Each Day Gets Better

Each day gets a little better. Its still very hard, but I can do it. I have sure been humbled. My companion is great except she doesn't have patience with me and the language.. but other than that it's good. We haven't done language study once so I talked to her about it. I don't think she's very happy with me, but I have to learn this language somehow. I will be honest. This is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I am far from home and anything and everything that's familiar. My companion is great and I love her! but she has no patience with me and the language.

  The members here adore me. It's weird. I know it's because I'm American and they've never seen a sister here serving from America, but I find it weird. I'm not used to the whole greet you with a kiss thing. 

  We got hot water on Friday!! Yay!!! I will never take my hot water for granted again.The water works in the shower. It was just cold. So we would use this heating tool to heat a bucket of water. 

  Hermana Barraza is from Veracruz. Her family is all members, but not her extended family. 

  The church is weird. The floor is all tile and no pews, just chairs. They just call you up to talk too. Our area is huge, but our ward isn't. 

 

  We are all alone here. The next closest missionaries are Elder Calle and Elder Caro in Progreso. They are from Peru and Chile. I'm the lone American. We had a mission Christmas party on Friday and I got to see Hermana Slaughter. So that was good. We are both feeling the same way. My Spanish still sucks but Its getting better. 

 

  Oh do I have a story for you! So I clearly stand out here.. Like I said, I get honked at, starred at, cat called at.. but I have quite the story from Wednesday. So we live right by the Farmacia, and the man who works there speaks English. He lived in Cali but got deported. He told me like everything about his life. Anyways, my comp was looking at eye drops and he was talking to me and he said: I like you hair, it's really pretty, your eyes are gorgeous, your lips are cute, you are beautiful. So I said oh thanks. Then he said you're really hot.. and I laughed right at loud and told him that I was a missionary so he can't talk this way to me.. long story short he asked where I lived because he wants me and he wants to show me off to his family and friends. We now have to take the back way home which is a dark alley. Not fun. I hate standing out!! 

. On Thursday we ate at a members house and she gave us strawberries and lettuce. I totally knew I was going to get sick from it because she didn't clean it and sure enough. I spent Thursday night and Friday morning throwing up everywhere. It was not fun. 

  This week we have 12 new investigators!! 8 have baptismal dates!! Only three made it to church yesterday though.. Sabino, Raul, and Erik. They're going to be baptized on Jan. 25. His wife left him a while ago and he is an amazing man. We also got our first rejection. It made me really sad. I have come to love and care about our investigators and when they decide they don't want this anymore its hard. You know it will change their life and bring so much happiness. 

  I've lost a lot of weight (ha-ha). If you want a good weight loss program, come to Mexico. I'm not a big fan of the food here. We had pig skin tacos and it was gross. I had my first Mexican Ice cream on Saturday. I liked it a lot!! (ha-ha). 

  Things are still really hard here, but every day things get a little easier. I love you! Until Next week.

  Hermana Turek