Sorry to be so late, this morning for P-Day we all went and played soccer as a zone. I never thought the day would come when I would like soccer, but I actually love it so much… I have no idea what I am doing but hey, I actually scored a goal this morning!
Once again, Monday has made its way around and I am hit with the halting reality of how fast the mission is flying by. I think I have hit a little bit of a mid-mission funk (even though halfway has come and gone), I have been really stressed about seeing the fruits of my labors and always giving my all, no matter what. Thankfully I have a wonderful companion that keeps me grounded and always puts a smile on my face.
Hermana Steel has officially become my favorite companion. I love her so much. I love her work, her dedication and her love. She is so amazing and has become one of my closest friends. I love working with her because she always keeps me positive and looking on the bright side of things, even when the world seems dark around us (something that often happens here in stormy, overcast Juayua). But no matter what, we always manage to laugh, and wake up each day with desires to work our hardest. I know that the Lord will one day show us the fruits of our labors. I think the greatest fruit though has been finding one of my best friends.
This week was a little crazy with interchanges. As the cambio is shrieking to a close, we are trying our hardest to help the other sisters and we went on interchanges with Los Naranjos, El Arco 2 and Suncuan. Each, interchange had a powerful lesson that the Lord wanted to teach me.
On Tuesday we were in our zone meeting when one of the hermanas fainted. We took her to the hallway and tried to figure out was wrong. Really it was hilarious, a bunch of 20 year old nurses running around like headless chickens, “Quick!!!…. Get some leaves!” But really, we were really scared and thought she might be going into kidney failure. Her back hurt, she was really weak and she was going in and out of consciousness, to the point where I had to physically carry her to the car. She is a tiny little thing, but it was pure dead weight, and letting an elder carry her was just out of the question. We got into a tiny pickup, my comp handed me money and a cell phone through the window and we went to Santa Ana…. We made it to the hospital okay, and the rest is history. It turns out that her problem is just parasites. DONT EAT IN THE STREETS! But no worries, she has received some medicine and is happily back to work.
On Thursday I went to Auachapan and I had the chance to work with Hermana Villatorro. I was so excited to work with her, seeing as she is the only other American sister that came in my group. She has the biggest heart and you can totally see her love when she works! At night we talked a lot about our goals and the things that we wanted to accomplish in our missions. It led me to do a lot of self-evaluation to see if I am putting in my best effort, and I have a lot of things that I can definitely do better. It was great to finally be companions though, even if just for a day.
On Friday I was able to work with another American sister here in Juayua, Hermana Biddle (see attached photo).She walked into the chaos of our house and saw my wall of letters and photos. She zoomed in on a small heart and asked, “Is that Mr. Darcy?!” I sure love her. Turns out, she is an Austin addict too! She is so kind and also has a huge heart. She has a strong desire to serve and to work her hardest. She is a little bit of a goof, but she knows just when to focus in and to bring the Spirit. We had a fabulous day, and even got soaking wet!
Other than that I am not sure what more there is to share. As for our own areas, I am not quite sure what the Lord will have us learn. We have been praying and fasting so much to be able to have a baptism, but just when we feel that we are becoming better missionaries, the fruits have become so much harder to find. I know that no effort is lost, but I am trying to see more of what the Lord wants me to see. The other afternoon I was talking to a brother from the ward in Progreso and he mentioned something that was truly a tender mercy. He said that even though we had not brought new converts to the ward, that we had helped many of the members become more converted, and that through the example of love we had tried to show, that we have left our area better than we found it. Though there is still a lot of race to run, I feel peace in my heart knowing that someone accepted the invitation to come to Christ.
So remember that, there are always fruits!
I sure love all of you. Thank you for your support and for your prayers.
Be happy, be epic!
Hoorah for Israel!
Love, Hermana Hipol
