Hasta la vista Juarez

Hola todos!!!

This week was good and incredibly difficult. We worked hard, taught lessons, had 2 exchanges, had people come to church, almost set a baptismal date (he said he wants to get baptized but doesn't feel ready quite yet). It has been awesome for all of those reasons. 

It was incredibly difficult because I had to say goodbye to my Juarez family. I am going to miss it so much. I cannot believe or even begin to process the idea that I am going home. That tomorrow I will not be leaving the house at 11, I will not be teaching, will not be contacting nor trying to help the members here. This has become my life. It has become who I am. I understand that everything has its time and its season, but I will incredibly miss being able to do nothing more than His work. 

goodbyes...

In my time here in Juarez my Father gave to me...

6 great companions

5 pounds or more

4 new parents

3 areas

2 languages and

1 new and improved version of me

I am so incredibly grateful for all that I have learned and become here in the mission. It was the best decision that I have made in my life. 

See you all in two days!

Hermana Naatjes

Surprise!!! It snowed in Juarez!!! But then melted a couple hours later...

9 days to go!!!

Evans Family at church!!

Hola Todos!!

This week was good! We had a lot of appointments, met a lot of new people, and I even got to try a new food!

Taquitos with Rasario, Ana, and the fam

In my mission I had been warned time and time again to avoid the menudo (a traditional Mexican soup made with cow stomach). I was told I would not like it a bit, that it would make me gag, etc. But yesterday we walked into an appointment with a less active woman who we have been visiting and she had bought us menudo. I anxiously and nervously waited as she began to warm it up and serve us. When it was served I looked down and saw the small, slightly fuzzy looking pieces of cow intestine floating in my bowl amongst the corn and onion.

 I took a deep breath and took my first bite. The smell was unpleasant, and the texture as well, but it was not nearly as bad as I expected. It tasted about the same as any other type of soup/stew I've eaten here! So I survived, and finished my bowl without a problem, but did not ask for a second plate.

Menudo with Hermana Ramona

In my time here in Juarez my Father gave to me...

6 great companions

5 pounds (or more...)

4 new parents

3 areas

2 languages

For the last year and a half I have lived in Spanish almost 100% of the time. Learning Spanish was very difficult for me. At the beginning of my time here I got frustrated a lot. I often felt alone and always felt confused, but the Lord has infinitely blessed me. In my times of difficulty He helped me overcome, in the times when I was confused, He gave me the words to say, and in the times where I messed up, He blessed the people that they could understand. In this year and a half journey of learning and growing, the language was one of the greatest challenges, but it let me see the hand of the Lord truly work in my life, and in the lives of the people that I taught.

 

Spanish has now become a part of me. It is a part of who I am. I love this language and this place so much, and as I have already said, as excited as I am to see all of you again, I am so incredibly sad to be leaving it.

When your comp tries to tell you low key you gotta lose weight. (Those are eggs with broccoli).

Love you all and hope you have a great week!

Hermana Naatjes

2 weeks to go and a temple trip

Nogales temple trip

 Hola todos!

This week was good! Not much has happened since Monday, but we went to the temple today!!! So I had to change my pday (so I will not be writing on Monday).

I love the temple so much. I have found that in the temple, no matter where you are in the world, you can feel at home. It is a manifestation of God's love for us and it helps us come closer to Him. It gives us the chance to experience a little bit of Heaven, feel the love of God, and receive answers from Him. If you don't know what to do, go to the temple. If you're feeling down, go to the temple. If you have a question you haven't been able to answer, go. If you're happy, go. Whatever you're feeling, experiencing , going through, go. There is no situation that going to the temple can't help you through. Always be worthy to hold your recommend. Always. The rest isn't worth all that you will lose.

In my time here in Juarez my Father gave to me:

6 great companions,

5 pounds (or more)

4 new parents

3 areas

Frontera 1: How to work on God's team. In frontera I started my mission, and went through the good, the bad, the ugly, and the miraculous. I learned how to be a missionary and how to keep working, though at times it may seem impossible. I found and developed my own testimony and saw how the gospel changed really changes lives, if we use what it teaches us. What He teaches us.

Colonia Juarez: How to patiently wait on the Lord. The Colonia Juarez is a colony of 1200 people, 700 of which are already members of the church. On arrival, I felt as though I was starting my mission over. There were days when we felt as though all of our efforts were for nothing, that all of the walking and knocking and talking was not bringing the fruits we had hoped for. However, as we patiently kept working, kept trying, and kept praying, the Lord provided His miracles. Always. I learned that there is no wasted effort. All that we do is for something, though we may not recognize the miracles in the moment.

Nogales 2: How to endure in the face of challenges. In Nogales I got to train 2 different sister missionaries. Those of you who know me well know that I am generally a person who struggles to make decisions. Even here in the mission I often times waited on my senior companion to make the decisions and tell me what we should do. Training, however, has given me the opportunity to grow and strengthen the exercise of my agency, and though I have much more to work on, it has helped me start the long road.

Me and Hermana Gonzalez

Each area that I have served in has been immensely different and has helped me develop different traits and attributes, and I am so incredibly grateful for each one. These areas have my heart and are forever in my prayers and in my mind. They have become a second, third, and fourth home for me. They, along with the people I have met within them, have formed who I have become.

Hope you all have a great week and I'll talk to you in 10 days!

Hermana Naatjes

3 weeks to go!

a visit from an awesome family from the Colonia Juarez

Hola todos!

This week was good! 

We helped the other sister missionaries here in our ward in a baptism that we had and are trying to prepare a few of our people in teaching for their own! 

(This sentence is an awesomely convoluted Spanish to English translation from someone who has lived in Mexico for almost 18 months 😀).  

Sorry this week's email is short but I'm running out of time! 

In my time here in Juarez my Father gave to me...

6 great companions,

5 pounds (or more...)

4 new parents*

*While I have been here on the mission I have had the opportunity to work with two different mission presidents and their wives, who have become to me as parents. They love, help, and advise us as we serve, and have taught me so much while I've been out here!

 another awesome family from the Colonia Juarez

Hope you have a great week!

Hermana Naatjes

1 month to go

me and my companion in our new drug rugs

Hola Todos!!!

This week was good! (I'm pretty sure I say that every week...but it's true haha).

This week we were working a lot with the Evans Family. They are a super cute family with 5 little kids, the oldest being 11. They are members of the church who have had trouble keeping to the path. For different situations and reasons, it has been very difficult for them to go to church. This week the relief society president came with us on a visit so she could get to know them. 

After a great lesson, as we left the appointment she commented:  "I know exactly why they are having so many trials and problems."

My companion and I looked at each other and then looked at her and asked her why.

She said, "Because their coming back will make a difference. They are an amazing family. Their children are brilliant. And Satan knows it, and is doing all that he can to make sure that this family can't pick itself up." 

Many times we judge people. We see their weaknesses and fail to see all their strengths and the challenges they are facing. Everyone has their challenges and their burdens, things that we cannot see or understand. Often Satan is working hard to make sure we don't progress, but if we all work and support each other, we can all get through!

Countdown continued:

In my time here in Juarez my Father gave to me:

6 great companions

5 pounds...or more....

One of the sisters in my mission told me something that I think and have found very true... She said she gained 10 lbs of testimony, and I will echo that.

My 5 pounds of testimony...

Hope you have a great week and keep working on your new year's goals!!!

Hermana Naatjes

BAPTISM!!!

Baptism!!!!

Hola Todos!!

This week was great! There were very few people home, as everyone here in Juarez is from somewhere else and just came here to work. So pretty much all of our investigators were gone home for the holidays and there was no one in the streets, but we spent the week busily and happily preparing for Jessie´s baptism, so all was well! 

Baptism!!!!

This week as we ran around looking for anyone who was home.  A member told us about a woman who had gotten baptized 10 years ago who never came back after. Her name is Ramona and she is about 80 years old. When we knocked on her door she willingly opened it and invited us in, and began to explain what had happened. 

She told us that the week after her baptism she was looking for her class, and someone led her to a room and sat her down, and about 2 minutes later someone else told her she didn't go there and that she should leave to go to the other class. Hermana Ramona explained that in that moment she felt embarrassed and offended, and when they sent her out of the class she walked straight home and never came back.

Leadership Council!!

For the following days I thought about her experience and came to 2 conclusions:

1) We all need to be careful with our words and actions. We all know that as we begin something new we are nervous and vulnerable. We feel uncomfortable, and if we do not find the love and support we feel like we need, it is easy to just go back to places and customs that we are used to, places we know. If you see someone sitting alone, lost, confused, sad, etc., go to them. Help them. They are entering a new world and need your help.

2) We can't let little things get us down.  Satan will always put stumbling blocks in our path. He wants us to fall. He wants us to be as miserable as he is. If we are looking for an excuse to stray from the path we can and will always find one. However, if we look at the reasons we have to stay, to follow, to work, to fight, we will find more than enough.

Leadership Council!!

This gospel is true. This path is His. This battle is worth the fight. Just keep going.

Countdown continued: (sung to the tune of 12 days of Christmas)

  In my time here in Juarez my Father gave to me...

      6 great companions!

Hermana Hernandez: From whom I learned to be perfectly obedient, even if no one else is.

Hermana Sanchez: How to give everything you´ve got. We finished every single day running to our house and from appointment to appointment to try to see everyone.

Hermana Cruz: How to laugh, even through the pain.

Hermana San Martin: How to look for the good in EVERYONE and EVERYTHING.

Hermana Marques: How to be firm and immovable.

Hermana Gonzalez: How to find joy in the little things and endure to the end.

Hope you guys have a great week!

Hermana Naatjes

The Countdown Begins...

Hola todos!!!

This week was a fun one!! We spent the 24th, 25th, and 26th going from appointment to appointment singing and spreading Christmas joy, and getting wayyyy too much food in return. And, as a result, we got very sick and were not able to leave the house the 27th! But all is well, by the 28th at midday we finally were able to get out and start working again!

Hermanas (Misioneras de Nogales) with Hermana Xilo

Jessie is very excited for his baptism this Saturday! His birthday is actually Dec 31st and he happily told us that his baptism was going to be his birthday present! He has such a strong testimony already, and is willing to make whatever sacrifice is asked of him to be able to follow Christ and keep the commandments. 

The other day when we had an appointment with Jessie and his mom, his mom asked us why we wanted him to get baptized so quickly, and as I began to answer he stopped me and told his mom (more or less, I don't remember the exact words), "No Mom, they haven't rushed me. I am getting baptized because I want to, because I feel it, I know it's true. It is changing my life. I´m not getting baptized for them or for Ana (his fiancee who was baptized in June) or for anyone else. Even if things don't work out between me and Ana, I will never leave it. This is mine, and no one's going to take it away from me." The spirit was so strong. Everyone in the room had tears in their eyes.

Hermana Maru in church!

These moments are the greatest in the mission. When someone you have taught and come to love gains their own testimony. When you see the light in their eyes that comes from truth and understanding. When you see renewed hope, love and excitement for life. The moments when the spirit touches hearts and changes lives. It is what makes it all worth it. 

Love you all and hope you have a great week!!!

Hermana Naatjes

French toast (a Christmas Eve morning tradition of the Thurston family)

I am officially starting my final transfer here in the mission, which means that in 6 weeks I will be home, so I thought I'd do something kinda fun (and super cheesy) for my countdown! 

This is to be sung to the tune of the 12 days of Christmas!

In my time here in Juarez my Father gave to me....

                                                         (to be continued...)

what remains of my boot (yes the same one from the video, 100% still using it--who needs a zipper?)

Christmas cookies  (Elder and Hermana cookies and dirty snowmen?)