Week 24: Behind Every Soul Is A Number

Can you tell my Great-Great Grandma was born in Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua?

Hola Familia!

This week was great we almost doubled our numbers in every category. I know it is not about the numbers but it is nice to see a reflection of the work you do. The change really came because I decided we were going to teach a lesson every hour no matter if our appointment fell through, and our back up plan fell through, and our plan c fell through... This is a city FILLED with people. There is always someone we can teach and we don't need to waste our time walking from house to house looking for people that aren't home. Also, my companionship has improved a lot. We are just so much more united. We were always fine. We never had problems but now when I look over at her teaching I am just so happy that she is my companion and that I have someone as great as Hermana Sic to work with. You can be comps with anybody but there are only some people that you thank God for sending you.

So this week we did divisions with Hermana Wong and Hermana Jones following the new model of having both of them work in our area. Anteriormente [before] someone would go to their area and someone would come to ours but now we work as two separate companionships in the same area.  It was a bit stressful trying to plan twice as many appointments for the same day but I think we pulled it off rather well. I was with Hermana Jones-- honestly she is an angel!  There were times during our lessons where I literally turned to look at her to make sure she wasn't glowing (maybe it is just that she is very blanquita :) but I swear she almost was). She has such a sweet spirit and disposition I loved working with her :)

I finished the Book of Mormon for the second time in English here on my mission a few days ago.  It was so awesome. Now I just have to hurry up and finish it in Spanish!

I love you guys :)

Hermana Lambert

The following pictures and commentary about our typical meals are courtesy of the awesome Hermana Wolferts:

The classic meal we eat here is as follows. We almost always have 3-4 courses. I'm working hard to not get fat. That's actually not really true. I eat a ton. It's good that we walk a lot!

The first course is almost always some sort of soup, usually a pasta or vegetable soup, or both.

The second course is rice! I really like the rice here (: And people put either banana or egg on it sometimes and it's really yummy (I promise, it sounds weird but it's actually really good).

And then we have some sort of a main dish! I'm in love with salsa verde. I'm going to buy that stuff by the gallon from cafe rio when I get back (it tastes a lot like the cafe rio stuff, but that's about the only similarity between the food here and there).

And ALWAYS the meals are supplemented with tortillas. It doesn't matter what you eat. The people here are just SHOCKED when I tell them we don't have little tortilla stores on every corner back home. They all tell me I need to start a tortilleria when I get home. But the thing is that NO ONE eats tortillas in the states like they do here.

Week 23: Letter

Halloween Packages and Cleaning Supplies!!

The part about writing you guys is I can't remember what I already told you. Did I tell you about the Menos Activa [less active] that insists on calling me her nuera [daughter-in-law]? Did I tell you about our Mariposa Lavanderia amigo [Butterfly Laundry friend] named Jesus who promised to come save us by splashing bleach in the face of any of thy guys who bother us? Did I tell you about the lady who uses some glasses she found in the trash as a headband, or that some people said that with my accent I could be from Chihuahua (I'm working on my buenas noshes y mil oshoshientos -1800)? Did I tell you about the abuelita [little grandma] that is teaching me to crochet (I am making a tie)? There are just so many things that happen. Mas que nada estamos aqui trabajando duro. [More than anything, we are here working hard.] Hitting the streets, knocking doors etc. Asi es, la vida de una missionera. [So it goes, the life of a missionary]

Hna Wolferts sent her mom some pictures of me so you can check her blog if you want to see my beautiful Mexican outfit. 

 I guess I will tell you about Alma. She is a golden investigator. She has some addictions (not sure what to) but she hasn't had any since we started teaching her. We teach her everyday at 6 and she says when she is anxious all day it isn't to go buy more drugs, it is for us to come and teach her the word of God. We go very slowly with her because it is hard for her to remember things and she can't read. But we leave her with pictures to help her remember the lesson and she explains it back to us the next time we come. Really, I think she captures what we are teaching more than most of the people we teach. She worked collecting trash and washing taco stands. I love her, she has had such a hard life but she wants to get baptized and is actually fulfilling  all the commitments! It is like a miracle! To answer your question, Dad, yes, my area is definitely one of the richest in my mission, but as you can see we have our success with the poorest.

Alright, I love you guys!

Hna Lambert

P.S. Hey Mom can you see if you can get my sibs to write me?

Week 22: 5 %

We celebrate Day of the Dead

Hermana Sic showing some local color

And it Glows!

Well you know how last week we had 0 progressing investigators? Well we still don't have any, but we have 11 promising nuevos!! It has been amazing. My comp and I have the lowest acceptance rate in our district (5%) so we are trying to examine how we are contacting to see if we can work on that...

I went to the temple today (thats why I am writing martes (Wednesday) instead of lunes (Monday)) it was fantastic, but once again I don't have a lot of time...oops!

Well, familia numero uno is a mom and her 5 kids ages 14, 11,10, 6, and 5.  They are an amazing family.  When we teach them I feel like it is all to good to be true. They are all so attentive and prepared :)  When we finished the first lesson we launched in to the whole "You guys actually have to pray about this for yourselves or you are never going to know spiel" and I tried to commit her to pray about our message. Despues que yo dije "Usted orara con su familia para saber si estas cosas son verdad?" su cara cambio y me dijo [After I said, Will you pray with your family to know if these things are true?" her face changed and she said to me:]  "Ok .here is the thing..." When she said that my heart just dropped. I thought, "Oh no, here come the problems," but then she continued, "I already prayed. I have been wanting to talk to you guys for sooo long. My kids go to school right across the street from your church and we would always see you and you would always Salud us [greet us], and I told my kids, "You salud back even though you don't know them." Your church always called my attention but I didn't know how to acercarme [get involved] so I prayed. I prayed and told Heavenly Father that if this was what he wanted for me and my family then I wanted you to come to us. And here you are." 

You can't imagine how close to tears I was. Months without a progressing investigator, and here is this lady with her 5 beautiful children looking,

and longing, and praying for la verdad. [the truth] I then asked her that if she comes to know that this really is what god wants for her and that our message is true, would she be baptized? She turned to her kids and asked them one by one if they wanted to be baptized AND THEY ALL SAID YES and then she said yes! I was so close to tears:) we decided to wait till the next appointment to explain that the 5 and 6 year olds would have to wait a bit. But yah, they made me really happy and I will tell you about the other nuevos later :) I love you guys so much. 

Hna Lambert

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With Sis. Wolferts and Sis. Sic

A Beautiful Day in Mexico City!