Shark tastes like chicken...

I absolutely am in love with all of the little children here!

UGLY dog!

This is one of our 80-year-old investigators, playing the piano for us!

These are the hermanas in our district... minus my companion and one other who went to the restroom at the wrong time!

Okay - so first off, this week I got to eat shark! It really did just taste like chicken...They made it like this cake-looking thing. It had tortillas with beans layered with the shark. I’ll send you a picture of it all. 

On Wednesday we had a Seventy come and talk with our zone and two others. It was really cool because we were able to talk with him and participate. And this time I got up a couple of times and asked questions and commented. It was Elder Valenzuela. We were with him for about 4 hours and we really did learn so much from him and I really was able to apply a lot of it to our area and all. 

This week we found this menus activo who has this son that is 9 years old and she really wants him to get baptized and he really wants to too, so we started working with him this week. He is this crazy, spazzy boy that is just all over the place but he is super great! He is getting baptized on the 20th. They came to church this Sunday and they both really liked it too! The mom is really wanting to come back too! 

So this week we got this reference to go see this family that we have passed by probably every day, but have never gone to talk to. They have 5 children ages 6, 5, 4, 3, and 9 months. They are always running in the streets and their house smells like an unclean bathroom. Their mom has mental problems and the dad is usually drunk. The best way I have found to describe them is the family from “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”. It’s that exactly how they act and how they look. We went to go see them and we had a lesson with them and the kids were just running all around wrestling with each other. I said to the mom, “so you have 5 boys and no girls yet?” and she said, “no. I have 2 girls and 3 boys”. I looked at them and she pointed out who her girls were and I could only tell that they were little girls by their little cheeks and their eyelashes.  I had to sit there for a second to look at them. The oldest is a little girl and was just on the ground wrestling in the mud with her little brother.  I was just shocked when she said that. We then sang with them, and I crouched down and got at eye level with them and we sang “soy un hijo de dios”. I just started to tear up a little bit because this little boy was just piercing my soul with his little eyes and I just felt so much love for him. He is only 3 and his smile was just so big while we were singing! That family is super great and we are going back tonight for another lesson! 

I have really learned so much this week. I really keep getting put back into reality when I see families like them. There are so many more that are just the same as them and we have just found such a love for these kids here. I love giving the kids those little things you have sent me mom and the little bracelets that Brooklynn sent me to give to the little girls! They always love it! Even if it’s just a little piece of candy. This area here in Campeche has really changed me so much. It really changed the outlook on a lot of things in my life. I really can’t even explain it. I know it sounds dramatic, but I really won’t ever be the same after I leave this area. It’s sad sometimes, but I really love it here so much! The people are so great and the kids are just the cutest! 

I love you all so much! Always be grateful and so humble for everything you have! 

Love Hermana Velasquez