Week 15: MI PRIMER BAUTISMO (My First Baptism)

Hola!! QUE GOZO ES BAUTIZANDO!!

But really this week was so awesome! 

We had a multi zona in Malacatan which means we had to take the super steep trip down the mountains of San Marcos!!  BUt the ride there is SUPPPER curvey and down hill and the drivers speed like mad men! But on the way down one of the Hermanas got sick and THREW UP ALL OVER ME!!!!! hahaha I was covered in pink throw up when I showed up to the conference!! But I am counting my blessing because we at least had water when we got home so I could shower haha Guatemala life.

 

Miracle of the week was when me and my companion were walking down the street in the dark on a Friday night past a group of men drinking and while we walked past one of them took their glass bottle and SLAMMED it down at our feet right as we walked past and not one piece of glass hit us, or cut us even though it was all at our feet. SO CRAZY. God is always looking out for his missionaries. 

Anyways HERMANA FLOR DE MARIA GOT BAPTIZED!!!! She is 67 years old and cannot read and has some kind of a disease. She has SO much faith. She was not able to read the book of Mormon which is a huge part of being converted so we had members go read with her and she gained her testimony this way. Sometimes we would call her to remind her about church and she would give an excuse but then in the end say that she knows she has to come because it is what God wants for her. She has been such a good example to me to trust more in the plan that God has for all of us! Her baptism was really special and I will never forget it!

 

The language is really coming along. I am able to say most everything I need to say. I have caught on to the grammar and I am able to understand almost anyone except people with different accents haha The only thing I still struggle with is talking in past tense, but it all comes with time!

There is so much joy in this gospel. We have the knowledge of a savior, a savior of the world, for our sins and pains. There will ALWAYS be a second chance because of Him. This is all possible through the love of God, because He was willing to send His son. May we never forget this ultimate act of love and sacrifice. May we always remember we need to come unto Him and make use of his atonement, because he cannot use it for us. I am forever thankful for this pattern of love. 

Feliz semana a TODOS!! DIOS NOS AMA!

Con Amor, 

Hermana Salisbury

Week 14: Yo soy una CHAPINA (I am a Guatemalan Girl)

Hola!! Feliz Pday!!! 

Yo espero que sus semanas fue SUPER calidad y GOZOSO!!

Pero, this week was so awesome!! It went by sooo fast!!

Earlier this week I got really sick, and I received a priesthood blessing from my AWESOME Zone leaders!! I am feeling 100 percent better now! 

So we have been scared of dogs lately because one of the Hermanas here got bit and had to receive 7 shots for rabies!!!! But this week one dog cornered me and Hermana Hernandez into an ally and we had no where to go!! So we said a quick prayer together and then tried to figure something out, and right after a group of ward members happened to be walking by and helped us get the sketchy dog away!! hahaha miracles!

We were in a taxi and the guy asked if we were from America and I said yes. And he went off yelling at us about our country and how our president is so messed up to everyone else. and as missionary's we are not allowed to talk about politics so we tried to tell him we are missionarys and we are here to spread the gospel and he would not stop! SO i went BEAST and I said, SIR we are not representatives of our country we are representatives of Jesus Christ. DROP THE MIC hahahha but that was just scary, that just because i am from somewhere I can be put in some danger with people like that. 

This lady was looking at our family picture and she kept calling my dad GUAPO OVER AND OVER SOOOO AWKWARD and then she asked how old he was and laughed REALLY hard. Yikes. 

But I am sooo happy to announce that I am FINALLY having my first baptism THIS SATURDAY!!! I was actually the one that found her in September and now she is getting baptized! Her name is Hermana Flor de Maria!

We also had intercambios this week which means I was in charge of my area this week!! I had to run all of the appointments and lesson! I really did not know if I could do it or not with my Spanish! But it was such a cool experience because sometimes I would not completely understand the questions I would be asked in lessons but every time I opened my mouth to respond my mouth was filled with the right answers. I am sooo grateful for the love god has showed me by helping and guiding me through the spirit.

I love the story in the bible when the 4 friends of a man suffering palsy brought him to Christ. Something that this man could not do for himself. They cared enough for their friend to bring him to the light of the world. These 4 men are such great examples to us. We have the ability to bring others to Christ by sharing the gospel with them. They are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it. Always be willing to show your gratitude to the Lord by sharing the gospel. 

Les amo MUCHISIMO!! Tengan feliz semana!!

Con amor, 

Hermana Salisbury 

Week 13: FELIZ 3 MESES (Happy 3 Months)

Hola familia y amigos! 

Yo espero este semana fue SUPER calidad!! 

So this week me and my comp got sick! We only had to stay in the house for a day and it was torture not being able to be out and about talking with people! So I had a full day locked in the house so I read EVERY conference talk we had haha missionary life. 

After we felt better we got the WORK the rest of the week! 

I got a kiss on the hand from an OLD MAN and it was just horrible. I swear I am getting more action on the mission THAN WHEN I WAS AT HOME hahaha 

I learned this week that everyone really likes my long light-ish hair haha I got a lot of compliments on it this week and I even got an offer to cut it so someone could make a wig out of my hair hahah yikesss

We had lunch this week with a family and they fed us the biggest plate of food!! It was so hard to eat cause I was so full and I seriously thought I was gonna throw up, and right when I had this thought one of the kids THROWS UP IN FRONT OF US and then I was like oh no I am gonna throw up in front of this family right now. But I had the strength to keep it down hahaha

Rejection is SO REAL out here!! I get rejected everyday!! I will invite someone to church, or to get baptized, or to pray and they will say no and I just say bueno esta bien!! I also get laughed at sometimes!! And I cannot help but smile to myself when that happens because I know that even though I just got rejected I am still apart of the greatest work in the world, bringing souls unto Christ!!

I think the language is coming along! I got told I sound like a CHAPINA!! So I am PUMPED!! (Chapina is basically a local in Guatemala)

But YAY 3 MONTHS!! I have learned SOO many things in this time on my mission. But something I have learned a bunch is we always need to trust in and be willing to follow the will of the Lord. We naturally as humans want to take our problems into our own hands and try to figure it out on our own. But what I have learned is when we have trust in the lords will, and let Him take care of our problems, there is so much more joy in life. Rest from your burdens and seek this JOY!!! 

QUE GOZO ES EL EVANGELIO DE JESUCRISTO!

Con Amor, 

Hermana Salisbury

Week 12: 1st Conferencia General en Español! (My First General Conference in Spanish!)

HOLA! 

This week was pretty eventful. I saw my first dead body in the street! It was super bad. But I hope he is ok and his family too. 

So leading up to general conference we ran around inviting everyone we could! It was so much fun! But my first general conference in espanol was so rough!! 10 hours of translating was so hard on my brain haha! At some point I just gave up and tried to listen to the background because you could barley hear the English if you listened hard enough. So I got about 35% of conference. hahaha

Before conference we ran around picking up all of our investigators, we couldn't find one of our investigators and as we started to walk to the church for conference we saw her walking the opposite way!!! So we ran up to her and asked where she was going and she literally ignored us the whole time we talked to her!! haha I was like are you serious! I just cannot believe I am a 19 year old girl trying to get full grown adults to come to church! I love it!! So much fun hahaha 

It has been raining SOOO much in the mountains this week! Like I am not exaggerating when I say we are walking in RIVERS trying to get from place to place. The streets turn into rivers when it rains here! And we have lots of STEEP hills so the goal is to not slip down and fall on the way to lessons. 

But overall this week was full of miracles. This week I really felt the love of God. He is the most powerful being in the universe but he makes time for every single one of his children, us. We are children of God and we all have a unique purpose in this life. And because God is so loving He sent his only son as the perfect example for us so we could live with Him in his presence forever. God has a perfect love for us. My goal is to develop this kind of love, this kind of charity for all the children of God. 

Con amor, 

Hermana Salisbury  

Week 11- Mi primer propuesta de matrimonia (MY First Proposal)

All I can say is WOW what a week hahaha so much has happened. 

I volunteered to give a talk this week in sacrament meeting! They asked all the missionary's in our ward and I raised my hand first! haha it was super fun! My first real Spanish talk!!! It was only a good 7 minutes but I was pretty impressed with my self! haha 

Also this week I got put with another gringa in my area and I had to be in charge for a FULL DAY haha! It was kinda of stressful but at the same time I showed myself I can actually speak Spanish and make plans in Spanish when I need to! 

We have been working on inviting EVERYONE to baptism. Like literally we meet them on the street and 5 minutes later they have a pre date for baptism. Super cool. but anyways we were in a super confused ladies house and we had just invited her to baptism and she accepted but I asked her right after if I could us her bathroom and she was like, For my baptism__ and I was like ohhhh my goodness NO hahaha 

So yes I got my FIRST MARRIAGE PROPOSAL THIS WEEK. I was walking down the street and this guy runs up to me asking if I would marry him because I am from the USA??? hahah and I turned and around and straight up said, [I am a representative of Jesus Christ and my purpose right now is to preach the gospel ADIOS[ hahahah Lo siento to that guy!!! Anyways i am so sick of getting cat called here!!! LIKE SERIOUSLY!. I get yelled at out car windows, roofs, tiendas, EVERYWHERE hahah so dumb! 

Also saw my first Guatemalan funeral. They literally have rock and roll BLASTING on top of a jeep with the dead body inside. SOOO WEIRD!! Faulta de RESPECTO hahaha jk 

Also I had AT LEAST 3 people tell me they couldn't understand my English while I was speaking STRAIGHT SPANISH to them!!! SO RUDE. They would say "I am sorry I cant understand your English" Then I would say, "THIS IS SPANISH" hahaha.

 

Anyways to end the week right we almost got attacked by 7 crazy dogs!!! We came around the corner and they seriously RAN after us and we were like ohhh puchiga. But we thought super fast and pulled out our umbrellas and opened them right in front of them and they got scared and ran away. hahahah 

But this week I realized the reality of the story of Jesus and Peter walking on water. I LOVE how Jesus reached out his hand IMMEDIATELY to help Peter. That is what he does for all of us, our job is to have the faith to grab his hand and TRUST. When we trust in Him, in His will, and His timing we receive the blessings of peace and comfort in our everyday lives. I have learned that when I have trust in Him, the one that has walked where I have, my challenges are so much more bearable. There is not a place we will stand that He has not already stood. Trust in the one with the experience.  

Con Amor, 

Hermana Salisbury