"Sí Elderes, yo sé que Will Smith fue un profeta de Dios" "Espere qué?"

HoOoOola!

Well I don't have much to talk about this week but I have long explanations with each thing... haha... so here's pretty much everything:

* So we were eating in this restaurant and they had a big TV playing music videos super loud and I hear a song I've never heard before (I think it's new but who knows because I'm completely out of the loop.) and it's called "One Last Time" by Ariana Grande and I keep hearing it and it's my new favorite. And yeah being in the restaurant made me realize how separated I am from the real world... hahaha.

* On Thursday we had a special multi-zone conference which was super good! We talked about so much I can't even summarize it. We talked a lot about the Plan of Salvation which was awesome. And I got to see Hermana Camas!! She was telling me all about the area I was in with her. There was a family we were with a lot there and she told me that their little boys always asked about me along with other people and it made me so sad that I had to leave but so happy that people actually remember me there... haha. Also for the conference we got there super early with our district so we went to McDonalds for breakfast (which was actually really gross) then for lunch afterwards we had Subway and I was so happy. They do NOT have that kinda stuff here in Serdan.

* Friday I got sick :( I woke up in the middle of the night and throughout the morning I was in the bathroom throwing up and my stomach was hurting so bad and it was the worst. So yeah we didn't leave the house at all on Friday and I'm pretty sure I lost like 5 pounds... haha. But hey I'm almost halfway done with my mission and it's only the 2nd time I've gotten a stomach sickness! I talked with our mission president's wife and she thinks it might have been from all the Ibuprofen I was taking. (Background: my back has been absolutely killing me the past few weeks, like everyday I can barely stand it. So she gave me this regimen of 3 ibuprofens 3 times a day, so 9 per day.) So now I'm afraid to take medicine since apparently my body can't handle it well...

* Last Sunday my straightener kinda exploded and burnt some of Hermana Pérez's hair off and left part of mine super ugly and burnt and it's still like that and it makes me want to cry every time I touch it. Just thought I'd share... haha.

* A scripture I liked from this week that actually made me really think about things:

Mormon 8:38 (Book of Mormon) "...Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies. Because of the praise of the world?" From that I learned that it's worth way more to follow Christ and the path that will lead us to eternal happiness than to deny Him and our belief in Him (which will lead to eternal misery) just so the world will praise us. The worldly possesion or "praise" we have here, we won't be able to take with us after this life. We decide here on earth how we want our eternity to be.

P.S. Shout out to the woman who has been my rock and hero my whole life (even though I don't show it enough) and the woman who I honestly don't know what I would do without: My momma! Happy (almost) Birthday mom!!! I am forever thankful for you and all you do for me. (:

Well I love and miss you all as always. The time is going by crazy fast and in less than a month I'll be Skyping with my family. (:

Hermana Eyring

Reunited with mi hija!! She doesn't smile much in pictures 

but I swear she was happy to see me she almost cried (,:

My zone for this transfer, Amalucan Este!

Okay well you can barely see it but the huge bump I got from hitting 

my head on a metal box sticking out of the wall.

Don't have anymore pictures so here´s a nice babydoll that a member killed...

"I can teach you to dance, but you have to hear the music."

Happy late Easter!!

I want to start off this email with a video that you should all watch that's called "Because He Lives." Watch it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZqTRSVA1YA

   

This was a good but super busy week and we feel like we weren't really teaching at all. We had to go to Puebla 3 times this week so basically we were traveling half the week since we're so far away from everything. We had a zone meeting on Wednesday then Saturday and Sunday we went to Puebla to the stake center to watch General Conference. But it's kinda nice to escape Serdan every once and a while... haha.

Hermana Perez lost one of the fillings in her tooth the other day so we had to go to the dentist. Wow, I am never going to the dentist to get anything done to my teeth here. It's so sketchy... haha. So even if my teeth start to fall out or something I won't do anything about it until I get home.

So Friday was Good Friday or Viernes Santo. Here NOBODY opens their businesses and nobody buys anything on that day. And they have these things called "procesiones" where they walk around in huge crowds with either a huge crucified Jesus on a cross or a huge Virgin Mary and chant and stuff and it's so creepy.

The other week we started teaching a couple named Mario and Elizabeth. Mario is a member of the church but has been inactive for years and his wife isn't a member. We've only taught them a few times but they're awesome and progress really well. They confessed to us the other day that there was a long time that they didn't want to accept missionaries again and didn't want anything to do with the church, but then when we showed up they felt something different and want more than ever to listen and to follow Christ's example and live the gospel. Elizabeth says she wants to be baptized, but we haven't set a date yet. Mario says he wants to start doing everything he can to be worthy of using the Priesthood and be an example to his family. WOW... the Lord has been helping us make a difference. With them and another part-member family that we have. I'll talk more about the other family later but the dad wants to be baptized and we're finally going to set a firm date with him and they are reactivating. (:

For General Conference (Every 6 months the leaders of our church have a conference where they speak and we watch it on TV or by satellite in chapels.) We went to the stake center to watch it and I got to watch it in English with the other 17 or so American missionaries in our stake and it was awesome! There is something about being in a room full of missionaries for conference that makes the spirit so strong. 

Okay well I have a lot that I loved from Conference that I wanted to share. Most of them from my favorite talks:

* My quote in my subject line and just his whole talk by Wilford W Andersen was great.

* We need to really learn what we claim to believe - Dallin H Oaks

* "Twas I, but tis not I." God cares about who we are and who we are becoming, not who we were. He expects us to keep trying and recognize that other people are trying too. - Dale G Renlund

* Sometimes we look but we don't really see. We hear but we don't really listen - Gérald Caussé

* Without Christ, we would fall and keep falling forever. We need Him. - Jeffrey R. Holland

* It is by grace that we are saved after all we can do, but "after" does not = "because" - Dieter F. Uchtdorf

* Can you see the hand of God in your own life? Look around you. - Neil L. Anderson

Yeah General Conference was awesome and if you haven't watched it yet you need too!! I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and without him we are nothing and can do nothing. He is the ONLY way we can overcome challenges, be healed, and return to our Father in Heaven. I hope this Easter you were all able to celebrate, and really know what you were celebrating: The hope we have in Christ, his Atonement and his resurrection.

I love and miss you all(:

Hermana Eyring

With the family we ate with on Sunday inbetween conferences. 

Hermana Perez knows them from years ago!

Conference Sunday!

The view from our roof of Citlalteptl (volcano) and the mountain with the telescope.

 Getting Dominos pizza with the other Hermanas in our district in between Conference sessions.

Our favorite Sister in our ward here edited a picture for us... hahaha.

"Tengo que llevar mi shampoo y jabón para mi bautismo?" -Luis

Hey! Well I don't have too much to talk about this week... but on Saturday they told us who has transfers (transfers are tomorrow) and guess what... We DON'T have transfers... what? Hermana Perez and I are staying together for a 3rd transfer in Serdan and it's not very common to have companions together for that long. We're really excited for this transfer and know it's gonna fly by. But we're also pretty sad that we won't be going to the big transfers meeting tomorrow because we have a lot of friends who are leaving and we won't be able to say goodbye. :(

This week:

* Well Luis got baptized on Friday!! It was super awesome and he was so excited. And his super catholic mom (who never wanted to accept us in her house) came! She said she was very happy for him and that she was glad she got to meet us. Everything was great. But then came Sunday, which was supposed to be his confirmation... and he didn't come to church. :(  He told us they had a problem and had to leave Serdan for the day... And he won't be able to be confirmed for 2 weeks because of General Conference this weekend, so that kinda sucks... but we're not gonna get discouraged!

*We're pretty sad about transfers because 5 of the people in our district are getting changed :( 2 companionships are closing their areas and our district leader is getting changed /: So we're sad and anxious to know who the new people in our district are gonna be!

* On Saturday this member who is an English teacher here asked us to come to a presentation that his students were doing. We came and he made me like the center of attention and had me ask questions to all the students in english and then had them ask me questions. They were taking pictures of me and everything it was so weird. I realized that I even get embarrassed speaking english in front of people here haha. It's weird.

* In our district meeting this week we were talking about how essential the Book of Mormon is and how we should be using it more in our contacts in the street, lessons, etc. So we started doing it and it really makes a difference. I love the Book of Mormon so much and I don't understand how people can reject it without even reading about it or learning what it is. It's truly the word of God and a perfect compliment to the Bible. With those 2 books we have all the instructions we need to gain eternal life and happiness.

Well that's pretty much it! I'm super excited for this weekend because it's General Conference. (:

I love and miss you all

Hermana Eyring

Luis and Hermano Zeniff (our ward mission leader)

Hadn't taken an iPhone selfie in a while... a little rusty.

Helping some members set up their "Papeleria."

We seriously eat Elotes almost every day... I think it's an addiction...

Rainy season has definitely started!

Yes chocolate bar, I forgive you.

Luis before his baptism!

"If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything."

Hola hola hola!

Okay,  to start off this email all inspirational-like...

I always heard/saw the quote in my subject line before and I always wondered... "well what do I stand for?" and I never really knew. But I think I'm starting to figure it out being here in the mission. Just a little something to think about this week: What do you stand for?

Okay anwaysss... what happened this week:

* Today is my 8 month mark wooh! 10 more to go. (:

* On Tuesday we had our 3 month zone conference in our 4-zone area. We were seriously there all day and it was awesome! We learned so much and I loved it. Then we had lunch after and got to talk with everyone and take pictures which is always great.

* This week we started doing the Insanity video workouts every day and oh my gosh... I think it's the closest I've felt to death, haha. And I'm pretty sure I pulled every muscle in my leg because I was just limping around everywhere this week. But hey I'm determined to get off mission weight I've gained.

* One night this week we had to buy something in this mini grocery store before we went home and as we were buying, one of the cashier ladies asked my companion, "does she speak english?" I was like yeah. Then she started asking me all about where I'm from and questions about English and pretty sure EVERYONE in the store - cashiers, customers, everyone - were all gathered around asking me questions and telling me to teach them english and it was the strangest moment of my life. But I kinda felt like a celebrity or something so that was cool. (:

* There are a lot of things that happen here that make it really obvious that people don't like "los Mormones." For example on Sunday we walked out of the church and someone had poured a bucket of kitty litter and dog poop all over the exit so that was great... Then as we were walking back from church this guy intentionally tried to hit me with his motorcycle and we had to jump on the sidewalk. Woooh I love people who hate us haha.

* Something I love about being a missionary is that people we just barely meet trust in us so easily. They tell us things nobody else knows and they trust us with all their problems and secrets and it's kinda cool. 

* Luis has his baptism on Friday and we're so excited! All of the 3 missionary companionships in our ward have baptisms that day so it's gonna be a big awesome baptismal service. (:

Scriptures I like from this week:

3 Nephi 9:14 (Book of Mormon)  "Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me."

Romans 5:1-8: 

1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

I love you all a ton! Have a great week.

Hermana Eyring

Zone Conference!

Zones Amalucan Oeste and Amalucan Este(:

Found Elder "Carrascito" haha. Feat. Elder Lopez and Elder Longenecker

Ate "gringas" for the first time the other night. 

They were all joking and saying I was eating myself haha.

"Padre, bendice a esos niños que nada más vienen a hacer desastres en la capilla"- Hermano Zeniff

Hi friends...

This was a good week as usual, haha. Just want to start off with a scripture that I love that talks about what being a missionary really is:

3 Nephi 5:13 "Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life."

So yeah this week it snowed like 30 minutes away from our area and Hermana Perez was so sad because we couldn't go play in it and she has never touched snow in her life. Also it snowed in Tlaxcala so we were upset that we weren't in our old areas for it. 

It also was super gloomy and rainy this week which actually made me really homesick cause it was just like Washington. But then I got over being homesick and was just annoyed with the rain, haha.

I finally learned how to eat a corn tortilla the right way. Apparently I've been doing it wrong my whole mission. There's two sides to a tortilla. One is the "face" and one is the "back" and you have to put your food on the face side otherwise you're just doing it wrong. So one day this week in La Comida they were like "Hermana Eyring... why are you eating your tortilla like that...?" and taught me how, haha... but hey now I know.

So, I'm pretty much a pro at washing clothes by hand now... So that'll come in handy if I ever marry someone from Mexico and move here. (;

I don't know if I ever mentioned this in my other emails but because our mission isn't as safe as they thought, they're going to be lowering the amount of sister missionaries here.nSo this transfer only 2 sisters are coming and after that NONE are coming until December. What?! And so many Hermanas are leaving soon so there's gonna be none of us :( (They are lowering the amount of sister missionaries there from 98 to 50.)

Let me tell you about our two golden investigators. So I've already talked about Luis. He is AWESOME and his baptismal date is March 28th. He already completely quit his addiction! And he told us the other day that he has never been so sure about being baptized in a church as he is now and that he knows this is the right path. Our other golden investigator is Jose. He is new from this week. His son died about 5 years ago and his wife left him the same year. He's super sad and whenever he talks about his son he cries. He went to church yesterday and while we were in Relief Society (the class for women in the last hour of church) he was in the Priesthood class (the class for men the last hour of church). We got out late from Relief Society, so while they were waiting some of the members showed Jose the baptismal font and were talking to him, and then Luis even bore his testimony to him!! When we got there we talked to him about baptism and he said he wanted to be baptized so we set a baptismal date for April 17th!! We have only taught him twice and he has only been to church once and he said he already knows that this is the true church and the true path that leads us to God. Then after church we walked Jose out of church and came back in and Luis was talking to all the members and helping this old lady with her wheelchair and helping put people's things in their cars and aww, we felt like proud parents or something watching him haha. Wow we feel so blessed and we are so happy with how things are going. (:

It's amazing to see how the gospel changes people. That is my favorite thing about being on a mission. Getting to see people change their lives. Seeing where people were before and where they are now. The disposition that people have to change once they accept the gospel into their lives is amazing. God really is a God of hope and of miracles and I am so so so thankful to have the truth in my life. I feel like there are so many people who don't even know the purpose of their life and why they are even here on earth. And I feel so lucky to have that knowledge in my life and to share it with other people.

I love and miss you all more than you know and thank you to everyone for being a part of my life. (:

Sierra(:

Piece of advice from a chocolate bar... haha. We buy these 

Carlos V chocolate bars all the time and they always have 

different jokes, advice, weird things, etc. and I love it.

 What pretty much every day this week looked like... 
(View from our front balcony.)

The snow in the mountains! The other days of the week there was 

more snow but you couldn't see it well in pictures.

"Ustedes viven juntos?" "Sí!" "Uhhh tú no vives con nosotros..."

Hoooooola muchachos. This week felt like it went by so slowly yet so fast at the same time... but it was a good week! Today we had nothing to do so we got together as most of our district and made french toast and it was so good... wow I miss American breakfast food.

What happened this week...

* It was Hermana Pérez's birthday on Tuesday so some members invited us over for "family home evening" and when we got there they surprised my comp with cake and pizza. We were pretty happy haha.

* We got sick this week and are so mad. It's just a cold but it is bothering us so much ahhh like seriously one day we were perfectly fine and the next morning we woke up dying coughing...

* So apparently last Monday I hurt my wrist doing who knows what because all this week it had been hurting and wrapped up in a bandage. Then this one member here who is a nurse and bone doctor had me show it to her and she said I had a bone out of place... Cool right... So yeah she did some weird Mexican massage thing and got everything back in place haha so all is well now.

* I realized after writing my email last week that I had never actually said who Luis and Alondra were... Luis is the "bread guy" and Alondra is the girl that we contacted on the street that I talked a little about 2 weeks ago. Sorry for not explaining!

* So we were teaching Luis the other day and found out he has an addiction... So we made a plan to help him quit it and wow he's already progressing so much! He really wants to change his life completely and it's awesome and we're so excited for his baptism in a few weeks!

* On Saturday night we had an activity where we showed a movie and we pretty much contacted like the whole city inviting them but very few people that weren't members showed up so that was disappointing... But it was still fun and we did get a few new people who are interested in the church!

* So I have heard a lot of songs here in Mexico, a lot of them being love songs. I realized that love songs in Spanish are usually so much cuter than the ones in English and I feel like when I get home, for a while, I'll be listening to pure songs in Spanish hahaha.

Well yep that's pretty much what happened this week! We're already in the 4th week of the transfer and we don't want it to end!!

Hope you all are well and don't forget how much I love and miss you! (:

LQM,

Hermana Eyring

Making french toast for the Elders!

My wall in front of my desk so far! Send me more pictures!

Our District Leader carrying our tiny Ward Mission Leader... hahaha.

"Elder como se llama el villano en Phineas y Ferb? Dr.Doofenshmirtz? "Qué? Joseph Smith?"

Well this has been a really good week! We're feeling like March is gonna be a great month.

Things that happened:

* Today we had a district activity and our zone leaders came and it was so much fun. We had a Nerf gun war in the whole chapel (which is 2 stories high) and then played an intense game of basketball. Then we ate pizza and cake to celebrate the birthdays of my companion Hermana Pérez and of one of our zone leaders, Elder Lopez.

* So remember the new investigator we had, Luis? (The bread guy from a week of 2 ago.) He's gonna get baptized!!!! We set his baptismal date for March 28th and we're super excited about it and so is he. Yesterday he brought his 9 year old niece to church and she loved it and wants us to teach her too so we're hoping things will go well with her also. Remember Alondra that I talked about (I think) last week? She said she wants to be baptized too! We still haven't set a baptismal date because she hasn't been able to come to church and her mom is a little strict but we're hoping this week we'll be able to set one!

* Something I'm pretty sure I forgot to say before... But remember my investigator Marta, from my first area (Loma Florida), that always said she wanted to be baptized but "in God's time"? She got baptized!! Like 2 and a half weeks after I left the area. She emailed me and told me thank you for being her inspiration and I'm so happy for her and love her so much!

Scriptures I like from this week in my studies:

- Matthew 15:11 "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

-Matthew 16:24"...whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."

Well that's it for this week. I love and miss you all tons and hope this month treats you well!

Love,

Hermana Eyring

The only pictures we took this week were from today, sorry!

After our Nerf gun war and cake eating.

What happened to my finger/nail after playing basketball today...