Crazy Week

 

Snake eating an Iguana 

A stick and a rock for protection from the dogs :-0

HOLA

Ok this week was full of crazy stuff and I feel like I'll forget a lot but I'll try my best to put down the key points 

-We went to this small town to visit someone we are teaching.  We got there and she lives on a mountain and we were trying to find a way up the mountain.  We got lost and ended up finding an abandoned elementary school.  We were walking and then a kid appears out of nowhere and scares the heck out of us  but this kid was super cool and helped us out to find the path.  But right before he gave us two big sticks and said be careful there are a lot of dogs.  And Elder Cortés doesn't like dogs so he didn't want to go but I made us go anyway   The dogs didn't bother us but there were a few kids crawling on the mountain barefoot which was strange hahaha.  ALSO WE WENT TO THIS PLACE A FEW DAYS LATER and we saw a big snake eating an iguana so that was fun.  So this place is pretty interesting to say the least. Also it's called El Vigía, or the Watcher 

-Elder Cortés and I walked a TON this week so that was fun.  But we realized once we're reakly tired we get kinda loopy and we start laughing at everything and when we get home we laugh until our stomachs hurt so thats fun

- With all the crazy stuff going on in the world all the members are joking around with me and saying that I should get ready because they're going to take back California because we robbed it from them HAHAH  so that's been fun but I think some of them are low-key serious 

- I learned that being a missionary in English is hard.  Yesterday we talked to a guy who grew up in the states and when we walked by he was like, "What's up Utah?"  And I told him I was from California and then he asked me why I wasn't more tan then  but explaining missionary stuff is SO hard in English but the guy was super cool and has some crazy stories.

-A lot of crazy stories with drunk guys so I don't even know where to start with that one.

-Also we don't know how or why but a bunch of big flies entered out house yesterday and in the past 12 hours I have killed 20 flies and the war between us is pretty intense.  But we think we have finished them off.

Something so amazing I have seen this week is how much God wants to support us in absolutely everything!  We just have to let him do so!  Sometimes the work as a missionary is crazy, we walk in the heat and humidity in ties and long pants and we talk to everyone and it's crazy but I love it so much because I know it's the work of the Lord because I couldn't do it alone.  He will help us grow and improve little by little every day and is so happy on our growth even we are hard on ourselves.  I am so grateful for this knowledge!

Love Elder Lacey

Pochutla!

 

Luchador

Iguana!

Elder Cortés and Elder Lacey melting

Hola todos!  

I've arrived in my new area!  It's in a city called Pochutla and it's on the coast!  And let me tell ya it is very hot and humid hahaha.  The city took some getting used to at first but there is a ton of work and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with all of God's children!  

My new companion isn't new at all!  Elder Cortés and I were transferred together!  So that's been a lot of fun!

Something very interesting about Pochutla is that 15 minutes away there is the only nudist beach in all of Mexico.  So there are a ton of European hippies here who go over there haha.

Also Chicken fights are very popular here.  We have seen a bunch of people training their roosters.  So that's interesting 

Whenever I get to a new area the members always ask me about my hair and never believe me that it's natural and they think I dye it

Something I've been thinking about a lot this week is how grateful I am for the Spirit!  It is such an incredible blessing to be able to have God's guidance in our lives.  All we have to do is live worthily of his presence!  Please always strive to have the Spirit with you!

*ALSO please pray that our sweet friend is baptized this week!  Thank you!  

Love you all!

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Cleaning the font for a baptism

Donuts!

Hola Todos!!!  My companion just said Happy Valentines day!  Another one alone!  So we just finished laughing about that for a bit 

THIS WEEK WAS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!  WE SAW SO MANY MIRACLES THANKS TO THE SPIRIT!  We were able to start teaching 9 new friends this week!  6 of our friends came to church and we had a baptism!  The baptism was so special!  5 of our friends watched the baptism and they felt the spirit so strong!  Four of those people were that amazing family that I have mentioned!  I was the one who baptized and when they saw me dressed in white their eyes got so big and they were smiling so much!  When the actual baptism happened they were so happy and they loved it!  The baptism was so special because it is a family that has been inactive for some time but they felt the spirit so strong and were crying.  When the baptism finished we invited the Mom and daughter to be baptized in a few weeks and they accepted!  The spirit was so incredible strong!  The other daughter wanted to be baptized as well but she's only 7 but she is very excited for when she turns 8 haha!

With all of these miracles we saw this week Elder Cortés and I were excited to keep going!  But right after the baptism the assistants called us and told us we both have transfers.

SO THAT WAS A BUMMER so yesterday we visited a lot of families that we have grown close with because we really love this ward a lot.  There may have been some crying as well hahaha BUT I know the Lord is in charge and he will send some great missionaries to take care of the Tule.  Also we got a new phone this week and it's one of the nicest phones in the missions but now we won't have it 

Yesterday the we felt the Spirit so much and I felt that my testimony was unshakable.  I would like to invite you to think about when you had a spiritual experience and I would invite you to cling onto those moments especially if your testimony is wavering.  I know it's hard.  But please hang on to those experiences you've had with all your strength, and really strive and do all you can to have more experience to strengthen your testimony.  I promise they will come if we seek them.  And I know out Savior Jesus Christ knows and loves us with all of his heart.  I love him!

Un año ño🥳🥳

HOLA TODOS!

This week

I hit one year in the mission!  I celebrated it by throwing up 12 times so that was fun!  (I apparently ate something bad Monday and was throwing up all Monday night)

Here are a few things I've learned in the past year!

-How to speak Spanish (kinda)

-I like spicy food

-Dogs are scary in packs

-Turtle eggs don't taste good.

-It's very easy to trip in Oaxaca

-THAT I ABSOLUTELY LOVE OAXACA 

-AND A TON MORE

-BUT most importantly is I learned more about the great love our Heavenly Father has for every single one of us!

This week I was able to see this a lot!  We had a few feelings to visit some people and they later told us how much they needed a visit!  It is always such a special experience when people share this with us!  Then on Sunday everyone was sharing their testimony and they shared experiences when they were having a hard time and we came to visit them and shared a scripture that they needed to hear.  It was a really special testimony meeting!  I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a tool in the hands of the Lord.  I know I am nothing without him!

Love Elder Lacey