Hola Familia,

I just scanned though everyone's letters and am excited for Marissa´s cambios and that dad got called to be the 2nd counselor. That will be great learning experiences for both of them. Whenever someone stays in an area for six months my companions say that they have the Rhoten curse because of me. I think Marissa might have that same one. :) 

 

Sorry I don't have pictures again this week. My companion has been sick and we haven't been out as much. At the conference we weren't allowed to take pictures. But I figured you will be seeing me in three weeks so you don't really need them. :)

 

The sad news of today is that we found out my companion is going to be sent home this week for medical reasons. I am pretty sad about it.  She always use to tease me about how little time I had left and now she will be home before me. President told me in the interview this morning that I would be getting another companion to finish my mission with and I have only a few weeks to show her the area.

It would probably just be a whole lot easier to make a movie of my week than write it all down. It was so busy and fast. On Wednesday we had a member of the seventy come and visit the mission, Elder Uceda. I was with him all day for about 12 hours. We had leadership counsel in the morning, a multi zone meeting with him in the afternoon, and another meeting with members and him in the evening. I learned so much from him and was really humbled listening to him speak. To the missionaries he spoke a great deal about the changes that need to take place in missionary work. He said we are here to baptize converts with testimonies of our message not just anyone in the streets like has been done in the past. In the multi zone meeting I was asked to give the closing prayer and it was a little nerve racking in Spanish in front of an authority but when I finished he shook my hand and told me in English that it was a beautiful prayer.

The next day in the morning I left for Huancavelica, that crazy three hour trip. We had great lessons in our division, we also happened to have another meeting with Elder Uceda and President while I was there so we helped with that. The zone leaders needed mattresses for other missionaries so the four of us gringas were carrying mattresses through the plaza and that made quite a show. It was a good meeting and there were 120 people there which is awesome for Huancavelica. My companion was sick so I was with another Sister Training Leader, and we were able to share the gospel with the other three people in the car the three hours on the ride home. 

I learned a lot of things this week. I learned about patience, trials, listening, and the things that in the end are the most important. Something I loved that Elder Uceda said was If you want to know what things are most important to God, look for what has the most opposition against it. In the mission I thought of lots of things, baptism, getting people to read the Book of Mormon, pray and come to church (the last ones the worst haha). I can testify that these things change the way trials are faced. I know that as we look for the Lord in those moments we will be blessed with his light, help and wisdom. 

Have a fantastic week! Love you guys!

Hermana Rhoten 1