Vale la pena

fotos from my companion. our first night together and after singing in the stake choir in conference

The week has gone by so fast. How is it that you have my flight schedule of when I will be home when I do not even know anything? But really this week...where did it go.

We worked real hard this week. I picked up Hermana Barzola from the plaza in Potosi and we went straight into working. She is an amazing missionary and teacher. I am already learning so much from her. She is a little nervous about being sister training leader in Potosi because of all the traveling...so please pray for us so we dont get sick from the traveling..hahaha because really we need it. We found great new people to teach this week and are seeing the progress grow and improve each day. But I am not going to lie. I am exhausted. Spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally....I am dead. But we keep going. We keep working. I always like to say to my companions, I can feel the angels behind me pushing me forward as I walk in the streets when I am absolutely tired. And its true. I can feel them encourage me, push me, motivate me, and guide me to places we need to be.

My companion is the only member in her family. From Peru. She teaches by the spirit, with the spirit, and through the spirit. I can also feel it when I am with her in a lesson. I had never had a companion like her where every lesson we have, the spirit is felt and it is present. She has something really special that I just cannot really identify or explain in words. But we worked real hard and we already had gone through a lot the first week together.

There is so much PENA in the mission. Pena.....is pity in spanish but the better way to explain it is that there is lots of heartstring pullings and heart ache. I thought I was getting away from the heartache coming to the mission...but its a different type of heartache. I learned to love the people in Potosi....I am not going to lie, but it was hard for me...really hard for me to learn to love them since I got here. The area is hard as the people are. I think the cold weather really changes behavior...but the gospel can change everything. I prayed everyday so I that I could love them.....and God has shown me how He helped me.

I told you about the investigator we had who did not believe in God. Well....I had a tough week with that one. We went to that appointment expecting to teach her the restoration finally after teaching her about being open to pray. That day was a crazy day too. We had to go pick up the sisters from Tupiza who were arriving from Cochabamba because their bus came later at night. So we did divisions. I was with a greenie from Peru who just got in the field and it was her very first time out teaching real people. We got the lesson and our investigator told us, "I am sorry sisters but I cant do this anymore. I cant listen to you because I am only feeling more confused." It was a lesson without the spirit because she would not accept our words....not like she did before. I just looked at her and my heartached to see someone I met a month before who was so happy and now was miserable. She left us and asked us to not come back to teach her. I LOVE this woman and leaving her was hard.

Another experience....Leticia. The sister who was suffering was cancer....is really sick. Her cancer reached until her bones. We couldnt visit her because she was in bed rest, but her sister finally reached out to us and asked for the elders to give her a blessing. We went. Last night. Leticia is really sick.....like a vegetable in bed....my heartached...I kneeled at her bedside and held her by the hand and saw in her grey eyes full of tears and full of light. I told her I loved her and that everything would be okay. I could see mom in her eyes....grandpa and grandma as well...as she was in bed suffering from the pains she had in her body. I honestly dont know until when she will continue to live, but I just dont want her to suffer anymore....I love her so much...

We had stake conference yesterday and as you know, I saw the loving Familia Johnston. April and her family were so kind to give me a bag of goodies. Of candy, makeup, and the things that will help me these next three months. A big MAHALO and a BIG GRACIAS to the Johnston Family. Elder Johnston passed me a bottle of lotion and then I saw that it said Oahu. I was stoked. I was jumping out of my chair. Thank you April!

Stake conference was beautiful. We had two 70ty members present and their messages were wonderful. We sang in the choir and listen to the many great speakers.

I am down to 11 weeks in the mission which means 10 more emails sent home...11 more sundays, 10 more weekly plannings, 2 more fast sundays, and 10 more pdays....and 77 more days to make them count.

I love our Lord Savior Jesus Christ...and I am grateful that He has been so patient with me. I am so imperfect...but He is...and that is my goal...to be more like Him.

The mission is full of pena....but vale la pena....it is worth the pain.

Hermana Santeco