The Prodigal Son

Buenos Días todos! Espero que tengan un buen dia! 

Spanish is going well! My trainer is really Helping me get out of my comfort zone by staying silent when we knock on the door or when we call someone. The meeting people for the first time is getting there but I was able to speak an entire phone conversation! Baby steps

Anuncio!! Madain got baptized this week! It was my first baptism on the mission so far and I definitely teared up with how much joy that I have that he is making that choice to follow God and be an example for the rest of his family. I am grateful to see those moments where I knew that this was what I was meant to do my entire life and that I am fulfilling that purpose. Madain is like the prodigal son.  He canceled his baptism and left for 5 weeks but decided he needed to repent and come back. And he made it! He made it back to the arms of his father in heaven. 

Me and my companion gave a 4 minute restoration talk at the baptism and 2 native speakers asked me if I spoke Portuguese because I have a Portuguese accent in my Spanish. Honestly that is the best compliment I have ever had and I strive constantly that I will never have an English accent in my Spanish. I heard that Portuguese is Spanish with a French accent with English grammar... which us 100% me 

We had a big musical devotional and there were auditions to play instruments that would accompany songs so I naturally auditioned with the cello and.... it was bad. He told me "Maybe February" so it was a disappointment especially because I know that I am supposed to be increasing my musical talents. But there were a lot of other things against me too, I had no practice, no cello music to actually accompany, and I was playing by ear. I was still part of the choir though and that was great! 

A few emails ago, I talked about how we met this Hindi man at Rancho Market who prays at the ogden temple and the missionaries started teaching him.... but he never sent the selfie we took. We invited him to come and see the musical devotional and HE MADE IT!! so immediately we rushed over there and said hi and used Google translate into hindi if we can send the selfie to our phone. So I have it! It's in this email. It is probably my favorite picture from my mission. We found the elders that are teaching him and apparently the temple square sisters who speak Hindi call him once a week and chat with him....and he has actually accepted to be baptized!! Literally so crazy. Miracles just happen all of the time :) 

Food of the week: pupulsas. Mario and Salvadora, a family that I am teaching, makes the best pupulsas and I am going to have to ask them and the rest of the ward their recipes. It's a fried dough made of corn flower and it's stuffed with chicharon, beans and cheese. Then there is a special red sauce and a cabbage carrot and oregano mix that goes on top. Sooooo good

I want to share my testimony that as this world may become increasingly dark it becomes much easier to see God's light in our lives. There are still righteous people that are still willing to make promises with the lord and are striving to stay on the iron rod. Thank you for listening to my stories! I appreciate sharing my mission experiences with each and every one of you ;) 

Hermana Vestel