Week 11: "Serving" to Serve (May 16, 2016)

So I'm crying a little bit inside because I forgot my planner and journal and so cannot quote some of the things I wished I could tell. This week was absolutely fantastic 100% and there is no possible way to even tell you a half of it. I feel like Mormon when he says, again, that the Book of Mormon contains only a hundredth part of all the history. Because same. My emails literally contain only a hundredth part of all that happens, but in a way I should be grateful because this way no one will get too terribly bored of my mission stories when I get home :)
This week was full of so many crazy experiences and packed with miracles. Having forgot my notes, only a few of them are written in this week but the ones that are have plenty of words on their own.

Some quotes from this week:
"We have infinitely exceeded our number last week for member present!" -Hna Dungan (We had zero last week and we got 2. Anything times zero is zero so it has to be infinite)

"What are the last names of Adan y Eva? Perez. For in the day you shall partake you must surely perez (perish/die)!" (broken translation but it actually more or less works)

"These are some good missionaries." - Elder Christofferson (!!!!) after shaking my hand and the hand of my companera.

"No sean tonto!" - Don't be dumb, translation courtesy of Elder Nunez. (This is my Dad's favorite phrase to say to us kids.)

Saturday - We had district council this morning, it's always such a blessing and a wonderful opportunity to learn. Afterwards we rushed to service at the Wells House which is pictured below. We volunteer at the museum and they needed some help with a tea party. Now this is a little bit ironic because as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we don't actually drink tea. But apparently we can serve it and so that is what we did. We wore all black and they gave us aprons and lacy headbands, I won't lie, it was a tiny bit ridiculous but such fun. Then we tried an investigador (investigator) but the situation didn't really end up working. But we contacted another referral and got to eat dinner with a less-active we had been trying to visit for a really really long time :))) She took us to the conference where I ran into one of my college friends, Raechel!! There were so many incredible talks, many from recent converts or those reactivated. It seemed that missionary work and the temple/family history were stressed the most throughout all of the sessions.

Sunday - Special session of Stake conference for just Spanish that morning. It was amazing! Elder Christofferson is the only Apostle that speaks spanish and it was honestly such a blessing. We had an investigador, Mauro, come that morning! We met him on the street with all of his kids a little while ago, he called us over to talk because he sees us walking up and down his street all the time. We've only had one real lesson with him but it was with a member and so he came!! It was wonderful, I was walking on clouds. He listened very intently to all of the talks and after it all he just kind of watched Elder Christofferson. I asked, "Que piensa?" (What do you think?) "Oh, muy bien, muy bien" (it's good, very good) was his response with a rather joyful smile. Elder Christofferson asked us if all of us in the meeting would be willing to come up and shake his hand after. If we were willing, I almost laughed. It was amazing. This little Spanish gathering with these amazing members each got to line up and shake an apostle's hand, as well as a 70's hand. Wow. Hermano Clive, our ward mission leader had brought Mauro and took him home right after the conference which we were a little sad about but we were mostly just thrilled he had come at all. Hno Clive told us that Mauro said he really enjoyed it and that he felt the Spirit. I could have died of happiness right then and there but it was only 9 in the morning and the rest of the day was simply incredible. Our bishop had made breakfast burritos for our little ward afterwards which was a brilliant idea. We got to come together and talk and uplift each other, all riding on the amazing Spirit that was there. There were plenty of chistes (jokes) that flew around, but I'll write those in a separate email some other time.

Then we had the ingles (english) session and then dinner with a member family. Except all of the biggest jokesters were also there. It was a really fun dinner, and it was a little sobering as well as it turned to politics which we diverted with a story in the Book of Mormon about how when we fight for our families, our freedom, our religion, the Lord is on our side and we shall prevail. It will be hard, sure, but it will also be something that we can be sure of the ending. And then I had the opportunity to tell the one joke I know in Spanish about the Lamanita's wrinkled shirts because of their lack of planchas (plates/irons). Thanks Hermano Mecham.

I'll write more next week about some of the miracles, chistes and things I have learned this past week but for now, hasta luego!

Les quiero :)
--
Sister Jaycie Baird
Washington Yakima Mission

Sometimes the best way to serve is to literally serve tea and cupcakes to little old ladies dressed up like some kind of Downton Abbey (or however it's spelled)

 ​Clouds falling from the sky in Wenatchee :)