Stretchinggggg and all the good stuff

Guys fabulous week!

As you may have noticed... the skirts are coming back and the struggle is real. But hey that's okay because obedience is necessary to see some miracles! 

Hermana Ruiz and I are still in that weird limbo where we are trying to get more familiar with our area. The church is true because of revelation.  And revelation is definitely necessary in our planning. I feel like we are being stretched with our faith and trust in the Lord. 

I'll explain... there are a couple of pueblos that are a bit far. Usually missionaries don't really focus on these places because it would be hard for investigators to go to church. But we felt a strong impression to visit one that's about 30 minutes away. We have no records of missionaries working there in the past. While we were there we didn't have much luck with our contacts until we saw an older woman taking a rest before a really steep hill. We asked to help her with her bags and off we went!  We walked  for about a good 40 minutes. I think those hills almost hit the heavens they were so steep. When we got to her house, we were able to meet her kids. They expressed the lack of God in their lives and we invited them to church and they came! 

Then an older couple in our ward accompanied us in one of our charlas and turns out they are cousins that haven't seen each other since their childhood! This was super special to me because it reminded me of my cousin Ryan and his conversion.  He is on a mission in Japan now. Love you Ryan! 

Basically, we trusted in the Lord, acted and He blessed us with more investigators to teach. In the Book of Mormon in Alma 37:11-12 it talks about our need to trust in the Lord  even when we don't understand everything because His ways are not like our ways. There are 3 specific reasons why we need to trust in God found in verse 12.  I invite you guys to read it. 

Best of all Esme got baptized which is a miracle in itself! 

Love you all,

 

Hermana Herrera 

Mom's doing the countdown and Hermana Ruiz is having fun with the board.

How many cachorros can Hermana Herrera hold?

Esme's baptism!!!  She is such a great example to her family!

This is my joy

HOLA FAMILIA Y AMIGOS 

Guys this week was so great! I just want to write an email of gratitude. First of all, Hermana Esmeralda past her interview for baptism. She is the teenager that got the miracle permission from her father. She is going to get baptized this Saturday! 

Today Hermana Ruiz and I headed to Puebla because I had an interview with our mission president. I came out of my interview and guess who I saw?  My old companion Hermana Romero and she looked happy as ever! 

 

Basically I'm really happy and really honored to see so many miracles in my life and others, especially at the end of my mission. My feelings are perfectly described in Alma 29:9 

"I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy."

Thanks for all the support and love,

 

Hermana Herrera

 

till next week to see my face.... 

Examples make the difference

HOLAAAA FAMILIA Y AMIGOS 

Guys things are looking up here in good old Tezoquipan! With the help of the members we were able to have a lot of people come to church! We work as a ward and it is really paying off :) 

That's what I want to talk about today.... there is a common phrase here that says ¨Pueblo chiquito, Infierno grande.¨ The chiste or chisme ha.. is that it doesn't take very much for something to get around. And I think that's true but we can change the infierno to something a lot better: CIELO. I have seen over and over again how people follow by example. When we all follow our Savior Jesus Christ our example can be contagious. We can inspire others. It just keeps going on and on... like a positive train.  

Just look in the Book of Mormon with Aaron and King Lamoni's father.  His heart was softened with the words of Aaron to the point where he was ready to be humble enough to receive an answer from God. I love his heartfelt prayer that is found in Alma 22:18. He starts off by saying, "Oh God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God....¨ People depend on examples to have the inspiration to change. 

I am so grateful for Hermana Ruiz and her example. Sometimes I don't even feel like I'm training because she is so prepared and ready to do her best. 

I love you all. Have a great week!

Hermana Herrera 

P.S. Along with Dia de los Muertos, our pants die. You guys will no longer be seeing Eldera Herrera

Guys my area is beautiful!  Blessed!

Where is Hermana Ruiz?

What does Halloween mean for me?  A ton of pan de muerto.
Also meet Carmelo.  We are teaching him and his wife.

TRUE LOVE

On our feet and moving with faith

Okay week 2 down here in Tezoquipan. We are on our feet and moving with faith. This week was a special one for me. I was able to understand a little bit more about the atonement. We had to go to Puebla to a meeting with the new missionaries. Our president focused a lot on the atonement.  We read Alma 7:14-15 and talked about what everyone knows about Jesus, that he suffered pains and afflictions and died on the cross for us. But there is a whole other deeper perspective that people don't understand. In fact the people that scratch the surface of understanding are the people that depend on the atonement to get through their trials. 

The other side of the atonement is letting Jesus Christ train and edify you.  It means being completely dependant on someone that loves you and won't let you fall. President turned to the new missionaries that can't speak Spanish and told them in a powerful testimony you can do this! The Lord will not let you fall if you accept His help! This struck me hard because I know that it is true! My training time was one of the most difficult times of my life. But I'm grateful for it because I became a better person with the help from the perfect person, my Savior.  I look back not with bad feelings or remorse but with gratitude. 

This week we saw a lot of miracles. I'll just share one more thing that happened on Sunday. There is a mom and her daughter who have been going to church for the past month. They both want to get baptized but were lacking the permission from her husband. We went to go visit them and I saw him and guys he was huge! Like taller than me and that's hard to find! We talked about the importance of baptism by sharing the Book of Mormon. Then after that I asked him how he felt about his wife and daughter getting baptized. Honestly I don't even remember what I said all I remember is him saying yes. HUGE MIRACLE! We were able to put dates for November. The Lord helps His missionaries complete their callings. 

Here is mi hija holding a screaming pig like her mother asked her to do

Me carrying a giant bunny, almost as difficult as the pig

The Popocateptl volcano having some smoke

Mas Fotos

I totally forgot about the brea la luna. Its bread filled with chocolate and it's amazing and only found in TLAX!

Hermana Rosa's baptism
Due to the incident with Mowgli, we didn't have time to change into our faldas 

The most beautiful Catholic church in the state...Need proof read the sign

Happy

Fotos

This car is filled to the brim with my fav people heading to my old zone, Amalucan

Saying hard goodbyes! Yamily is getting baptized!

The legacy lives on. Good luck in the real world Hermana Cervantes!

Hermana Ruiz enjoying some classic enmoladas

CHAOTICNESS if that's a word

Hola amigos y familia! 

Its your Hermana here freezing her socks off in Tezoquipan, Tlaxcala. This week was in one word chaotic. I have only opened an area once when I came here on the mission so it's all a new experience. But I have learned the importance of listening to the Spirit and fasting and praying really hard. I will say that the ward is really supportive and anxious to work.

Hermana Ruiz is sooo great and special.The love for my daughter is real Her testimony strengthens me everyday in the chaoticness... if that's a word. She´s like a sponge always soaking up the good. Our studies are something that I'll treasure forever! They really help us have the strength to get up and going without any idea what's going to happen.... hmm I gotchu Nephi.  

We were able to have a baptism this past Saturday. Her name is Rosa and she is so wonderful! She is the first to be baptized in her family and she has 7 children that we will get to teach. I know her example means a lot.

Actually funny story, so we decided to pass for a family so they could go see what a baptism looks like. It's a young father with his 2 kids. At first sight one of the boys was the perfect image of Mowgli from the jungle book. Therefore I call him Mowgli. Anyways Mowgli was following us from a distance. I turned around every 5 seconds to check if he was still there. When we almost got to church, I turned around and poof he was gone. I now understand how my mother felt when we lost David at the zoo once. Also I have major respect for my aunts... I know Whetten cousins are all Mowglis. We all began searching for Mowgli and found him a few minutes before the baptism buying a coke... classic. 

To close with all the craziness, I would like to share this scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 123:17 ¨Therefore dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power, and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance to see the salvation of God and for His arm to be revealed.¨

These are the days to prepare for Christ´s coming. We need to do all that we can. I'm so grateful for parents who have taught me to do the best I can always. So thanks for your prayers! 

Until next week,

Hermana Herrera

I owe you guys some photos...