Que Pasa Calebaza

Buenas Tardes!!!

What an eventful week it has been here in Florence Alabama. The days just shoot by here it's crazy! I can't believe It's already Monday again. Well working with Hermana Belford has been great. I love how each companion can teach you something new and how to be a better missionary. Hermana Belford and I are always enjoying each and every moment. I think it's good to have a bit of laughter while we are walking from door to door and we definitely do that. I love finding the joy in each and every moment and I'm learning to have a good attitude about everything. It makes the work that much better.

I haven't been writing in my journal this week so it's hard to remember what happened this week but I will try my best to remember the important things. We have been doing a lot more of knocking doors this week, which may not be the most effective form of missionary work, but at least 1 out of every 10 doors let's us in. The blessing the homes thing really does work however. It certainly brings the spirit into the home and the people can feel it. The trick is to get in the door. I didn't like knocking doors before, but it has become a lot easier and more meaningful when I go into it with Faith that what I say is important and that it can change the life of that person who has their own trials and tribulations. Were not just going around trying to get people into our church. Were bringing the good news. That Jesus Christ lives! That the same church he organized on the earth is on the earth once again and he has once again reached out to his children to help them return to him. Its the plan of Happiness, and who doesn't want happiness in this life!? I just wish people would see that when they see two girls standing on their front door, but all they see are the mormon missionaries coming to baptize them. 

We got to have a family night with our Mexicano family on Tuesday. It was so much fun. We did a Jeopardy game for the third lesson and I brought some Texas sheet cake and Octaviana (the mom) made us some Mexican food which I can't remember what it's called. It was delicious and they made me eat about 6 servings. My companion thinks it's funny to tell them that I want more... and you can't say no to the spanish people. So I'm pretty sure I'm going to come back 5 sizes bigger. The daughter, Dulce, has really started to open up to us. She's 18 and really shy. But I feel we are getting to a better place and becoming friends. The son Jose Luis had his baptismal interview on Saturday!!! :D .... but he's not ready. The Elder who interviewed him said that he's more ready then some of the people he interviews, but Jose Luis wants to know for sure and have a strong testimony of the Libro de Mormon and of the profetas and he doesn't right now. The thing is, I think he does he just doesn't think he does. But I'm sure his baptism will come soon enough :)

Spanish this week has been better. We got to go to our neighboring area on Wednesday of Russelville to teach the Hispanos there and they were so nice. We plan on going there more because the president told us that our job in this area is to visit the spanish members and inactives to make sure they don't feel like we've forgotten them. We also went to a bunch of the Spanish inactives in our ward yesterday. They all pretty much compose of the Limon family and we finally met the mom of these 11 children yesterday. She is such an old sweet lady. I am in love with the Hispanic food that they feed us!!! And they never fail to feed us. If they know were coming over, they will have food. I'm probably a little to much in love with it, so it's a good thing we have been riding our bikes everywhere... Well Hermana Belford's tire popped the other day so we had to walk all the rest of the way on Saturday. That was quite the adventure. We also got to go to Birmingham this week with the Zone leaders. They pick two sisters every council and they picked Sister Leifson and I since were new so we could get a feel for their meetings and give some input... I just want to say that I am so glad there is not any sister zone leaders because that is too much to handle! OH!!! We know that there are two 19 year old sisters heading here in February :D yay!!! The scary thing is that that means I may be trianing earlier than I want to... hopefully not.

I am loving being here in Alabama. I can't think of anywhere else I would rather be at this moment in my life. The Christmas season is great because the hearts of the people are so much more open to the message of Christ and I love it!! 

Les Extrano y Les Amo!!!! 

Con Amor, Hermana Decker :)

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