I so look forward to hearing from you every week, you have no idea how much I appreciate the updates, no matter how routine. It's always so comforting to know that if EVERTHING falls to pieces here, that there will at least be an email from my family! I mean that as dramatically as it sounds!
It was good to get back into a groove this week, normal weather, normal appointments, normal appointment fall throughs, church, complete non-understanding of espanol...it's nice to know what to expect. We did have to go in early on New Year's Eve- we celebrated the new year with pizza, Abuelita (mexican hot chocolate- it's delicious, go to the store and buy it! Mmmm...), and an early bedtime! As always, sleep is the best gift! On New Year's Day we had two dinner appts back to back- both were HUGE. I thought that I might literally explode from both ends after round #2. Meal #1 was with a wonderful member in our ward and her bf- they made us a Thanksgiving dinner, meal #2 was with Marcos, a recent convert, who insisted on taking us to a Mexican restaurant and paying for our dinner. Hma Brewer has informed me that any time a hispanic offers me something I'm supposed to take it (aka eat until I want to die), and of course we want them to know how grateful we are that they don't have much, but they want to share what they have. I'm going to make the generalization that as a people they are SO kind and humble and generous. It's a blessing to see that example everyday!
My participation in lessons has increased dramatically this week. Not sure what happened exactly, maybe Hermana Brewer just stops talking and looks at me expectantly more often, but it feels good to be participating to some extent now. This week we taught the Restoration for the FIRST TIME since I've been here- can you believe that? Oh it was like coming home...back to the MTC...back to a lesson I've taught so many times...back to spanish words I'm actually prepared to use...so nice. Don't panic and think my spanish is understandable now- I've been trying to make some phone calls this week...and it's been...excruciating. As a matter of fact, (this was actually pretty hilarious), I called an investigator named Aurora and was attempting to make daily contact (which is even more of a nightmare because it requires small talk) and in my struggle to find words and understand what on earth she was saying she get fed up- and hung up! hahaha! This is a true story. Another funny true story- we stopped by a man named Macario's tienda he was interested and we were calling to confirm the appt we had and Hma Brewer was talking to him and he asked her, "Who is this? The white one or the big one?" bahahaha. Cross-culturally some things just never change ;) Oh, and I translated a little in sacrament meeting. Comical, really. There's a headset that looks suspiciously like the McDonald's drive-though ones and it has 2 output cords for the microphone and the headphones. When you are going to talk, you plug in the microphone one, clearly, and when we're singing or something we just unplug so that everyone isn't burdened with your loud singing. So I'd been doing the plugging and un-plugging, trying to come up with whatever spanish words I could, and was so relieved when the sacrament hit because we just read it out of the scriptures. In the bustle of things I plugged in the wrong cord- hence, no one got the only legitimate translation of the time I was up there! hahaha, oh I just laughed when Hma Brewer from the audience flagged me down and mouthed, "I. can't. hear. you." hehe, oops.
You will all also get a kick out of this- a lady from our ward had surgery and is confined to a wheelchair for awhile and in relief society we signed up to help her clean. We called to confirm and she told us she didn't need any help...but she did need a haircut and wondered if either one of us had that particular skill. OH MAN. I was on the fence here- I've cut my hair a billion times, and Dana's hair once (and then there was that time I dyed her hair purple), but someone else? So I told her I would try if it was worth the risk. When we got there I found out that she cuts hair. ARE YOU SERIOUS?! Oh man. And her hair was short. And curly. I now have all three strikes. But I had prayed for my meagre talent to be magnified, so I went in for the kill...she told us times were tight, so she was grateful for my help, and I was just so humbled. Well, it took me like 2 hours! Her husband asked me yesterday if as the aspiring cosmetologist I cut men's hair too...so I guess it turned out ok! haha, In order to accomplish things never before achieved, I certainly did something never before done! Story of my life these days, I guess- welcome to life outside my comfort zone.
We also blessed our house this week. Things were feeling a little sketchy in our house, so we did a little research via the white handbook and our zone leaders and the two of us made it happen! We are still slightly mocked by the elders, but the way I see things, I just don't have the time or the energy to deal with any more of Satan's garbage, so if a blessing on the house will make us feel better- I fully support it!
We have transfers next week and they are weighing heavily on our minds. Probably because it will be Hma Brewer's last transfer and my first one. President Perry called us this week to just check up on how we're doing...which I gather has NEVER happened in the history of her mission...so it will be interesting to see how things go down. Like mom, surprises are not my favorite- but I guess I better gear up for one big one every 6 weeks!
As for our investigators- they are just all over the map. People pop up and fall off with high frequency, so we just try to remain patient and follow the spirit. Some old investigators resurfaced this week and we had some sweet lessons and we had some awesome members participating too! I still cannot believe I'm a missionary, I thought the shock would wear off by now. I'm such a work in progress that it is sometimes slightly frightening, but I'm hanging in there. Hma Brewer and I are so different that I think it's hard for us to understand each other sometimes- but I know that we both are trying to do what the Savior would do and that keeps us more unified. I am trying to stay as humble as I can so I can continue to learn from her in this last week. This week she got a letter from a missionary from our mission who just went home...basically he thinks she's the best missionary EVER and it was also convenient that he thought she was cute ;) haha, she is adored by all that know her, so I'm trying to take notes and figure out how to weave the things I'm learning into my personality.
This week I studied about looking and living- you know the story of Moses raising the serpent? Always reminds me of how Dad used to tell me that story and relate it to seminary. Anyway- I am learning more and more everyday about looking and living. I realize with everyday that I knew less that I thought I did, am not as cool as I thought I was, am not as talented or smart or friendly or brave- but that I can do all things through God. Just gotta look. Love you all.
Hermana Sinclair
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