Raaaaiiiiin. (: July 28th, 2014

Well, I just want to let you know that I have officially succeeded at a
"Mexican-approved" Chocoflan.  I know, you should be so proud. (: I hope I
learn much more about the cooking here because it is phenomenal!
Wow. This week was just incredible! Let me tell you. Incredible!
It started out last p-day doing service at a member's home.  We helped add
a little more to the adobe house they're making as a family!  It was
wonderful.  We were covered in mud and just had a great time.  They live in
Pategonia which is beautiful and about an hour away from our area.  The
drive took us through some red rock and trees and wow.  I was just beaming
from ear to ear!
Also!  I had a lovely surprise and ate a fly in my drink at dinner that
night...and then I had cookies with grasshoppers in them later on! Ew. haha
just adventures (:
Awww and one of our favorite families (well, I say that about all of them
haha) but one of them called us the other day and asked us to come over.
We were a little worried because that doesn't happen very often where
someone says: Sisters, can you come over tonight? So we went over a little
nervous.  When we got there, they had a lovely cake they had made, a little
birthday banner, and a little present for each of us because they were so
sad they missed our birthdays last week.  How sweet is that?! People are so
wonderful (: I love them!
We also had a miracle the other day!  It was getting darker outside and
part of our area is full of winding roads.  We were going along and all of
the sudden this huge frog jumped out in front of us.  Now, of course I am
not about to hit a frog! No one else was on the road and so I slowed down
and swerved a little.  Not a minute later, a huge, black cow walks out into
the road and we have just enough time to hit the breaks (that obviously
would have caused more damage than the frog...). But it was so cool! We
felt so protected.  If I hadn't of slowed down for that frog, we would have
hit the cow.  You could barely see it in the dark night.  So that was
really neat!
Now, the best part of our week!!!
Church was over yesterday, and we were hungry as usual.  We were heading
back with our lovely sack lunch of chips and salsa when the elders told us
that we needed to leave right now and head down to Western Avenue to help
with all of the flood damage that happened because of the CRAZY storms we
had this week.  (one was so scary I literally prayed myself to sleep the
way I did when I was 5...). We didn't have any service clothes with us, of
course, and so the elders who lived in that area grabbed us some of
theirs.  Unfortunately, I had to keep the shoes I was wearing on because I
had no other option for shoes...they were sandals.  haha I was practically
barefoot the whole time.  We went from house to house...trailer to trailer,
shoveling piles and pounds of mud out of peoples yards.  We were there in
the heat for hours!  It was incredible.  I had never felt so exhausted and
so happy in my life!  It was a beautiful opportunity to serve and although
it was very physically trying for me, I loved every minute of it! The
people were so grateful.  One lady we spent most of our time with was just
bawling.  She was so touched by our offering to help her.  We spent a good
2 hours or more in just her front yard.  She happened to be on the corner
of the street and she just got nailed!  We drove past houses that had lakes
in their backyards!  Crazy.  But it was a wonderful missionary
opportunity!  They all asked as we went along, "What church are you all
from?" "Where is it at and what time does it start?" I even made a friend
(: Edgardo!  He kept me going along.  "Keep going, Hurst!" haha I really
hope they will all remember this experience and seek out the church.  It
was even neat because Telemundo came,  Spanish news channel, and
interviewed Obispo Astrain and filmed us sweating away hahaha.  Good times!
Good bonding times, too! (:
What I learned this week: Service truly is love!!
Also, I want a cow, some chickens, and some good working boots one day so
that I can do some hard work! (:
WE CAN DO HARD THINGS!

Love. Shine on (: