Prayer For Progressing

Welcome back to the worst email on the planet, or maybe the worst missionary email. I hope you all enjoy wasting your time reading this.

So on Monday, I parted ways with Elder Granados as he went to the mission home to fly to Saint Croix, which was cool because I got to be in a trio! I was in a trio for 2 days with Cayey, and that was such a blast. I laughed so hard. Elder White and Elder Hemming are goats. I also had no food, so I ate all of Elder Hemming's toast with their honey. My bad, sorry man. But it was cool to be in a trio for a day or two. We had a lesson with their most progressing friend, se llama Nilda, and so we went to their bishop's house for a family home evening, and it was super fun. The bishop did an object lesson I really liked. He had us sing, and whoever won got 50 pesos (they use the term "pesos" here as in money, even though "pesos" is the Spanish currency of the Dominican Republic because the Puerto Rican dollar is the US dollar). So he said "pesos," and that means money here in Puerto Rican Spanish, so we sang some Mexican music. It was super fun, ahha. I think "Si Nos Deja" (a very catchy song). I was like, "I don't know how we ended up in Mexico." Anyway, he ended up giving the friend of Cayey (Nilda) 50 pesos, and it was Mexican money. This was his point: Satan works hard in ways to trick us into thinking we're getting something better than we will get, and I really liked that analogy. Satan is smart, just like it says in Helaman: "And many more things did the people imagine up in their hearts, which were foolish and vain; and they were much disturbed, for Satan did stir them up to do iniquity continually; yea, he did go about spreading rumors and contentions upon all the face of the land, that he might harden the hearts of the people against that which was good and against that which should come."

On Wednesday, we had transfers, so I got to go to Guaynabo and see all of my homies at the chapel. Sadly, I had to say goodbye to Elder Phillips, which stinks. I love that man. RIP Elder Phillips, may you always be remembered in our hearts.

I got a new companion, and I am still in Aibonito, which is super sweet. I love this place, and my new comp is super sick! He's very clean, and that's super cool. He cleaned the whole house like 3 times already, and I love it. He also likes doing the dishes, which is another plus.

Saturday night was super good. We went and visited Gisel's daughter, Oldalis. She told us to come to her grandma's, so we went and ended up teaching her sister, Celimar, the grandma (mom of Gisel), her cousin (who is the niece of Gisel), and we taught Yanitza that afternoon in her house in Barranquitas. This family is literally so golden. Also, our lesson had a member present with Alondra, Thaliana, and Olmarillis, who are the young adults around her age in our branch, so it was literally the most perfect situation ever. Please, please pray for these people to keep progressing: Yanitza Morales (sister of Gisel), Gisel Figueroa (the best person ever), Celimar Figueroa (daughter of Gisel), Odalis Figueroa (daughter of Gisel), Nitza (the grandma), Yanaliz (daughter of Yanitza), Frankie (Yanitza's husband), Enid (other sister of Gisel).

All these people are super elect. I need all the prayers I can get for them to keep progressing. Like I said in the beginning of this email, Satan is trying his best to stir up their hearts and make them follow him (nothing bad has happened; it's actually going perfectly). I just know how perfect this is going for this family. They need all the prayers they can get.

I don't know if I have explained the whole situation, but I know God's plan is amazing, and that this is all a part of it. I hate that sometimes we have to wait for God's timing to see the big picture, but I now understand why it was so hard and so bad for me to be here in Aibonito in the beginning. Something big was going to happen. I have a witness from the Holy Ghost, and I know I am supposed to have been here for this family. And I am so glad I endured to the end. They mean so much to me, and I am glad I didn't get transferred.

We found some guy and taught him. He has a barber shop in the mountains for 8 dollars, and it's kinda ghetto but kinda sick at the same time. I might have to get a fresh cut from this homie!

Overall, this was a super good week. I love my new comp and my new area.

We saw a cat outside of our house, and my comp hates cats and dumps water on it with me. It's fun. I like it.

The Isabela elders (area in my mission) had a guy with a gun in their church. Now no one's in Isabela serving, ahaha.

We had a service project with a less active in Cayey, and I got to chill with Elder Teuscher. Also, we dug a hole for a bench. I picaxed a banana tree, machetted a bush, caught a coquí, and then the lady gave us iced tea to take home. "I can't have this; it's against my religion," - Elder Tew.