A chis, A chis, los mariachis

I have in fact seen a mariachi band here, as well as a few nuns and I feel like Im officially in Mexico. Also theres two jovenes who ride their horses every night in the street and I always try so hard not to laugh.

Well folks, its happened, WEVE RECEIVED PHONES, and we can use facebook! I can only respond to messages on Monday but add me if you want, MadisonL.Shirley 

Okay one experience that was pretty cool this week. We contacted a woman, and showed up to her house for our lesson but she wasnt there, we headed on our way, when a minute later a joven on his motorcycle rolled up to us and just asked "when can I have a lesson". We were really taken back but he explained that the woman we were going to have a lesson with is a member of his family and heard that we were going to pass by, and when he saw us walking, wanted to have lessons with us. He told us he had just started reading the bible and had a lot of questions and wanted our help finding answers.

The next day we had a lesson with him, and he walked out of his house with our version with the bible!! He said his aunt lent it to him. We were taken back, and found out his aunt is a member, but he didnt even know! After our lesson we asked if he waould be baptized if he receives his answer all this is true. He said he would love to, but hes moving in a week, therefore hell be in the hands of some elders in a different zone. Why are the escogidos (chosen ones) always in a  different zone? But how cool is it that God has prepared him for this message already? I hope those elders can bring him to the truth!

I hope everyones doing great, I have seen SO MANY miracles in my mission, I hope you all can too!

Hermana Shirley 

 Reminded me of 1987. Big brothers always watching (Presidente Jones siempre esta mirandonos) 

Gotta flex with my Word of God

Just for Fun!

Reminded me of 1987. Big brothers always watching (Presidente Jones siempre esta mirandonos) 

My sister is a celebrity

Okay not even clickbait. I was watching safety zone (missionary training videos) and lo a behold, Hermana Shirley pops up on my screen. I have a high reputation to live up to.

Buen Dia todos! Not much to report this week that perhaps everyone would find interesting, but we had thanksgiving this past week, and theres a member who loves to cook, and knows Im from the US so she cooked me a thanksgiving feast, bless her soul and my cholesterol (yeah I definitely dont know how to spell that).

On Monday and for thanksgiving, our mission president gave us a challenge to only give gratitude in every single prayer for 3 days, at the start I was a little frustrated, I had things I really wanted to pray for, but as I came to do this, I feel like I was more grateful than ever this Thanksgiving, and felt extremely blessed. The past few days, Merida has felt like my home, and has actually reminded me of the Summers in Texas, and I have felt so happy and in my element. 

A miracle this week: yesterday we were walking a ton, and we were really tired, but we didnt have many contacts by the end of the night, so we decided to kick it into gear. Not even probably a minute later, there were two people leaving their house. We contacted, but I didnt think about my words as much as I should have. At the end of contacting them, the woman started to cry, I just hugged her, and asked if she wanted to talk. She said no, not now, but when we had a lesson she did. She said she wanted to meet with us in the morning (today) but our afternoon is booked up, so we agreed on Wednesday, Im excited to see what happens, and it was a good reminder to think more about the importance of every contact, are we really trying to share the gospel/love/help everyone we come in contact with? I hope all is well

Vaya bien, 

Hermana Shirley 

1.My sister being a pro actor (left)

2.photoshoot because we were bored but failing 

3. part 2 

4. Feeling like a tourist but this is actually my home lol 

5. Me hoping someone actually thinks im the Argentinian friend of my companion 

6. Yes I was judged a lot 

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"Well my sons a rapper and hes REALLY GOOD"

We ate with a member family yesterday and this mom gushed about how proud she was of her rapper son and how hes actually kind of famous. She started playing some of his videos and I was trying not to laugh. She said "I would show you more songs but theyre a little worldly and have bad words". Afterwards my companion informed me that she was surprised the songs they showed us werent the "worldly" ones based off the language.

My first transfer has officially ended and I am now in my second! I honestly feel like it went by SO fast even though my "mundane" life feels ages ago, but after adjusting to missionary life, it goes by REALLY fast!

This past week, I have felt like my spanish has improved a little and Ive had a lot of investigators and contacts tell me that my spanish is really good for only 2 months! Its all with Gods help! I even had a few people speak a few random words they knew in English to me, and I smile so much every time! 

Okay, biggest miracle of the week! We have an investigator, Angel, who is 15 years old h}and had the baptisimal date of 23rd of November, which has passed. As the time drew closer, he started to say he wasnt sure, that he didnt know if he wanted to, and stopping completing the commitments. My companion and I were about to have a make or break lesson (decide during the lessons to drop or continue based off their intentions) but decided to push it one more lesson because we had invited him to an activity with us that night. We decided to teach instead about the power of prayer, and at the end of the lesson, we had a kneeling prayer, and we told him in that prayer to pray if the gosepl was true. He did, and he also prayed for a happiness he felt as though hes always lacked. At the end, we all sat in our chairs and we asked how he felt. Angel is very closed, and doesnt show much emotion, but this boy responded "weird, I feel something in my chest ive never felt before" and then he broke down crying, and cried for a little bit. I would lie if I said I didnt start crying as well. We explained that it was the spirit giving him his answer. That night was really special and the spirit was so strong, we had other miracles that night too, but those are a tiny bit more personal to his life.

I hope everyone is doing super well!!! 

Hermana Shirley 

I remembered pictures! 

1. Me annoying my companion

2. me laughing because the third elder with glasses faceplanted right before the picture

3. being thugs

4. remember the alamo 

5. some of my best missionary friends in the field (dont worry 6A I havent forgotten about all of you)

6. 6 months of my companion

7. a member gave us money for lunch so we were living that high life eating SUSHI 

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Week 6??

Well im already in my last week of my first transfer, thats actually crazy

Per usual, i have very little time but here it goes!!

This past week my companion and i were contacting and we knocked on a door, a man answered and informed us he was a less active member but he welcomed us in and we taught him a lesson. He hasn't been to church long enough to think Hinckley is our current prophet, and was baptized 15 years ago. We returned about a week later and he shared with us that the day we met him, he had been praying to God saying, in Spanish, "father please help me, I don't feel good and I need your help, please send angels or someone to help me." He finished his prayer, got up to get a glass of water, and right then we knocked on his door. He said we are his angels. I love this story for two reasons, 1. God hears every prayer. Prayers of members, non members, less actives, children, and old people. He hears EVERY PRAYER, and he is WAITING for us to plead for him to help because he wants us to receive it so badly, sometimes we have to wait to practice faith, but we always receive it, and 2. He made me an instrument in his hands. Let me tell you i have a LOTTTTT of work to do to become a good missionary, to become His disciple, but God took my weaknesses and flaws and mistakes and turned them into strengths, just like he'll do for all of us if well only serve him. 

I also read Joseph Smith history this week, its really short but its SO cool! How amazing is it that God manifested himself upon the 

Earth for the restoration? There is only one other time written that God visited the earth, but he visited for the prayer of a 14 year old boy because its THAT important. Please go reread it, it filled me with such peace.

There's a lot of fun stuff i want to write but no time, but WHEN I GET A PHONE ILL BE BETTER also i finally have some pictures but cant send them today lol, next week it is!

Vaya bien,

Hermana Shirley

Chickens actually sound just like they do in Minecraft

Our neighbors have chickens and a rooster that wakes us up every morning.

WELL PEOPLE WERE GETTING PHONES, i dont know exactly when, our president has to finish his training first, but Im hoping itll be soon so I can email better, I swear Im not ignoring you all, I just have little time!

  Two nights ago our next door neighbor had a party from 12-4 AM with LOUD music, and let me tell you, these Yucatecas know how to PARTY. 

 

We had a great lesson with a recent convert and his mother, she called us "angelitas predicando el mensaje de gozo" or little angels preaching the message of joy, and said she could feel our love so strongly and that she already loves us. Her husband is closed to religion but we have high hopes for her!! Right now a lot of our investigators seem to not be progressing very much, but were working through that, finding ways to help and learning to trust God that much more!

Saturday I was feeling a little discouraged, just a little tired and unmotivated, but our lesson at 7 oclock changed that. This woman is so sweet and prepared for the gospel, she was so open and receptive to our message, and she is for sure a woman of faith. We have another lesson with her this week, and were really excited! Afterwards her mom gave us some chocolate, tortas, bolises, soda, marshmellows, and these pipe cleaner flowers she made that she was so proud of. These people are very giving with their food, and let me tell you, its a love language I am NOT complaining about. The food and everything is amazing, but of cousre the most important part was that we have a new promising investigator!

The first little bit here I kind of just felt like myself in a foreign country, not a missionary, and to a degree its true, but the past week or two when Im in a lesson, I feel myself becoming more than I am, I feel the power of the spirit take over and help me say the things that I dont know how to. I feel the power of God working through my calling, and Im grateful for that help, because this is impossible without it.

I was also thinking about how amazing it is that I get to have a year and a half of just focusing on others. I have no REAL worries of my own, I just get to focus on helping others, and honestly its a blessing, its a work in progress though Ill tell you that much for sure.

Okay, not a ton more time, but Ill write next week! Rock on 

Hermana Shirley 

I dont know... Hymns are starting to hit different

Pues... Ive completed over two months! Ill tell you, my regular human life feels so long ago but my mission feels really fast!! 

Muy rapido, I might not be able to write the 23rd of december, only call on Christmas, Im not sure yet, ever mission is different with their rules and the same applies for the new year!

BUT another week is done and passed, another P day here again, and we had Halloween and Day of the Dead! For Halloween I dressed up as, like the elders in my district so loving call, Nappy Hermana, AKA my hair was a mess and I was dripping sweat. 

I am loving this place more and more everyday. I feel like somthing clicked this week, I started feeling a lot more happy and like it wasnt so difficult. In fact, missionary life isnt always easy, but I actually think this area is easy, which makes me think that Ill be going to a Pueblo next, God always wants us to be challenged so we can become more than we currently are. How wonderful is the Refiners fire? Not sacrastic at all! Usually you stay with your first comp for 2 transfers and then with a new comp in the same area for the 3rd, so I probably wont leave for a while, but well see!

I see miracles from God every day. This week I started feeling like a real missionary. My Spanish is extremely flawed but I havent been embarassed about my learning process at all. I feel the spirit help me with the words to saw in our lessons and we have a few promising investigators, Ill tell you, the people here are really really special. I have started to feel a lot more love for our investigators, and when we have someone immediately cut us off and call us Apostate for our beliefs, I have been blessed to not even be mad, just happy that they have such a testimony in God they feel that others need to learn the "correct" teachings. Some days it rains right when I feel like I need it, and I always smile because I love the rain. My shoulder hurts less and my feet dont blister now, and I was even thinking the other day that I will miss this place when I return. I havent had health issues, and the members are so generous with their food.

On Saturday a family gifted us peanut butter and nutela on our way home, and I was actually thinking about how I needed to buy peanut butter at the store. After we went to a cultural appreciation put on by the church and watch traditional dances which was SO FUN , and a member paid for our uber on the way back. Tender mercies every day.

Ive realized I feel the most light and happy after a lesson, when Im actually working, when Im trying to focus on God and trying to serve. I hope you all can feel the same way, feel joyous in the hands of God.

Sorry this one was kind of boring but Ill try to spice the next one up, 

Hermana Shirley 

Is Merida hot? HAHHAHAHAHAHHAH yes

Okay basically Im just sweating my life away everyday, and this is their cold season. Yes, prayers would be appreciated. No, its been hot but it hasnt actually bugged me much, tender mercies people!

Okay people, let me tell you, a mission is not easy, sometimes I feel really defeated and dont know how I can really do this whole thing for 18 months, but then I pray for help and comfort, and EVERY single time I have received that help. I look back on the day, and wonder when I started feeling so much better and happy. 

We have a baptism the 23rd of November!! We taught a brief lesson with this investigator, then I had divisions and was in another area for the day my companion extended the invitation, but we had another lesson with him and hes accepted!!! MIRACLES! 

Some cool little things about the mission. 1. I have gotten really good at not scratching mosquito bites. 2. Everyone sleeps in hammock here, theres built in holes and hooks in the wall to hang up hammocks, and ive decided, I love sleeping in a hammock. 3. A family took us out to eat and knew I was from Texas so they took us to TEXAS ROADHOUSE and I let out the biggest gasp, and I may or may not have been singing along to the country songs there. oops, ill repent later. It was so nice just sitting in a car and restaurant and eating those ROLLS ugh. 4. The hermanas arent really working if they dont get blisters the size of their mission their first 2 or 3 weeks 

I was reading Preach My Gospel and it said, enjoying the gifts of the Spirit should be one of your most earnest desires, and I think that applies to all of us. Enjoy the spirit, enjoy this blessed gift from God! 

Also my companion and I were talking about how so often, the last house you knock on is the one that needs your message. Our last house was an English speaker, a less active member who is having a lot of troubles and pain right now, she said she wanted nothing to do with the church right now but I insisted that we wanted to help her, thats our job. We stopped by a few days later, and she wasnt home, so we left a note saying we love her. Today, we got a referal for this same person, and she wants us to come teach her. How interesting that our last house just happens to be someone I can speak to in english? Not a coincidence at all. God prepares people for you, you have to find them.

I hope everyone is doing well, please email me if you need anything! Thank you for your emails!!!!! Until next week!

Hermana Shirley 

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