Part One
Hello family!
Both me and Hermana Martinez will be staying in Indio for the next six weeks! Then Hermana Martinez will be going home and I'll get someone new.
This week was a good one for the most part. I was feeling a little sick for a few days but I think it was just stress, which never goes away on the mission! But I'm feeling better now so no worries!
We found another new investigator this week, Fransisca. She is super ready to accept the gospel and so excited to get baptized. The funny thing is that we've been teaching her roommate for a little over 3 months now and never met her until last week. We had never even seen her before. But she told us that she would hear us come over and wanted to talk to us and wanted to come to church but was too shy to come meet us. Until last week she opened the door and told us all of that. I can't say it enough - everything happens in the Lord's timing.
Also, we've been helping my roommate Sister Mucke pack and get ready to go home. She's flying back to Germany tomorrow! And Hermana Martinez and Hermana Pesqueira (who's also serving my ward) are both heading home in 6 weeks. So that's been the topic of conversation lately!
This week we got to go on exchanges and I got to see Hermana Lauaki-Sablan! She came here and I spent the day with Hermana Clark who was in the MTC with me! We didn't spend a lot of time together in Mexico but we always said we'd be companions one day. And we were! for ONE DAY! We also had another sister with us for the day so I got to see how it works being in a trio and how three missionaries work together as opposed to two. It was fun and interesting but I'm grateful for my one companion :)
I love you all and I hope you have a fantastic week!
Love,
Hermana Granado
Pictures:
1. Hermana Zamora, Hermana Pesqueira, me and Hermana Martinez. We're all serving together in the Thermal ward.
2. Mural we found in downtown Indio
Part Two
Hello again,
First things first. I tried so many new things this week! Food wise of course. First was I tried tacos de lengua (tongue) and then Hermana Martinez made me try some Puerto Rican drink, that was an adventure. And our new member Alondra brought us Churros Locos to try! That one is really hard to describe. It has a ton of stuff like mango and cucumber and gueritos churros peanuts and some other stuff I can't remember with Chamoy which is like a spicy sauce. I'm trying all kinds of new things!
Now to the more important stuff. This week was full of miracles. Seriously! I don't know if there are just more and more great things happening or if I'm just starting to be more aware of them. All I know is that I am so very blessed to be here at this time to be an instrument and a witness to all of this.
First of all, Tuesday we got the most lessons we've ever had in one day. Ever! And three of them we got members from the church to come help teach and be a friend which was so great!
Then we had what I like to call the Coco Palm Miracle. We were on our way to dinner on Wednesday and we realized that we were there too early. So we decided to walk around the neighborhood where our dinner was. As we were walking I was just trying to be observant and keep my mind off how hot it was. So we turned the corner and I saw the street sign that read Coco Palm. I had never heard of that street before, so of course I casually made a little song about it. That was it, we kept walking until it was time for dinner. Then when we went home that night and we were planning for the next day. We found that we were going to be in that same area so we took out the area book (where it has all the records of people that missionaries have taught before) and we found 5 people that all live on the street Coco Palm! A street I've never seen or even heard of for the 4 months that I've been here. And a street that I still wouldn't have recognized if I hadn't made a silly song about it earlier that day. We went back and even though nothing happened with those people yet, you never know. Maybe all they needed that day was to know someone cared about them. Maybe they just needed a knock on the door or a reminder of the important things in life. I may never know what will come from us going to visit them but I do know that we were led there for a reason. There are no coincidences. Only tender mercies and miracles. Coco Palm Miracle.
On Saturday we checked the phone and had a text message from some people that were recently baptized but haven't been coming to church. We've been trying to see since I got here in May. We went time and time again and no answer. Ever. They would even look at us through the window and not open the door. So we started leaving notes every time we went. We'd cut things out of the church magazines or write scriptures on an index card, anything to get them thinking about the gospel. After months of them ignoring us they sent us a message asking us to come over and when we were in the lesson we asked what the reason was and they said they "felt incomplete without Jesus Christ in their lives" Such a miracle!
We also got to go visit an investigator who we haven't seen for a while because she's been having a lot of health problems. She's very very educated and so nice. I sometimes felt out of place going to see her because I didn't know if she liked our visits, plus I have a new companion now (she's never met Hermana Martinez.) so I'm the only one she's used to and I wasn't too sure if she liked me. But when we were talking to her she looked straight at me and told me this: "I want to thank you for everything you've done for me. Apart from the church, just as a human being. And the kindness you've shown me. I know there is a God because He sent you and you've given me something that I couldn't have found on my own." She mentioned the time that she was about to have surgery and we came the day before and sang to her to help her calm down and all the times she needed us and we were there for her. It was so nice to see that I had made a difference in someone's life, and I didn't even know it! Miracle.
Miracles happen everyday, but sometimes we don't see them. I have made it a goal and a rule for myself to take a minute every day to jot down the miracles that happen. Once I started doing that I saw the Lord's hand in every little detail of my life. I knew it was there but I don't think I ever paid attention like I should have. But taking that time at the end of the day really helps me to count my blessings. They are many!
Love,
Hermana Granado
Pictures:
1. We got to help put floors in for a member that hasn't come to church in a loooong time!
2. Sister Mucke went home to Germany! Miss her lots
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