Spring!

Querida familia! (I'm totally a Spanish missionary now!)

So, I had a totally awesome day on the first day of spring: it was sunny, 60ish, and very little wind. It was delightful! And then that night it dropped below freezing, and the wind picked up, and the skies turned gray, and Saturday it didn't even get above 30. Sigh. Such is life, right?

Anyway, to pick up our adventure where we last left off, our heroine was about to immerse herself in the Latin culture and try to speak Spanish with the Hermanas! That was fun. I was able to fool people at the start: Soy Hermana May! Then they would start rattling off stuff in Spanish, and I would have to say, Hablo un poco espanol solo. Y mi espanol es muy mal. And then to be nice they would tell me how good it was, but then I couldn't really respond to much else. Good thing I could go on exchanges with a sister who has been out for 6 months and can get around in the language! It was pretty fun, though. And then I got to complete the Spanish experience through helping set up for one of the member's Quincianera party (side note: spell check thinks Quincianera should be spelled Incinerate. Fun!), and that was fun. I said something silly in Spanish to the girl whose party it was, and she told me my accent was good. Go me! So, I don't  know many words, but the words I know, I can say correctly. I'll take it!

We do a lot of service out here. We work at a nursing home doing service, and at the local Gospel Mission serving food at the kitchen. It's a good experience. I love serving. It gives me the chance to feel like I am doing something for the community I am in and helps me to feel grateful for what I have. It also reminds me of what it says on P 10 of Preach My Gospel: Go about doing good and serving others, regardless of whether or not they accept your message (or something like that). Basically, as a missionary, I serve people and offer service, no strings attached. If someone wants to learn more because of my example as a missionary, that's great. But I don't serve only to get people to listen to me. I do it regardless of whether or not they listen to me. Because Christ would serve people no matter if they listened. Remember when the Roman guards were coming to arrest him and Peter cut the ear of one of the guards? Christ healed the man, even though he fully intended to arrest Christ. Christ served and helped others even if they didn't want to accept His message. So that is how we are, or strive to be, too. We don't serve for thanks (though we like it!); we serve for our love of others and how we know we can bless their lives.

Our investigators are tough to pin down right now, which can be discouraging. I love them, and I know how much the message can bless their lives, if they will listen and live it. But we are working on some good prospects and just hope that they will accept the teachings, read the Book of Mormon, and pray! This gospel makes me a happier person. Does it mean life is perfect? No. But it means I have a better perspective and I know that my Heavenly Father has a plan for me and that I can be comforted by that. Anyway, if you are a female over the age of 8, you should totally go to the Women's Broadcast on Saturday! I'm really excited for it, and if you go, and I go, wherever we are, we will know what the other is doing at exactly that moment. Think of me and I'll be thinking of you!

I love each of you and your prayers and support. Keep being awesome!

Love,

Sister Loradona May