I´ma Buy You A Drank (Hermana), Whatcha Think About That?

Email from Monday, December 22, 2014.

Feliz Navidad! I cannot even believe it´s already that time! Nor can I believe that this week, a man bought me my first beer. Yep. That happened. DURING A LESSON! We have a lot of people own little corner stores and stuff here and we have to meet with them in the back of the store while they´re still working so while our investigator got up to help someone a man walked in and started talking to us and then was like "Do you drink Malta?" and I just stared at my comp because I have no idea what that is so then she´s like "yeah you can drink it" so he goes over, buys me one, and then creepily stares at us for too long before leaving. Turns out, Malta is beer without alcohol so technically I can drink it and I guess members here do but I have zero desire to drink it so it´s sitting unopened on my desk. I think I´m going to turn the can into a pencil holder but I´m definitely keeping that little memento to laugh about forever more. On that subject, I hate men here. They´re going to make those desperate RMs at BYUI look pretty good when I get home. Because I´ve heard and seen so many barfarama things from men on the street that it´s ridiculous. But thus is life, and to anyone thinking I should take it as a compliment.......no. 

Anyway, LUCY GOT BAPTIZED! And it was a day full of miracles. I feel a lot closer to Lucy because I was in the lesson when we extended the invitation to be baptized unlike Jaed last week who was already set before I got here. Lucy is probably one of my favorite people in this country because she´s just got the strongest faith and is so determined to do what is right and follow the example of Jesus Christ. Her life has completely changed through the gospel and she´s ready to change even more to prepare for the temple. Her daughter Diana is 13 and has been attending church for over a year and has more personal progress done than I did at like 16 so she´s kind of a rockstar. But she hasn´t been able to be baptized because her dad is really against it and does not like the church at all. But even since I got here, I´ve seen a change in him in how he treats us when we stop by for lessons and the fact that HE CAME TO LUCY´S BAPTISM! I was so happy! Then Diana, the daughter, bore her testimony and I cried for the first time since I got out into the field because it was so beautiful and powerful and her dad got to hear the desires of her heart for the very first time and realize how important this gospel is to both her and his wife. I know that was a miracle and I just pray that his heart will be softened and that he can allow Diana to be baptized. 

This week, I learned that it´s rainy season in Boliva. Who knew? Haha, luckily I brought rain boots, otherwise, I would be doomed. But yeah, the whole town pretty much floods and there´s trash floating everywhere. Gross, but for some reason I just love this place so much. Seriously every day, I tell Hermana Lyon that I love this country and these people more every day and it´s true! Ah, Bolivia is the perfect place for me. I experienced my first cockroach this week and Hna Lyon was a rockstar and killed it for me. She´s pretty great. I thought that was bad until the Hermanas who live on the floor above us found a spider nest in their room that had cracked open to release at least 2,000 baby spiders. HAHAHA I WOULD BE DEAD. I´ll take a cockroach instead please. (not 2,000 baby cockroaches though please no no no)

Anyway, I need to be better about writing funny things down because seriously Hna, Lyon and I laugh our faces off all time, I just can never remember why....Probably because we laugh at silly stuff but it´s the best way to get through a tough day. I think I´m helping Hna Lyon with that because she´s a bit quicker to get down about things than I am so then I just bring up a joke or something and focus on the positive. Like the fact that so many people here are so good to us. We´ve had so many people reach out to us to offer us food for christmas or time with their family n christmas so we don´t get lonely. I feel so blessed in our ward. Our pensionista´s family is going to bring us up dinner on nochebuena (christmas eve) because that´s what they celebrate here and they have a big dinner at 11 at night. SInce we´re asleep by then, they´re bringing it up during our planning session. :) And we have a member who speaks really good english and he came up to us and was like "Sisters...you want cinnabon this week? Okay I´m going to bring it by, you deserve it!" He´s so awesome. 

Our area is awesome and we have a good mix of less actives and new investigators to work with. The hard thing is finding out that not all of the new investigators are going to progress, that´s a bit tough for me when we have an awesome first few lessons but then they won´t read or pray or go to church. But that´s the nature of this work, I guess. I love Hermana Lyon and I feel like we´re both learning and growing together every day which is awesome.

I love you guys! Don´t forget about the REAL reason for the season. Go out and serve someone this week and do something nice for the missionaries. I´m not feeling too sad or lonely because I know you guys are praying for me and thinking of me and I feel your love. Don´t worry too much about me, I honestly am loving it. I feel weird saying that because everyone told me it was going to be miserable at first....it´s definitely NOT easy but it´s worth it and with the right attitude, it´s awesome! (everything is awesome ;) I got Hna Lyon singing that song all the time, it´s fab)

Enjoy your christmas mornings and watching The Grinch and singing Dominic the Donkey! I love you all!

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Gauger

Shoutouts to RYAN PACE for his birthday this week...I missed this one too...sorry!

Brandon Bourgeous! I just hope he´s doing good still, he´s such an awesome example to me so if someone could let him know that, please do. Also Jesse and John Smidt, I told my comp some stories from our meso2014 trip and I was dying laughing thinking about how hilarious you guys are. Hope you´re doing awesome! Never stop wearing your sombreros please.

Apparently our font takes 4 hours and we thought it took 2 so we had to help out a bit....

 

Diana is in the stripes, she´s Lucy´s daughter then the gordita is Lucy´s granddaughter Dulce and the other girl is the girl who first invited Diana to church! SO INVITE YOUR FRIENDS! IT COULD CHANGE THEIR WHOLE FAMILY! :)

 

LUCY!