Cockroaches! Jose's Baptism Interview & pictures galore

Hola Familia y amigos!

So, the weather has been so so beautiful this past week! 60's! Yes, 60 degree weather. The sun's out. No rain. Just the occasional wind storms at night that make it a bit chilly. I only wore boots one time this past week!

This week we had to drop one of our investigators, Alma. She knows the church is true and we went back to teach her about the restoration (the 50th time she's heard it) and to ask her to pray to know if the church was true. The lesson was super spiritual and we could tell she knew what we were saying was true. At the end of the lesson, she said she didn't want to pray. When we checked up with her at the end of this week, she said she still hadn't prayed and that one day she'd be baptized just not any time soon. Ugh, I was sad but right now it's just not her time.

Thursday, we went to Maria Lopez's house, a convert of a little over a year. When we knocked on her door she peaked out from her second story window and said 'who is it?', then saw it was us and said she'd come down to let us in. Hermana Laudie and I were dying laughing just because all hispanics do this here! When we knock on the door (or anyone for that matter), they stick their heads out their windows and yell, or yell though the door and ask who's there. Haha we wanted to joke and say "oh just someone hear to come steal your stuff...may we come in?"

Too funny.

Today, we just got done doing service at a lady's house who had a...wait for it....cockroach infestation!!! SO GROSS! We had to help her clean out and scrub her entire kitchen, bathroom, hallways, etc. That included behind appliances too. Wow. I am praying to never EVER have cockroaches in my house. She said they were about 2 inches big as well! Nasty. If she finds more of them she'll just have to burn down her house I guess. Haha just kidding.

Well, I love you all! Keep smiling and being happy. Life is delightful, even with cockroaches in them (and birds..which I strongly despise). Thank you all for the letters and emails! (And all of you out there reading this-keep hastening the work! We are seeing his work take off everywhere, even here in the ghetto. It's amazing.)

Hasta luego,

Hermana Sutherland





I used your carrot jelly bean thing to give to emily! It was so cute but we needed an Easter gift for her so thank you :)

Gloria Moreno (I sent a picture with her a month or two ago) made these with us for a lunch we had with her nonmember hubby! They are called: Cachapas-Venezuelan corn pancakes (2) with cheese in the middle. Super sweet. Super delicious. Super fattening. I did not finish my whole plate of spaghetti either, haha. Look how huge it is!

Boston from the Cambridge side of the river

Boston Marathon sign

Laughing with Sister Laudie on the streets of Cambridge.

My Taqueria (taco shop) in Cambridge!

Found Nemo in a fish bowl in a building the other day haha. 

Boston building

Mabel & her mother, who we teach English to. They are the sweetest Peruvians.

Oh! One more thing mom and dad!

So Jose passed his interview for baptism and President Haight (our President's first counselor) came down to Bridgeport to interview him 3rd hour in church.

Then after the interview, he stayed and talked to us for like 1 1/2 hours about life! Not even all missionary work! He is super happy, excited about life, and very kind. He asked us what our favorite things to get in packages are (so he knows what to send to his kids who are starting to leave on missions), if are parents are writing us and how our support is from home, he talked to us about our plans for after the mission (he doesn't care if that makes us trunkie because he says it's good to plan for the future! And since a mission is going to be effecting us everyday for the rest of our lives it's going to be good to know how it will fit in with our future goals), and then he talked about the best part: dating and marriage!

Haha he said: long courtship, short engagement. Because when you date you are getting to know the person, etc. But in an engagement it feels like you're already married and satan tries to attack you so much more in the engagement stage. With pushing you in the law of chastity, making you doubt if your fiance is the right one, if it's the right time, etc.

He related it to investigators and baptism. They all take however long they need (within reason...depending on each person) with taking the lessons and learning/converting themselves as much as possible. But once they decide to be baptized and set a date things become real. Satan tempts them more to (for example) go back to that cup of coffee. Or he gives them doubts. The longer they postpone the baptism, the less likely it'll happen and the more likely it is the will fall into temptations power! SUPER COOL right? I'm sure you already knew that. I kind of did too. But he stated so clearly and he's really funny so it was like an awesome personal fireside with him and us 4 missionaries.

Mission presidents are so knowledgable, and their counselors. I just wish I could jump into their brains! Haha Man, I wish I could share more, but that's good for now. 

--

Hna Suth