January 12- 2015- Week 1 in Ometoxtla, Cholula!

Hey everyone!

So, just like you read, I'm back in Cholula! Ometoxtla is also a little tiny town, like Ameyal, but with more people, and nicer dogs haha. I really really love it here! And I absolutely love my companion, Hermana Lerigeth! Not sure if y'all remember, but we hung out with her and Hermana Talbott a lot when we were in Atlixco, so we were really excited to be put together! She's from Sonora, Mexico and has about the same amount of time in the mission as me. It is super cold here, especially at night, but it is also really really pretty. The ward is awesome, and the members love to help out. There are tons of active members here (about 200 that attend each Sunday... if that doesn't seem like a lot, in all my other wards, the average was about 60) and we also have a couple of progressing investigators! The ones that are progressing the most are Guillermina and Gudelia :)

Guillermina has been listening to the missionaries since October, is about 45 years old, and is super amazing. She has a chronic respiratory illness... and she has had to be on oxygen all day long for the last 18 years. She has lots of other trials too, but according to Hermana Lerigeth, she has become a lot more optimistic and happy since she started listening to the missionaries. She won't accept a baptismal date, even though she wants to, because she feels like she needs to talk to her two kids about it first, but she is amazing and we love her so much.

We found Gudelia on Tuesday! We were walking down a street saw her, sitting outside her house. We called out "Buenas tardes!" And she said "Buenas tardes, hermanas!" And when people call us hermanas, that usually means that they either know us or know about the church. So we went over to talk to her, but turns out, she has never seen a missionary in her life! But she acted like she knew us. But she invited us to share our message with her, and she is super accepting. Unfortunately she wasn't able to go to church yesterday because she was sick, but she's reading and praying, so that's good! We were also able to go and do a service project at her house on Saturday. Right now, she's a wheelchair because she broke her foot, and is unable to harvest the beans and corn that she has growing behind her house. So Saturday morning, we went with the Young Women, and cut down corn stalks, husked corn and gathered beans for 3 hours! It was different and super fun :) 

On Tuesday, we also did something else that was different :) Here in Mexico, January 6th is a holiday called "Dia de Reyes" or...supposedly the day when the Wise Men came to visit Jesus. And it's the day when kids get more presents than on Christmas. It's a really big deal. So, the ward had it planned out for us, the missionaries (and there are 6 of us in the ward, 4 hermanas and 2 elders) to deliever presents to the kids of our investigators, less-actives and others who maybe don't have a lot of money. So, we made crowns, and then took the presents around to all the little kids in our areas. I felt like Santa! They were all so happy, and it was a really great experience.

One thing that I love about Hermana Lerigeth is that she is all about service. Everywhere we go, she is looking for chances to serve. It has really helped us to find new people to teach, and to gain the confidence of the members here. It's something that I hope I can learn to do too during my time here with her. We're looking forward to this last week of the transfer...we're hoping to stay together here for at least another one, but who knows what the Lord has in store for us! All I know is that this week has been great, and it's been a huge blessing.

I love all of you so very much, and I hope you have a great week!!!

Love always,

Hermana Smith

Photos: 

-My welcome sign :) I love Hermana Lerigeth (and her english!)

-Service! 

Me and my pretty companion :) She's drinking carrot/orange/beet juice in the one photo.... it doesn't taste so good haha
We got to be Santas/Princesses for a day :)