Hello Family!

TWO MONTHS! Can you believe it that I have been gone for two months today? It feels like I saw all of you last week. Well that's not entirely true. When I think about all of the stuff that has happened it feels like I have been here forever. Two months down, sixteen to go. It sounds like forever when I think about it that way. But if time keeps moving as fast as it does now then I will be home in no time. Time is so weird here because the days are really long but the weeks are incredible short. I know I say this every week but it feels like I emailed you two days ago. Time goes by so fast. so fast.

So things this week were pretty uneventful. It was just a normal week. I got to teach more real lessons so that was great. We have a new investigator and we have a baptism this Saturday. I'm not going to count it as my baptism because I have only just started teaching this girl but it is still exciting. The girl that is being baptized is really excited and that has been so much fun to watch. She has invited all of her non-member friends and it should be a really great day. 

I am still in a trio with Sister Whiting and Sister Hiyas. It has been awesome because I love Sister Whiting. She is so great. We just teach really well together. We also have a lot of fun together because she thinks I am funny. Things are a lot easier when people think that I am funny too. Sister Hiyas doesn't think that I am funny so that is why we have some difficulties. Transfers are this week and I am scared that they are going to take Sister Whiting and her wards away from me. Actually I am pretty sure that that is what's going to happen. It will be hard but I know that I will make the best of it. The thought of having just one ward though terrifies me. It was so hard when we didn't have anything to do. Oh man I am scared. But it's all good.

I had a hard night on Thursday. We had set up to have this lesson at the Visitor's Center with one of our less-actives that we have been really working on. She is the one with the non-member husband. Anyways we set it up with her last week and then on Tuesday we made a cute card reminding them. I was so excited because I thought that this could be the miracle that I have really been praying for. So we planned our tour and we were going to do it on the temple because she has never gone through. We planned to teach her about all of the blessings of the temple that she is missing out on. It was cool when we were planning the tour because we had initially thought to give her a normal tour to try and re-convert her. But then I was just pondering the things that I was going to say to her and then the I got the strongest impression to teach her about the temple and have that be the focus. So I told my companions this and they agreed. We then planned everything around the temple and I immediately knew what movies to show her and what to say. It was a really neat process and I was so excited for this lesson. I really thought it was going to be the break through that we have been waiting for. At the end of the tour we were going to challenge her to come back to church and work towards going to the temple. Sister Whiting even bought her a picture of the temple to hang on her wall to remind her of this goal. Anyways we were so excited and then ten minutes before the tour she texted us an canceled. My heart broke. I was devastated because I really thought we were going to be able to help her. I am not going to lie, Sister Whiting and I sat down and had a good cry. It was so discouraging. Then I had the thought that this wasn't going to be the only time this happens. I knew then that my mission will be filled with many more times of heart ache and devastation. This pain comes from the fact that I love these people. I love that woman and I can see her life now and where she is but I can also she where she could go and who she could become if she were to just come back to church. I now know a little bit what the missionary heartbreak feels like and I am scared for when  it really hits. I know though that this means that I am being a good missionary because I love the people. I really do. We will continue to work with this sister and hopefully someday she will find her way back. 

We cover three wards now so we go to church three times. It is a bit crazy so I guess that it's a good thing that I like church so much haha. Yesterday we had to speak in one of our wards. The three of us and the ward mission leader were asked to speak on missionary work of course. Specifically however Sister Whiting talked about what we do on chat, Sister Hiyas about missionary resources such as mormon.org, and I talked about the visitors' center. When we were walking to church I told my companions that I wasn't nervous about speaking. Everything was going so well and I really wasn't nervous at all until I see my mission president and his wife walking into the chapel. I about dies. This meant serious pressure and I was immediately terrified. I had completely forgotten that this was President Rudd's ward. So I was terrified. But it all went well. I have few talents in this life but I do know how to talk in from of people. All of the talks were great and I think that we got the ward really excited about missionary work and the role that they play. Not too many people here got to watch the broadcast but I told them to watch it on lds.org. But I guess that our talks were good because we got three referrals after sacrament meeting so that was exciting. President and Sister Rudd said that I did a good job too that was nice. I really like President and Sister Rudd. They are really great. They took us to our other ward meeting because two of our wards here meet in different buildings and its a long walk back an forth. So president drove us over and it gave us time to get to know them better. I really am so happy that he is my mission president because he really is great and it is so cool to have them so close. 

One more exciting thing that happened this week was that I got to call Bishop! I am sure that you heard about it but I got to call and talk to him. The church has a new system for missionary work that they just came out with and Sister Whiting and I were the first missionaries ever to use it. My VC director said it was because we were chosen from all of the missionaries serving in the VC's around the world. I don't know why they chose us but it must mean something good. So right now we are the only missionaries set up and authorized to use this technology. We are able to call any one anywhere in the world and teach them the Gospel. We are teaching people that we met on chat as well as church headquarters referrals. I guess it is a good thing that I got over my issues with talking to people over the phone. This technology though is so amazing. I just select the country I am calling into and then enter the number and I am immediately connected to that phone but it is all through the internet. The day after we got it all set up my VC director told Sister Whiting and I to call our Bishops to make sure that calling into the US wouldn't be a problem. I felt bad because it was after 10 at night your time but I had to do it. I called and no one answered. So I called again and still no one answered. The thought crossed my mind that Bishop probably didn't recognize the number. I was sad because I really wanted to talk to him. I was about to put my headset away but I thought I just have to try it one more time and he finally answered this time. It was so great talking to him. Mom, I didn't think that you would believe him so that it why I told him about Molly's order because I knew that that was something just between you and me so he would be able to prove to you that he talked to me. Bishop Carter is the best and I was so happy that I got to call and talk to him. Too bad I can't call the rest of you. I can only call people that I am going to teach to gospel. It stinks that you are all already members :)

Well I love all of you and I hope that everyone had a great week. I love it here and everyday I am just overwhelmed with a sense of amazement that I am really here serving my mission. I love and miss you!

Love Maquel!

 

 

This is Sister Holmes and Sister Whiting. We all met in the MTC so today we are celebrating our two months of meeting each other and of being on our missions. They are the best. I love them so much.

 

 

We also found chips and salsa at the store today. We got the hot kind of salsa and it isn't spicy at all. But I guess it will do. Everything here is just so sweet including their salsa and pickles :( Next week Sister Whiting and I are going to make pink-dip because she makes that at home too. She asked me yesterday "Have you ever put cream cheese in your salsa?" I about died. We were meant to be companions.