HAPPY DECEMBER!

We had a big two zone meeting for all of Tuesday.This one is all of the Hermanas in two zones.

These are some Hermanas in my zone; my district.

When someone is leaving the mission they always have a picture with the other missionaries doing this hand signal which means "live well" and they also use it for "get lost".

Por esta semana fue muy interesante! (There’s my one sentence for you, mom!) This week had some solid ups and a hard down fall.  One thing I learned is always ask if they're married. The other thing is to just have fun. On Monday we met a new investigator! His cousin called us and wanted us to teach him. I can’t remember if I told you about this before, but we met and taught him and it was so great! The first time we taught him he was so scared and nervous. He had so many questions because his primo told him a lot about the church but in kind of random form. Ha-ha, so we taught him about the Book of Mormon and answered his questions. It was really fun and it was great! On Thursday we taught him again and it was a lot better! It was probably one of the funnest lessons I’ve had here. It made me excited to continue teaching him and others. It was great because it was the first time where I actually understood everything that everyone was saying, well for the most part. But it was so great because I was able to show my personality and have fun with the lesson, and I actually felt like I taught well! It was really great! We had a day long training the day before with our zone and another all day Tuesday. It started at 7:30 in the morning and ended at 6:30. We had a lot of practices and I learned a lot! So now I feel like I can actually do this and have fun with it! I am finally getting to show my personality with other people! 

  On Saturday we went to Centro with one of our investigators; the one who had the baptismal date for the 6th, to teach her on the temple grounds about families and about the temple and family history. It was a great lesson and she bore her testimony and it was so great! At the end of the lesson we told her all of the things she would need for her baptism and that she needed her papers that she was married to her husband. Well, come to find out they're not married. They have been together for 5 years and have a little girl together. We were dumb and didn’t ask her about this earlier. We just assumed. They can’t get married because he is still married to another person and has been for six years. They are separated for 6 years but never got divorced. I feel bad that we didn’t ask her about it before. She was super bummed that we have to move her baptism date later in a month or two. She wants to be baptized so badly and loves the church. I felt really bad, but we are going to try and help them with this and get them married because they really want to be married, but it hasn’t worked with the other wife. So we have a plan and we are going to keep teaching her and helping them. But changes (I don’t know the exact word in English) are this Sunday so I don’t know who’s staying in this area and who’s going, out of me and my companion. I really want to stay here some weeks and others I wouldn’t mind a new area, but I really want to stay I decided, for Patty and our other investigators that are so close to getting baptized! 

I’m learning a lot, I’m almost done with my training! Sunday is my last day and then I’m no longer a new missionary. I feel like I can do it and do it with success. I feel better about teaching and not relying on my companion for everything. The less active member that is dating the investigator that is a boxer wants to learn English really really bad! We have her a Book of Mormon in English and I read with her and helped her with it. It was really different and hard to teach a lesson in English but it was fun, ha-ha. So now whenever we visit them she talks to me in English and says whatever word she knows in English and sometimes it’s not good words so it gets interesting, ha-ha!

I love you all and hope you all have a great week! I encourage you all to read in 3 Nefi 11 for a nice preparation for Christmas. It’s a chapter of when Jesucristo visited the Americas and gave the sacerdoico to the 12 apostles. I love this chapter and teaching this chapter to others. It’s so strong and has a lot of meaning! I love you all so much and hope you all have a great time in the cold snow! One last funny for the day: We went and visited a less active member, and her kids were home when they were supposed to be in school. We asked why they weren’t in school and she said it was too cold for them to be outside and go to school for the day. It was probably about 75 degrees outside...I just stood there and looked at her like "you have no idea what cold is..." It’s been pretty nice here this week and everyone has their coats and thick sweaters on and I’m here enjoying my short sleeved shirt! Ha-ha it’s great! But really, have fun in the snow and drive safe!

Love Hermana Velasquez