Caminando en Chiapas: Holaaaaaaaaaa! Pimienta!!

Hermanas Hansen y Yorgason with Elders Carreon y Brass

Holaaaaaaaaaa!

So something different about Pimienta... it's much more affluent. Like a lot more rich people... and it's funny because some of them have a whole different accent that I like to make fun of. It also means they use 'pues' less, which I find to be very un-chapanecan. And they eat less tortillas here, and use more forks and knives (don't worry, I still remember how to use them... kind of). Weird how the city can change, and I'm only 20 minutes away from my old area!!

One thing that is NOT SO COOL is our house here.... is super chafa (but it's worth it because we have a washing machine and hot water.... Capacitadora perks). And we have found a cockroach in our house about every day since I've gotten here. Luckily, Hermana Yorgason is pro at killing them....

Gross shower...but we have hot water & a washer so I'm not complaining!

We also had our first round of intercambios (exchanges) this week! We went to Palmas and did a SUPER SPLASH. Where we both worked in their area to help them boost up the animo and find some new investigators.

Hermanas Allen & Hansen

I went with Hermana Allen and it was tons of fun. She's a super great missionary and I learned a lot from her example. We had a blast talking Spanglish all day and contacting UN BUEN. At the end of the day, between all four of us we contacted over 70 people in the street.We even found a few new investigators! It was super fun. Being a capacitadora is great!!

Surprise Slumber Party with Hermana Martinez and her companion!

We also had our leadership meeting. On Monday night, at 9:30, four Hermanas from Tapachula showed up at our house looking for a place to sleep!! One of them being... HERMANA MARTINEZ ME MAMA!!!! So we had a surprise slumber party and it was great!!

Hermanas reunited!

We found a miracle this week....Hermanito R. He's a niño de 8 años who has been coming to church activities, playing futbol in the parking lot, and even coming to church on Sunday (sometimes) for years!! He is the sweetest thing ever and we started teaching him this week. He's so smart!

We asked him if he wanted to get baptized and he said, "Well, I do...but I got baptized when I was a baby in the Catholic church and I don't want to play games with God. Baptism is a serious thing."

Hermanas Hansen & Juliana

We just blinked at him and were like, "Wow. Exactly... Yes it is!"

So we explained to him about the priesthood, and how he needs this permission from God to be baptized correctly. At the end of the lesson, he said, "I want to say the prayer! I need to ask God for permission!"

So in his prayer, he said, "Padre Celestial... te damos gracias por las hermanas... y te pido que tu puedes dar mi permiso para bautizarme en tu verdadera iglesia, en el nombre de jesucristo, Amen." (Heavenly Father...thank you for the Sisters...and I ask that you give me permission to be baptized in the true church... In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.)

Elder Carreon, Hermanas Hansen & Yorgason, Elder Brass

As we all knelt down, we felt the spirit SO STRONG. There was no denying it. I asked Hermanito R., "How do you feel?"

He said, "Like something warm is inside of me. I feel like God's giving me permission."

At dinner with a few of our ward members

It was an amazing experience. I was astonished that a little 8 year old boy could bring the spirit in so strong and get an answer. But it was a testimony strengthener to me that we are all children of God. He ALWAYS answers our prayers...no matter how simple...if we pray with real intent.