Weekly Report...who knows what number

Dusty boots and sun-bleached hair

*We have been able to talk to Bailey for the last couple of weeks, so her letters have become shorter, as she has run out of time to write...she also didn't send explanations for her pictures this week, so I'm going to put my own captions on.

Hola Todos!

This week was great! We had people come to church and people who are progressing well :) This week we had two people tell us that they wanted to be baptized and receive this new beginning that is only possible through Jesus Christ. One is a man named Julian who has some medical complications due to the fact that when he was 3 he got hit by a car, but he is awesome and wants to do all he can to improve and thank the Lord for the life that he has. Where many would be bitter for what they don't have, he tells us each visit that he is only thankful, and is thankful for every new day that God has given him in this life. 

P-day fun: companionship art project

We are also teaching a sister who when we started teaching her this week about the things we shouldn't eat/drink/do, instead of complaining about all the the things that are going to change, she ran to her kitchen to brings us the different types of tea that she had so she could throw away the types that were bad for her body. 

PANTS!! (She said it felt weird).

I learn so many things every week from these people, and am so eternally grateful for this time that I have here in Ciudad Juarez.

Love you all!

Hermana Naatjes

Baptism!

Baptism!!!

Hola Todos!!!

Just a warning, my emails are probably going to start being a bit shorter because I can now call and talk to my family every week! Already got to talk today, and only cried like twice when I saw their faces! But ya know, that will calm with time when I realize that I can actually do it every week and it's not just some dream! 

This week we had a baptism! Yesterday morning, Jose Alfredo got baptized! He is 56 (as of yesterday, because it was also his birthday!) and is fantastic, and was incredibly excited for his baptism. He showed up on time (even though practically everyone else was 15 minutes late, I guess members being late isn't just a thing in Minnesota haha), and everything went well! The spirit was strong and when we asked how he felt he smiled and said "I feel clean." 

Everything is going well, I'm already getting sunburned (yes, its only February) and have some pretty crazy tan lines already. Hoping I can adjust to the heat that's going to come, but we'll see what happens! 

My first attempt at making an omelet... I was pretty proud

Love and miss you all like crazy and hope you have a good week!

Hermana Naatjes

6 meses!!!!

 my comp thought it was funny that I was eating the "morenito" cookies and she was eating the "guerita" ones

 Hola Todos!!

In 3 days I officially complete my first 6 months in the mission! I am thinking in Spanish, understand pretty much everything (with the exception of words, because my vocabulary is still quite limited, but growing every day), I gained weight, and am losing some of it (maybe a little slower than I put it on) and yes, I love Mexico. The people, the language, the food, I'm loving it all.  

I have come to find an intense appreciation for all I have been blessed with in my life, especially with this time I have here in Ciudad Juarez. I came with a slight fear for my life (due to the mistake that I made of Googling Ciudad Juarez) but this area and these people have changed my heart and have helped me become more of the person I want to be, though I still have a long way to go. Not every day has been easy, not every moment has been filled with joy, but I have experienced more joy than I previously knew existed. I have seen the joy of a heart made pure again through Christ, the joy of watching someone's eyes fill with hope as they begin to understand the true depth of the love of God and the incredible length of His reach. 

ate this fish...was a bit scared but I liked it!

 I had to speak in sacrament meeting this week, and you better believe I was terrified (which I know is ridiculous, seeing that I spend all day every day speaking to people about all this, but public speaking still freaks me out). The talk was only 5 minutes, to leave time for some converts to share their testimonies, but I was still nervous. But I did it! I spoke, without using my notes or reading, in Spanish, for 5 whole minutes, and afterwards a few members told me that they liked what I had said, which means they understood it!!! (at least I hope haha)

Me and Hermana Sanchez made crepes :)

One of my favorite experiences/moments this week was in a lesson with a man named Jose Alfredo. He is preparing to be baptized and we were teaching him about the law of tithing. As we taught we could see he had concerns. He began to tell us of all the things he was trying to do, saving up for a visa so he could see and live with his family, with the bills he was left to pay alone after his divorce and the death of his mother, among other things he needed to do. He asked us how it should be done, if this 10th was from what we were left with after our many bills and necessities, or before. 

I began to worry that he was going to tell us he couldn't do it, but continued to explain that the law of the tithes is that we give 10% of all of our increase to the Lord, and he stopped me and simply said, ok, so we put God first, and later everything else. We confirmed and he smiled and told us, "perfect, that's how I hoped it was. God should always come first." I hope some day we can all learn to see the commandments of God as Jose Alfredo sees them. 

Love and miss you all and hope you have a fantastic week!

Hermana Naatjes

First week with the new comp!

What we do when it starts raining and we're not prepared...

Hola Todos!

This week went well! I'm a bit worried because we just started the first week of February, and I'm already starting to sweat...keep me in your prayers por favor! I may burn to a crisp when summer hits (I'm already getting sunburned too...and yes, mom, I'm using sunscreen), but I have faith that with His help I'll be able to survive it! 

This week I got to meet and start working with my new companion, and she's awesome! Her name is Hermana Sanchez, and she is from the capital of Honduras. She has been on her mission for 9 months and was previously in Casas Grandes. I was pretty scared to get a new companion, after being with Hermana Hernandez for 4.5 months, but despite my fears that she wouldn't like me, we get along well! She is goofy and likes to sing, and is willing to exercise with me! I'm looking forward to losing the weight I've put on, haha.

The beginning of the week was hard. I have come to realize how much I relied on Hermana Hernandez before, knowing where to go, who to look for, how to find new people to teach...she was expert at it all. Now that I'm the one who knows the area, I'm having to lead and make decisions (something that has always been a struggle for me), but I am now learning how (slowly, and with many mistakes, but learning nonetheless!)  At the beginning of the week we experienced more rejection than I had previously experienced, but it helped me recognize and appreciate the miracles when we saw them! We were struggling a lot to find new people to teach as almost everyone was rejecting us, but on Sunday we were able to find three new people to teach! All of whom are very interested and have a lot of potential! 

Message of the week: Trust in the Lord. I spent a lot of my first 5 months in my mission trusting in others, trusting that the Lord could help them, but doubting (though I didn't want to admit it) that He could help me become a powerful and effective missionary. But I have come to see in this week that He does indeed have the power. Through my own lack of faith and confidence I was limiting His blessings. But that is not what He wants for us. If we are willing to give up who we are, our own fears and desires, to do His will, He will bless us with the ability to do all things. Trust in Him. Turn to Him. Humble yourself before Him, and He will guide your path. However dark it may appear in this moment, however far you may feel from Him, He will light your way.

Love and miss you all! Have a great week!

Hermana Naatjes

Transfers!

Us and Pedro Alvarez (member) and Julio Cesar (his friend who we´re currently teaching)

  Hola Todos!

I have officially completed my third transfer in the field! I have a strange mix of emotions, feeling like I just barely got here, but also like I've been here for years. I can definitely say that I have become a new person in the last 5 months, which is cool and really weird, but all for the better!

Our district :)

This was my last week with my trainer! Hermana Hernandez has been with me all 3 transfers that I´ve been in the field, but flies home Wednesday morning! I am incredibly sad to lose her.  Tomorrow I get to meet my new companion, Hermana Sanchez from Honduras. I have never met her and have no idea what she is like, but I´m hoping for the best! 

An awesome family (la familia Vidaña)

Milagros de la semana:  (miracles of the week)

We had two of the people we´ve been teaching come to church for the first time this week! We've been teaching them both for about a month, but for some reason or another they kept not being able to come, but this week they both came!! They´re Hermana Angela and Hermano Jose Alfredo. They are both fantastic. Angela is the sister who I talked about in an earlier email who was super excited to hear we had a prophet today. 

Jose Alfredo is a brother who we teach sporadically, because his work hours are unpredictable and he's almost never there for the appointments when we set them, but is so incredibly in tune with the spirit. One day we found him sitting in his car out in front of his house reading the Book of Mormon, and he started telling us everything he had learned and understood and felt. For a long time he's struggled with an addiction to alcohol, but while he was reading he told us he had this strong impression that we needed to protect and take care of our bodies. He started telling us all about how they are gifts for us from God, perfect and beautiful, but with all that we do to them we are destroying His beautiful creations. He has since stopped drinking completely.

I love and miss you all!

Hermana Naatjes

Crepe Party With Jorge (recent convert) and Grecia (member)

BAPTISM!!!!

The Miede Bueno  family (who are preparing to enter the temple)

Hola Todos!

This week was truly a week of miracles! 

1) This week we were teaching a family who haven't been going to church much, and stopped pretty quickly after they joined the church. They had many questions, as they always do, but were very willing and had a desire to learn and start to do what's right. We had a lesson where we taught about the word of wisdom and the law of chastity, which are two sacred and very important commandments. We were a bit worried about how they would respond, but felt that it was what they needed. 

At the end of the lesson we asked them if they had any other questions. At first they told us no and that they were ready and willing to keep these commandments, but then the husband said he had one that wasn't really related to the lesson. We told him he could ask whatever questions he had, and he asked us what they needed to do to be sealed in the temple. They have progressed so much in the months we've been teaching them (at the beginning they actually hid from us occasionally), and they now have the desire to prepare to enter the temple so they can have the guarantee that the line that is so sadly said in many wedding "til death do us part" (or something like that) no longer applies--that their family will be together in the life after this one.

2) Jorge (one of the people who recently got baptized) went to the temple! He went to help those who didn't have the opportunity to be baptized in this life, and he even baptized for others! 

3) HECTOR WAS BAPTIZED!!!!!! Hector, who I talked about a little bit last week, was baptized and confirmed this weekend! He has changed so much since we started teaching him 2 months ago. He is a completely different person. He has found freedom from his many burdens which he had carried for many years, through the Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He now has a confidence, and hope, even a light that he didn't before. He has found new meaning to his life, and we couldn't be happier.

Hector (and his friend Marco) Angel, Hermana Candy, and us 

4) Angel Martinez (who was baptized about 4 months ago) baptized him! Angel has worked hard to always be worthy and do the right, and because of this, and the priesthood authority that he received, he had the opportunity to help Hector make this covenant with God. 

This church, this gospel, is so incredibly true. Through these teachings, which are teachings from Jesus Christ, lives can and do change. Through Him we have the opportunity to change who we are. He gives us this invitation, that we should "come unto [Him], all ye who are heavy laden, and [He] shall give thee rest." (or something like that, my memory of the scriptures in English is definitely weakening). I invite you all to turn to Him, to trust in Him. At times we feel like our lives are too heavy for us to bear, but He has offered and promised to help us, if we are only willing to follow Him. 

I love and miss you all like crazy!

Hermana Naatjes

5 months!!!

awful picture but us with Hermana Grecia (an awesome and very helpful member) on her bday

Hola Todos!

This week was fantastic. I have officially completed 5 months on my mission, and though it took a bit, I can testify that I have truly grown to love this work and these people. I have almost always liked it (there are always hard days) but this like and appreciation has truly transformed into a love and a gratitude that I have the opportunity to serve the Lord by serving His children. The key to happiness is truly to lose yourself in the service of your God.

On Saturday we were teaching a man named Hector. He is a fantastic person. He is relatively young but has gone through a lot in his life, and in the time that we have been teaching him I have truly seen a change in him. During this lesson we were teaching in a park near his house. We decided to teach him about the power of fasting. We invited him to fast with the purpose of asking for God's help in his journey of overcoming his addictions. He told us that he was willing to fast but that he didn't feel worthy to fast for that. He told us that God had more important things to do than help him stop smoking, something that he should have the power to do himself. That this little thing was too silly for the Lord. 

Hermana Hernandez stopped him and invited him to look around, and then to look at the sky for a moment. He agreed and silently stared up at the sky. She began to describe to him how big the world is and how small we are. That God created all of this. The stars in the sky, the earth on which we stood, each and every plant, insect, animal, everything. "Makes you feel small doesn't it?" she asked, and he silently nodded his head. She told him that it is true. In comparison to all of this creation, to God in all His glory, we are nothing, but that to Him, we are everything. All of this He created for us. She testified to him that he was truly a child of God. She told him, "and if you think for one second that this is too small for Him, you are wrong." 

Hector is a person who is always moving. During our lessons he talks incredibly fast,he paces back and forth, speaks expressively with his hands, acts out his stories...never stops moving and doing, but in this moment, he was still. He agreed to fast, to ask for His help, and to work with all his might to never smoke again. The spirit was incredibly strong.

La familia Lecanda

I want to testify to all of you that God lives. That He loves us. That He has done, is doing, and will continue doing everything to help us. There is no struggle, no worry, no trial too small for Him. We are His children, and His work and glory is to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life. Turn to Him, pray to Him, trust in Him, and love Him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, and He will work miracles in your life.

I love and miss you all, and hope you have a fantastic week.

Hermana Naatjes

 An awesome meal from an awesome family (la familia Lecanda)