Given in the Moment

Wesley and Jenna

Fam!

This week was pretty good. We have to work extra hard to find people who will let us teach them in this area, and after leaving some people, we're still looking for interested people to add to our teaching pool.

But I am excited about Julio. When we met him, he told us he was atheist, but now he says he prays at night and accepted an invitation to be baptized, and is working towards being baptized the 4th of January! He read up to 1 Nephi 16 in 4 days, and every pamphlet we give him. Woo!
We had zone conference this week (my first in the capital!) and we watched a Disney short video called Piper. I'm surprised how much I got out of it. It's about a baby bird 🐤who eats clams, but he's afraid of the waves on the beach and he finds his own way to confront his fears and finds a new, better way of finding clams. In my situation, I find it difficult to talk to strangers and think of things to say, but when I open my mouth, that's when I think of the things to say. I wish I could formulate the perfect response in my head first, but if I use faith and trust in the promise that I'll be given what I need to say in the hour I need to say it (without worrying about what I have to say beforehand) then that's when I know what to say-- in Spanish! I used to think the Gift of Tongues was supposed to help me master Spanish faster, but from my experience, it's always been something I've been given in the moment I need it.

I have been reading Saints --today with a donut I bought myself.  (Photo on the left.  I'm actually really healthy Mom, you'd be proud of my whole wheat bread)

I am so sad one of my comps is going home this week-- Hermana Gervais! I learn so much from her. I can tell she understands her purpose as a missionary, and I aspire to be as fearless as her. She's a prime example of someone who knows how to open her mouth. But Hermana Mercader and I are going to keep working hard here in Independencia.

I took this photo of some "inspirational graffiti" that I might've gotten a tattoo of --had I not been a member of the church!  It makes no sense and has grammatical issues.

Love,
Hermana Lo-jam (how I was presented in my new ward)

A child peacefully eating her rice in a little plastic chair amid all the chaos!