Still in El Espino

Welp first off no cambios here for me. I am still here in Espino and I am still with Hermana Estevez. I am super glad to be in the same area for Christmas.

(this part probably dont put on the blog haha)

The truth is i was quite disappointed that we didnt have cambios. When we received the call hna estevez was super super nervous and when they said that we didnt have cambios she was thrilled, and to be honest i wanted to break down crying. I feel bad but really i wanted a new companion. The thing is this next cambio is longer than normal cambios, it is 8 weeks instead of 6 and so we will be together here atleast till like february. I really do love her, but i wanted someone knew to work with. I have a lot of stress with her trying to motivate her to work and she doesnt have a lot of patient with the members here and she has a short temper, But really im just remembering what ryan told me "this too shall pass" haha. Its just that it is a long time. But really i learn to love her and i try and just do what i can.

Anyways but this week was really great. We had the baptism of Dayana (8) on saturday and it was great. Dayana is family with the bishop and all of her family is members except her mom and grandma, but her cousins and her uncles and aunts. She has an uncle serving a mission. She was super nervous for the baptism, but she was adorable. Afterwards she was crying and it was a really spirtual experience for her mom as well. Both of them were crying. We asked dayana why she was crying and she said because of happiness. She is adorable, always smiling and giving us hugs. Yesterday her mom Yessenia, had her third attendence to church and after we visited with her in the house of a member and it was a really spirtual lesson. We had the elders with us too. The only reason she wasnt baptized before was because she said she had problems in her life and she didnt feel ready for baptism. But yesterday we talked about repentence with her and we invited her to a baptism date, at first she still felt like it wasnt enough time for her to change, but in the end she was a little more open to it. So we arent completely sure if it is a set date, but we are very hopeful that she can be baptized later this month.

Also we had Eloisa and Marcos both come to church this week. This is the second time for Eloisa and the first for Marcos. They both really like the church. Eloisa cant read but Marcos reads for her. And marcos knows a ton about the church and loves to read. Both of them just need a sure answer that the church is true. Both have been baptized before, so they are a little hesitant about baptism. I really love them. This week we were visiting with Eloisa (marcos was gone somewhere) and we taught her the plan of salvation. Both of them have had lots of challenges throughout their life and at the end of the lesson i was telling Eloisa how i knew that this gospel was what she needed and just expressing to her how important she was to us. we were sitting on her patio and right at this moment the sun shined through just on me, and im pretty sure this didnt make any difference to eloisa or my companion, but to me i just felt the love of our heavenly father and his confidence in me. Maybe im not the best teacher of the gospel, and my spanish still lacks a lot, but that doesnt matter. i have a knowledge of this gospel and i have the light of Christ that I can share with others.

Anyways we are hoping that both Eloisa and Marcos can be baptized at the end of this month on the 29th too. They said if they get an answer they will. They are both around 62 years old. Eloisa has the same exact style as Grandma Mimi, its is great haha. Both of them want friends and dont really talk much with their neighbors so we are hoping that ward can help us out with that.

We have a few other investigators but they are progressing as much. I truly believe the success we had this week is because we fasted. Actually the whole mission was fasting at the same time. We are working for 200 baptisms in the mission for december. That would be the most we have ever had here. President told us to eat, sleep, study, teach, and find, thinking 200. haha.

So im pretty excited for christmas to talk to you guys! I can use skype and i think we are going to be doing it with the Familia Trejo (oh speaking of them we arent eating with them anymore...so im kinda sad about that cause we dont have a cook anymore) but anyways. Im planning probably the morning on christmas...maybe around 9? what works for you guys. also can you look up if there is a time difference here and with utah so i can know? I will know more next week exactly whats going on. I havent received packages yet but im thinking probably on thursday at zone meeting. at least i hope!

Things are well here. The mission is still hard but it is good. Really what i want most is to teach more with the spirit and be a better teacher. It is super hard trying to learn the language and trying to be a good teacher. I feel like i should be a better teacher by now, but im trying to be patient. The hardest thing is i work hard and i follow the rules, its just my abilities and its hard when you are trying your hardest. I think slowly im progressing, its just hard to tell. The spanish....well i dont know, it just depends on the day. Im nervous to talk to you dad on christmas because i know you are gonna have me speak in spanish and i dont want you to be disappointed in my spanish haha...and i still cant roll my Rs!!!

Anyways i hope you are enjoying the christmas season!! im really sorry but i still havent sent off your letters for christmas so you are going to get them really late! but today i will send them!

I love you all so much!!!

Hermana Groneman