday and it was amazing. I love this work! No matter how hard it can sometimes be the Lord always puts in something I can see as a miracle and a blessing every day. I love being on a mission!!! Thank you for all of your prayers, because I can feel them. You all are just such a great support that I can never thank you enough.
Lots and Lots of Holiday love and Cheers!!!
Hermana Hyer

Semana 14

So guess what, Remember how I told you all that Hermana Chavez was my companion? Psych!!! She´s not my companion anymore as of an hour ago. I am now the new companion of Hermana Goulding from Arizona. Why? Because I am literally the only English speaking sister that is considered capable enough to take on a new challenge, i.e. teaching Spanish to my new companion. What happened was that Hermana Goulding was assigned to Hermana Sanchez who speaks no english, so their communication has been really really terrible, to the point that neither of them could handle it anymore and we had special transfers today. It´s all just so exciting. A new challenge at every front but the President thinks I can handle it so everything will be just fine.

This week was crazy too because we had a zone conference and intercambios with the sister training leaders and it was really great. I learned a whole bunch about how the mission field should be like and now am working to help my ward reach that level of effectiveness. I gotta say that all of this responsibility worried me at first but now everything is just fine. All I need to do is work my hardest and do my best and then the Lord will help me with the rest. My refuge from the scriptures this week was Doctrine and Covenants 127:4. It´s applied more to temples but I switched it around a bit to fit my new and exciting situation. I suggest that if any of you are struggling, to read it, cuz it´s awesome.

So, this week is Thanksgiving for you all and guess what? That holiday doesn´t exist here in Mexico. I hope you all have fun with all the cool traditions that we have as a family and I hope you will eat a whole lot of Dad´s chunky mashed potatoes for me (cuz i really miss them.) Please take lots of pictures for me so I can see the whole family having lots of fun. And eat honey baked ham, cuz it´s the best. And eat pie, cuz a real pie doesn´t exist here either.

Just remember that I love all of you and feel your prayers. Thanks for all the love and support!

Love,

Hermana Hyer

D&C 127:4

 And again, verily thus saith the Lord: Let the work of my temple, and all the works which I have appointed unto you, be continued on and not cease; and let your diligence, and your perseverance, and patience, and your works be redoubled, and you shall in nowise lose your reward, saith the Lord of Hosts. And if they persecute you, so persecuted they the prophets and righteous men that were before you. For all this there is a reward in heaven.

Semana 13

Dear fam,

This week has literally been a rollercoaster. We have not had a normal day the entire week and I´m kinda feeling like it´s opposition from my favorite adversary, Satan. He´s trying really really hard to pull me down right now but there is no way on earth I´m going to let him do it. Sorry Satan, but my missionary work will continue no matter what you throw at me.

Anyways, Guess what? I´m training a brand spankin new missionary. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Screaming aside, It´s pretty awesome to say the least. Her name is Hermana Chavez and she is from El Salvador. Which is straight up awesome. She is totally prepared to be a missionary and although working out is not her strong point because she didn’t do much exercise at home, I´m helping her become stronger physically while she is helping me be better spiritually. She´s literally a blessing to have as a companion. We get along super well and she is really patient with my not perfect Spanish. She´s a little bit shorter than me which was quite a surprise to say the least cuz I am definitely not tall at all. We´re pretty much the best companions ever if I do say so myself.

In other news, Hermana Escoto and Hermana Sanchez both were transferred. So that means that Hermana Villafranca is still here in Educacion and is training a new missionary too. Her name is Hermana Ruiz and is from Chihuahua Mexico. She’s paler than I am and speaks English but her native language is Spanish. We all work really well together.

Sorry to cut it short but that´s literally all the time I´ve got for today. Because as a trainer I have to report how my trainee is doing to the President in full detail. It´s kinda eats up my hour but all is well. Just remember that I love all of you and am praying for you! Keep having fun at home and I promise to have a blast here preaching the Gospel. Love you guys!

Hermana Hyer

Semana 12

So my fate has been decided. I´m still gonna be here in Educacion but Hermana Escoto is being transferred. I´m writing early because we have to be at the church at 3  o'clock sharp for transfers. Unfortunately, that is literally all I know. I have no idea if I´ll be training or if I´ll get a normal companion, or if I will be the Senor or the Junior companion and whatnot. They just don´t tell you until you get there. SO, next week we will have more information on who I´m with and what on earth I´ll be doing. A mission is a crazy ride, but I´m loving it.

This week was interesting in the fact that I´m getting more and more comfortable with speaking in Spanish. Sometimes I even start thinking in Spanish which is a really good sign because if I can skip the whole translating process from what im hearing in Spanish to English and what I want to say from English to Spanish, life is gonna be a whole lot easier. So to help that I have put my faith in President Gordon B. Hinckley´s promise and am reading the entire Book of Mormon in Spanish, from cover to cover. He promised that if I do so I will be fluent in Spanish and thats the goal so let the marathon commence.

As a missionary I have a ton of responsibilities and part of my everyday work is to help all of the menos activos gain testimonies and return to the fold. In this aspect the fact that each of us has agency sometimes is really frustrating for me. I just want them all to feel the same way I feel about the Gospel and make ém go to church but that is not the way that it works at all. All I can do is try and bring the Holy Ghost into a lesson to touch their hearts and help them change but if they choose to accept it or not is not my choice at all. But I have also learned that as long as I do my part, the Lord will help with the rest. His timing is better than mine and so I just need to be patient.

I love you guys so much! Keep on working hard at home and I´ll keep on working hard here in Mexico! Have a great week!

Hermana Hyer

Semana 11

     Life´s pretty great out here in the mission field. I´m loving it. Hermana Escoto and I have gotten to the point that we basically know what each other is thinking. Which is awesome and sad because next week is Transfers again and we´re 99% positive that she is gonna go somewhere else because she´s been in the area for 7 1/2 months, which is over a third of her mission... So she´s a gonner. Which is really sad cuz I love her to pieces but I guess I´ll deal with it. Also, Transfers are extra scary this time because I might be called to train a new missionary because we have a bunch of new sisters coming. Aaaahhhhhh!!!!!! But I know that if I´m called to train, I´ll end up being alright cuz the Lord will be helping me all the way through.

     Question Answering Time!

Missionary work is finally picking up over here in Educacion. I still get to teach English a little bit to the Hermanas and the Kids but we don´t have class every day. Only three times a week because it was starting to get in the way of our proselyting time and we can´t really cut back on that. We have some great investigators right now. Three of which surprised us by coming to church yesterday of their own accord. It was a well needed miracle and one that proves that the Lord is listening to our prayers!!! We are also seeing miracles in our less actives and they are the ones who are most excited to come and teach lesson with us. It´s awesome.

     Yes I finally ended up getting all of my warm clothes and they all fit great. I am so warm and snug that I will be just fine from here on out. Thank you very much! And yes I am receiving your pouch mail quotes too. They really help lift me up and make my week all the better. Mail comes in spurts so I never know if I´ll get anything or when it will come. It´s all depends on the Mexico Mail System and how on top of things my Zone leaders are. But if there´s one thing I´ve learned is that you guys have got my back so when it comes it comes and I will be happy in the mean time.

     I do quite a bit of service in the ward but not because we are forced to. Serving the members is the easiest way to get them to trust us with references of their friends and get them to come with us to lessons with investigators. We also spend time teaching others to home teach because it doesn´t exist here. So we serve where we can and when we can literally all the time.

     Events of the week basically boil down to Halloween. We, the Hermanas, decided to put on a Halloween activity and for once it turned out to be a huge success. The last activity that we put on maybe 15 people showed up out of our entire ward. Needless to say we were pretty sad but we didn´t give up hope. This time we had basically a party with food and games to unite our ward. It was supposed to start at 5 but here people tend to be an hour or more late so we ended up starting around 6:15. What´s worse and then turned out for the best was that we invited President Mecham and his wife and they actually came. That first hour was pretty nerve racking when nobody showed up and it was just us, the mission president, 2 investigators and 1 less active. Fortunately a whole bunch of people showed up and we had a blast. It was literally so much fun and everyone thanked us afterwards and helped us clean up. It was so awesome.

     So here for Día de Muertos everything basically boils down to be similar to our Halloween. The kids dress up and paint their faces and everything and run around in the evening asking for candy at every store and house that they can find. Except their costumes are a whole lot more ghoulish than what we usually have at home. They have lots and lots of really terrible masks that the kids like to wear. They also set up altars with food of the deceased´s favorites and flowers and sugar skulls. It´s pretty cool. The pics hopefully will help explain a little bit more.

     So there you have it. I finally am beginning to feel like a real missionary and although my Spanish still needs some work I can communicate better every day. Life as a missionary is pretty great! Thanks for all the support and love. I love you guys and pray for you every day!!!

Love,

Hermana Hyer