Closer as Companions Than we Have Ever Been Before

How is it June already...I'm not sure!  May went by way too fast, but that's o.k. We're still happy and that's what matters.:)

This week was so great and also full of adventures.  On Thursday my companion and I had quite the event!  We had just finished eating lunch and were headed to our next appointment when it started pouring outside.  We had umbrellas with us so we opened them up when suddenly the wind started and a Mary Poppins event almost happened where we went flying with our umbrellas.  So we closed the umbrellas and took off running to the member's house where we had our appointment at.

As we finally arrived at the house relieved to find shelter from the storm, dear Hermana Karina, the sister who lives there, had news for us.  Apparently her husband had left for work in the morning and locked the front door like usual.  However her copy of keys which stay with her in the house were no where to be found.  Her front door is made up of 2 doors, one regular door and the other is a protection of bars that they use to lock.  So Hermana Karina opened up the regular door as she talked to us through behind the bars.  She was locked in and we were locked out.  So we stood there outside her house talking to her as the rain pelted our backs.  We decided we would go and try and find the combi so that we could go to our next lesson.  Hermana Karina brought us a long yellow plastic rain coat to use to keep us from getting drenched.  However, there was only 1 rain coat and 2 of us!  So we decided we would both get in it.:)  Hermana Karina helped us through the bars as we struggled to get it on.  We each put an arm in and the other arm around each others waist and there we were, glued together, but successfully in the rain coat.  We pulled the hood on to finish it off and off we went.  I am about 2 feet taller than my companion so sharing the hood was a little difficult but I hunched over and she stood on her tiptoes and we managed.  We probably looked hilarious I'm sure but we both had a good time:).

The work here is going great!  This week we have been working with a less active couple who were called as ward missionaries to do visits with us.  They are so great, they've started coming back to church, giving us references and going on several visits throughout the week.  They also accompanied us yesterday with the mountain group along with their son Daniel who is also less active.

 It was a great experience and we all learned a lot!  After the visits we talked to hermano Daniel, their son, and asked him what his opinion on serving a mission was.  Before he was against it and didn't want to go but he told us he had a change of mind and was going to start his papers.  We were so excited and very proud of him.

This week was amazing and we were able to witness many miracles.  I couldn't be happier to be here and know without a doubt in my mind that this is the Lord's work and he has a perfect plan for each one of us, his children, here on the earth.     Love, Hermana Peine

Tomorrow night's dinner

Baptisms and blessings

Well, in 3 days I will officially complete half of my mission.  I will be completing 1 year, which since I've decided to serve the mission of an elder, 2 years, makes it my halfway mark:)  Wow does time fly by fast!

This week my companion and I had the beautiful opportunity of seeing an investigator we have been teaching be baptized.  He is an 8 year old boy from the group in the mountains named Andrick. Though he is the first member of his family to be baptized we know he will make such a great example for his family.  His parents, one of which is hermana Flor who I talked about in last weeks letter and his younger brothers will soon be able to follow his example and be baptized as well.

The baptismal service was amazing and the spirit was felt so strong.  The mission president and his wife both came.  The elders in the other ward that meet in our same chapel also had a baptism so we did a combined baptismal service and did them together.  President and his wife performed a special musical number along with us and the elders.  After the baptismal service was over we asked Andrick how he felt and with a big smile on his face he told us, "I feel happy."

Being able to see such miracles in the mission field makes every pain, every trial and every heartache worth it.  One of the greatest blessings of being a missionary is being able to completely forget about yourself and focus on others.  Things like hunger, thirst and sleep are no longer such a priority.  What matters most is being the instrument in the Lord's hands that his children that surround us need.

I love this gospel so much and am so grateful for it.  It has been such a blessing to be able to see the blessings it brings as it comes into the lives of others and is something that I hope never ends.

I sure love you all and I hope you have a great week!

Love, Hermana Peine

The well where they get  water from at hermana Flor`s house

The Parable of the Oranges

Another great week here in Chiapa de Corszo!  It was a great week filled with hard work and learning.  Yesterday our church services were amazing, especially sacrament meeting.  Only one investigator came to sacrament meeting yesterday.  However, that one investigator traveled from an hour and a half away to do so.  Her name is Hermana Flor de Maria.  She is one of the most amazing people I have ever met!  She is an investigator who has one of the strongest testimonies ever.  She knows the gospel is true and has such a desire to be baptized.  However, the person she is living with, the father of her three sons is an alcoholic.  They are not married so she is deciding if she will either marry him or get separated in order to be baptized.  Anyways, she woke up at 6 am and left her little town in the mountains with two of her little boys to come to church here in Chiapa de Corzo.  She arrived at the chapel at 7:40 and waited outside until 9 when the doors opened and the services started.

While we were in Sacrament meeting a brother who spoke gave a beautiful talk that reminded me a lot of Hermana Flor.  He told a story about a parable of oranges.  The story talks about 2 employees who were working for the same company.  One of the employees had been working for the company for 5 years and the other for only 6 months.  The employee who had been working for 6 months suddenly was given a promotion and got moved up.  The other employee of course was very frustrated and wanted to know why the employee of 6 months got moved up when he had been working in the same company for 5 years and didn't get a promotion.  He went to his boss to ask for an explanation.  He walked in his bosses office and explained exactly how he felt.  "I understand your concern" his boss said.  "However, I would like you to run an errand for me quickly and then afterwards I will explain.  The employee agreed so the boss gave him some money and explained the errand.  "I would like you to buy oranges that my wife asked me to get that she is going to need for a party tonight."  So the employee went to the store, bought the oranges and brought them to his boss. As he arrived at his office his boss asked him, "What class of oranges did you buy?"  The employee shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know I just bought what was there."  "How much did they cost?" his boss asked.  "I'm not sure," the employee replied, "But you gave me 50 dollars and the change left over is 30 dollars so they must have been 20."  "Alright, thank you" his boss said.  "Now take a seat and pay very close attention."  The boss then called the other employee in and asked him to run the same errand.  As he returned the boss asked him, "What class of oranges did you buy me?"  "Well," said the employee, "There were many options to choose from and they all looked very good, but I remembered you telling me your wife needed them for a party tonight, so I called her and aksed her what she was going to use them for.  She told me she was going to use them to make juice so I asked the worker selling oranges which oranges would make the best juice and he said the valentina brand because they are the sweetest and most juicy.  So that is the kind I bought.  "Very good," his boss replied. "And how much did they cost?"  "Well that was the second problem," the employee said.  "I didn't know how many you needed, so I called your wife back and asked her how many people would be attending the party and she said there would be 30, so I asked the worker how many oranges would be needed to make enough juice for 30 people and he said I would need 15.  The oranges are usually $1.50 per orange but because I would be buying several I asked if he could give me a discount.  He agreed and gave them to me for a dollar each so it only cost me 15 dollars.  The boss looked at the other employee sitting in the chair.  "Now I understand," said the employee.

I love this story because it has a lot of comparison to life and the gospel.  We can either just go through the motions to get the job done because we are supposed to do it, or we can give it all we've got.  Hermana Flor is a great example of someone who has a pure desire and gives it all she has for this gospel.

I love you all so much and I am very grateful for each one of you.  Thank you for all you do for me, for your love and support.  Have a great week!

Love, Hermana Peine

Missionary Shoes

The Mattress

This week was awesome!  It was so full of adventures, spiritual experiences and answered prayers.

This week we received an answer to a prayer that we had been asking for awhile now.  We have an investigator named Daniel who is from the Dominican Republic.  He came here just to visit but then decided to stay and has been living here for a few months now.  He lives in an empty apartment and has been sleeping on the cement floor.  When my companion and I found out about his living circumstances we decided we were going to find him a mattress to sleep on.  We didn't know how and we didn't know where, but we were going to find one.  So we started praying and looking and asking around everywhere we went for a mattress for Daniel.  After several weeks we received an answer.  As we were in the house of a less active we are teaching named Ana Karen, I noticed a mattress leaning up against the wall outside of her bedroom.
I never imagined she would be thinking about giving it away but thought, "Well, I'll just ask in case." When I asked to my surprise she said she was just planning on throwing it away since they don't use it anymore.  She agreed to let us take it and give it to our investigator.  So we called a taxi and strapped it to the top and off we went. Hermano Daniel was so excited to receive his mattress and my companion and I were both so grateful for our answered prayer.

The mountain group are coming along great, we are currently working with a few couples we are teaching to get married so that they can be baptized in these next coming weeks.
I sure love you all and I hope you have a great week.  Thanks for all your love and support!  Love Hermana Peine