I Finally Got My Tacos!!!

We FINALLY made tacos!! We have become friends with a young couple in the ward and on Monday night we went and made tacos with them!! And they liked them so much that we combined with 2 other sisters and had another taco night with them and their extended family last night!! They have all the pictures so those will come later but it was so fun and I am so glad that after 5 weeks together Sister Barco and I finally got around to making our tacos!

2 divisions this week, and from what President told me in the interview this week they will probably be my last ones which is a little bit of a relief but also kind of sad. I LOVE doing divisions with other sisters and I always end up learning so much from them and creating so many friendships. Sister Dos Santos loves sushi and there is a restaurant in our area that sells each one for $1. They gave me a free one to try and I actually liked it!!! Who knew I would come to like sushi in the mission?!

Still radio silence from Paloma and we passed every day by her house but she is super busy and wasn't home. The good news is that she unblocked our number but we still haven't been able to talk to her. Praying for a miracle... I miss her. In the mission you come to love these people so so much and when things like this happen it hurts a little bit more than you want it to. But like I said, we are praying for her every day and left a few letters for her so I am hoping we at least get to converse with her this week.

Juliano, Edlene, still tugging along. Juliano is trying to set a date to be baptized but it is proving to be a challenge to coordinate with his family because he wants them all to be there.

Joane and family- still visiting them and she opened up to us this week about how she has been feeling these last 3 weeks. She said that ever since she survived an open-heart surgery a few years ago, she has felt like God has a purpose in her life and that she is feeling something different, something genuinely good ever since we started coming. She said she hasnt recieved an answer yet but thinks that this might be the thing that God has ben preparing her and her family for these past few years. I almost cried, it was so amazing to hear. I love her and her kids so much.

BUT yesterday we had a few miracles!! First- Erdenia. She is a friend of a member that has been coming to church for months but always had an excuse for us not to visit her. So we have just been trying to be her friend, talking with her at church and getting to know her better. Yesterday, out of nowhere, she came up to me and said "I want you guys to visit me because I think I am finally ready to learn more and be baptized eventually"!!! I was kind of shocked and asked "what?! really?!" She smiled and explained that she had felt the Spirit super strong during church and was finally ready, after 3 months, to talk more with us and prepare to be baptized. We are super excited to visit her(finally!) this week.

Second- Ernani. 2 months ago, with Sister Dias, we were waiting at a bus stop and I started talking to a random guy who was waiting there with us. He told us all about his family and accepted our invite to visit him and his family that week. But when we went to visit, no one was home and they didn't answer their phone so we figured they didn't want anything. But yesterday, guess who randomly showed up alone at church!? Ernani! Coincedence? Definitely not.

Third- received a call from the elders in a neighboring area giving us the information of an 18-year old girl who went to church in their ward yesterday. She has been talking with missionaries from Salt Lake via internet and decided to visit yesterday!! Her name is Stefany and we will meet her tomorrow.

This week I was thinking about how many people are ready to be baptized and how many people we have had the chance to meet here and feeling a little sad that I probably won't be here when they all are baptized someday. But it isn't all about baptism, it's about the little miracles and spiritual moments we have with these people that accumulate for months up until their big day. And I am very grateful for the many many miracles and spirit-led discussions we have had with these people I love so much here. I love being part of the conversion that takes place and seeing the changes in the lives of these people.

Wow, this was a long email, sorry about that, but part of the reason I write every week is for me to remember in the future as well. There are always hard parts but I wouldn't trade these experiences for anything!!

Love you guys,

Sister Lauren Mather

PHOTOS:
tacosssss
division com sister caballero
got to visit solange from atalaia!!!
sushi with sister dos santos
sister barco's first milkshake
lunch with sister lora e courtouke
acai...again
atalaia family at the stake devotional last night <3