Week 30 Almost half way! August 11, 2014

INGRAM....can you see it?

¡Hola familia y amigos!

Today I hit the big OCH-O! I can't believe that in a month I'll have served half of my mission! LOCO!

Anyway...this week went pretty well...just the normal ups and downs of the mission!

Tuesday was pretty rough... Later in the day we were walking to the Ayala Family's house (the family we baptized Sunday) and we noticed that they were all outside in the street. As I got closer, I could tell that there was something wrong...they were on phones, crying, panicked... They came to me in tears asking if I could help them or if I knew of anyone that could help them. I won't go into details..but what had happened was BAD. Aranza (the 14 year-old) was hysterical....Ernesto was physically shaking uncontrollably and to be honest it freaked me out. What a mess.... I was worried that they were going to think that this all had something to do with their baptism.. Just a few days before the baptism, Maria had told me that she was unsure about getting baptized because she couldn't give up her "virgincita" (the virgin Mary). She told me that by giving her up, God was going to punish her...and now this?? I remember our old president telling us that we needed to be prepared for things like this because the adversary always works double time with investigators when they're about to be baptized and right after their baptism...and it's SO TRUE! You wouldn't believe the things that happen! He knows that by opening the door of baptism, the lives of these people are going to change and that they are going to be blessed by living the gospel...and he is willing to do whatever it takes to stop them. This Sunday in one of the classes, the teacher mentioned something that is so true..he told us that Satan isn't in the bars or on the streets with the "borrachos" (drunks)...he is busy trying to destroy the lives of the people who are trying to do what's right. He wants us to be miserable even as he is... Anyway...no worries because the family got confirmed and are progressing in the gospel...woo hoo!

Wednesday...was pretty tough too... I woke up at about midnight SICK. I was throwing up for the next 5 hours...I'd go back to bed and wake up 15 minutes later running to the bathroom. Usually we get up early to go running but I couldn't do it... It's the worst being sick on the mission because no matter how sick you are, you feel guilty if you're not up and working..you never feel like you can just take a day off and rest. I decided that no matter how sick I was feeling I was going to get up and go to work for the day...I felt so sick...but we left and went to work. Even lifting my arm above my head felt like it required all the energy in the world... BUT despite being in the bathroom in every lesson that day..we made the best of it! We ended the day by visiting the Ayala Family and teaching a very spiritual lesson about the Atonement...they cried the whole time...it was pretty sad...but thank goodness for the Atonement!!!

Thursday we headed over to teach a less active named Nelly who is in a wheel chair because she lost the use of her legs. When we got there she told us she couldn't meet with us because she was doing her laundry. I asked her if we could help her and she told us no...but thanks. Are you kidding?! I wasn't about to take no for an answer...so I walked right in and went to work washing everything by hand. It's amazing what that lady is capable of doing... We finished and she gave us a big teary-eyed thank you. Service is the best! And when you pray for opportunities to serve people...opportunities ALWAYS come!

Helping Nelly with her laundry

Friday we got money for lunch so we decided to stop by a wood-burning brick oven stand and buy half of a rotisserie chicken, some "bolillos" (rolls), and a bottle of BBQ. We practically ate lunch in the US!

Mom, you would have been proud of this salad I made

Saturday we visited Mildred (9 year-old investigator) to make sure everything was still good to go for the baptism the next day. She told me she had something to show me...ran out of the room and came back with a book and the most excited smile on her face. She handed me her book which was entitled "Mi libretto de deseos" (My Little Book of Desires) and told me to read it. Inside was a list and number one on the list was: Quiero ser la Hermana Ingram (I want to be Sister Ingram).. SO CUTE!! If I could baptized all of the little girls here, we'd baptize millions!!!

Domingo = Day of Stress. And a lot of it! Our investigators got confirmed so that was a relief. Mildred? Long story short....she didn't get baptized... BUT...things happen for a reason...and you've just got to keep pushing forward! When things don't work out the way you want...you just have to take it head on and stay happy. Like I always say: The best things in life aren't easy!

¡ÉCHENLES GANAS ESTA SEMANA! Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Ingram