Hola de Hermana, 6-8-12

Hola mi familia increible!!!  

I´m in Huehuetenango!!!  It´s the hottest part of this mission, and while it may sound like the boonies, I´m actually in the CITY in a ward called Prado.  It´s just off the side from the main center, Centro, like Calvario, but this time this area has a lot more businesses.  The upper half is mixed business and residential, with a suburb where our bishop lives with actually GORGEOUS houses.  I feel like I know this half fairly well.  The bottom half is called Canshac, and is more ghetto, and I´m planning that we´ll only work there in the mornings or early afternoon, usually with members.  I love love love Bishop Garcia and his family.  He was sustained as bishop only three weeks ago and told us he had been praying for a pair of strong missionaries.  I´m so grateful the Lord has entrusted us with this assignment.  Our mission leader Hno B served in Belize and is amazing.  The members befriend and invite families and people to church, yesterday we had three investigators show up to church!  and yesterday we put two feches for Aug 18 with a single mother, MaryLu, and her 13 year old son, Jelder.  One of the only drawbacks is that, while in Calvario 25 of 30 houses had numbers, here 2 out of 30 houses have numbers.  So filling in the area book with useful information will take more work.

I forgot to mention, we really are opening the area!  There were sister missionaries who worked here before but also in a neighboring ward.  But the other ward got closed, and both of us are new to this area, and they put us in a nice new apartment.  

My companion is Hermana V from Seva, Honduras, and is almost completing 8 months.  She´s a convert from 2005 and she and her 5 siblings live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins.  She´s the second missionary in her family and actually left before her older sister got home.  We´re learning how to work together, and I´m grateful to be coming into this companionship AFTER Hermana S showed and taught me that EVERYTHING hinges on our companionships.  I´m learning how to love and be a friend.

I´m happy and grateful and excited to work here!  Our mission leader has been inspiring me to push for incredibly high numbers, and I´m trying to build the spiritual foundation to be able to reach it.  

I testify our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ LIVES!  He knows and loves us!  We truly are working to save our brothers and sisters, and I exhort you to do all you can to pray for inspiration for how you can participàte in this work now!  I LOVE YOU TONS!

Hermana Ivy [-]