"How About Someone Who Is About to Die?"

Right? My companion cracks me up… Explanation later... What a week!! And what a day! We went out on adventures this morning so we just barely got to the cyber. I don’t have a lot of time but Pte Franco said we can finish up our time tomorrow, so all you listeners at home, just wait, all you missionaries... well... doesn’t really matter because you still gotta wait! Last Tuesday we saw Karen!!! Finally! We had been looking for her for a while and we were getting really nervous. But turns out that she went off to the house of her grandpa for the weekend for her birthday! But we were able to teach her, AND talk to her mom about baptism!!! We wanted to let them know that we mean business, so we brought the form that the mom has to sign and she was super excited to do it!!!! That’s right. She will definitely get baptized on the 20th or the 27th, she hasn’t really decided. Also, custom here is to say hello its two kisses on the cheek. Girls. boys, grandparents, children. Everyone. Obvio as missionaries we just shake hands with the males. AND for the longest time I was so good at shoving my hand in their face and saying "Sorry we just shake hands!!" Until today. I was trapped and I think the kid was deaf and he said hello the friendly way that they do and by the time it was over I didn’t even know what happened. That’s right. Kissed on cheek. I basically screamed. Awkward. Wednesday we went to see our sweet Victor and in El Camino we run into a few members, I don’t know if I have ever said anything about them before but they are recent converts, she is 19, her husband is in his 60's, two kids. Yeah. It’s the truth. It’s actual. But now they live in our area!!! In a MANSION. Really the house is sooo old and out in the middle of nowhere. But they are super duper nice and welcomed us in and gave us a tour of their new place. And in their room there is a piano from 1915!!! It was so broken and had cobwebs and everything but still so beautiful. They had their clothes all over it and I asked them if I could fold their clothes just so they didn’t cover up the beauty. People these days, marrying their grandpas friends and covering beautiful pianos…I’m not judging I’m really not, it’s just rather interesting. But they have a really great testimony of the church already! And invited us over to have asado…that’s like BBQ, I think. Thursday!! We were just walking around and we wanted to talk to this girl outside who was washing her clothes... we talked to another woman outside washing her clothes too this day… I think it was like a trend or something.. And we started teaching her, her name is Raquel. We start with a prayer, right after the prayer the lady who was on the other side of the fence leaned over and said "When you’re done over there will you bring the word of God over here?" With pleasure. It was so cool! So we taught Raquel... not really interested and then went over and met Lidia (little old grandma) Juan her son and his wife Benita. So great! They say Amen after everything we say and love us so much. It was super cool I thought that we found them through Raquel. Friday we went and taught Rodrigo’s grandparents. They are just the sweetest old people ever. Francisco (grandpa) has read the Book of Mormon, goes to church, has the strongest testimony I have heard on my mission-seriously-but they are not baptized. Francisco and Edmunda are not married. They have waited for so long for Edmunda to get citizenship here or something and she just hasn’t been able to get it. They want to get married so that they can be baptized so bad and it kills me that this is the thing holding them back. They, when I got here, were living in a shack held up by sticks and tarps. And now, after 15 years of waiting, finally got permission to make their house. They are now in a cute house that Rodrigo’s dad is making for them with four walls, a door, a window, and a roof. They are so happy. We keep talking Francisco to paint his house a nice pink but he says it won’t go with his skin tone…Please. Saturday!!! We went to see a baptism from the elders area!! And Karen came with us!! She is so excited for her own that she wanted to see how one is. So we were able to go and she was just so excited. There was a poor little girl who didn’t want to get into the water, and everyone was really nervous. ALL THE ELDERS WERE TRYING TO HELP. Finally Karen looked at us and said "We should say a prayer"... Uh... yeah... I was... just... thinking that...as... well. NOT. Karen rocks! So we all closed our eyes and said a prayer and when we opened our eyes the little girl was in the water!! Still scared but she did it! We left and Karen was STOKED! Prayer is SOOOO powerful. And I was just super happy that Karen was able to see that today. Also we saw a less active and this was our conversation. Me: Hermana, do you have a friend who lives around here that we can share this message with? Camilla: No. H Atkinson: someone who just moved in?? Camila: No Me: a Neighbor?? Camila: no. H Atkinson: How about someone who is about to die? .... bahahahhahahaha we all just started laughing. Still a good question but wrong time. haha Sunday.. I bore my testimony because I’m pretty sure it was my last fast and testimony meeting.. I think they do fast and testimony the week after conference. We do it the week before right..? I don’t really know. I didn’t want to take the chance so I planned on doing it anyways. But the meeting was so spiritual and powerful. One of the most powerful testimony meetings I have been too. Almost everyone was in tears and we all felt the spirit really strong. Karen came with us!!! And Raquel came to church too! When I got up from the piano and headed over to the pulpit I heard Lulu scream, I look over and she was pointing at me, so I pointed back. Oh yeah! Shout out to the Lulu. That’s about it. My week was really laid back. We are doing everything we can to get Karen ready for her baptism. Please continue to keep her in your prayers. She really is the sweetest girl here and we can’t wait for her special day!! We went to this arcade/theater thing and the theater was closed!!! I put my face up to the gate and begged to enter. So close. Also super sad note for the ride. I had a flash drive that I put all my videos and all my photos on from basically all my mission, and well yeah, it’s not anywhere. So I’m super bummed. Luckily I have some pictures still from other camera cards. But yeah, I’m still praying I find it. Weeks are flying and it will definitely not be easy to leave this place. I’m super happy here and I love being a missionary. Really is something that I don’t want to give up. I’m giving my all and hoping it’s enough! Thank you all for your love and prayers. Love Hermana Healey