Missions are great!

This week had its ups and downs. Im not really any better at speaking and understanding spanish. I have to teach my comp english too so its a little stressful haha. What weve figured out is english is really hard to pronounce but spanish grammar is really weird. They arent specific when they talk. For example to say he, she, or it, its all one word, le. So its depending on the context of the conversation. So if you dont get the context you dont understand anything! Also everything is opposite and it confuses me all the time, Ex, Mission Leader is Leader Mission. 

Lots of people talk to me in English if they know a little bit and Ive gotten to the point where when they speak english I dont understand becuase I think theyre speaking in spanish haha its so difficult! 

Everyone says it takes about 3 months to understand/speak well. A few take 5-7 months..yikes. My comp tells me all the time that I will be fluent in 3 months. One hna. in our district my comp says speaks Perfect spanish and she has been here for 5 months now but really starting speaking well at 3. My comp says Ill be exactly like her becuase I try to talk as much as possible. Since she says that all the time It makes me stressed becuase I feel like if I dont speak well by 3 months Im a bad missionary and people will think I dont work hard. Also, I dont know how Im ever going to get there because I dont speak well at all. I know I shouldnt stress over that but I am. Everyone says my pronounciation is perfect its just my grammar haha.

Carlos was to be baptized Saturday but very sadly he wasnt. Hes having a lot of problems with family and he doesnt feel good in his heart. A lot of pain I guess from something but he wont tell us and he doesnt want our help. It was really hard becuase he said I helped him and thats why he wants to be baptized but now he doesnt want to nor wants our help. I dont know what happened. It was like 2 days before Saturday and he was SO happy before. It was like a night and day difference in his personality. Ugh the Adversary...but we have another baptism this week on Saturday with a family. Elizeth and Hector. Very kind people but Hector has law of chastity problems and were praying he divorces his other wife and marries Elizeth before Saturday..Yeah its a big mess. Really sad but itll happen. 

We were in the park yesterday doing a bunch of contacting because NO one was home. So we just contacted to hourssss. Very tiring. Anyways we saw this young boy and we went up and talked to him, His name is Abraham and hes 16. Hes a really cool kid and we had a good conersation with him. But he still was really hesitant to meet with us again. So we left our number and got his and started walking away and contacting other people. Like 2 minutes later he came running up to us and said I dont know why I didnt tell you this before but just recently I had a dream about you two. Not specifically us two but of two missionaries like us and he doesnt know why. So we invited him to church and everything and were really hoping he comes. It was really cool. 

Lastly, I had an interesting week with food...aha but the worst was definitely on Friday. A sister in the ward fed us and it was so much and I was about to explode. Then she says oh do you want more and I was like no no Im ok. But then she says do you want this stuff. I dont remember the name. Anyways I was like uh no Im ok but she gave it to me anyways...It looked like fried brea. Like really old crusty bread with a chunk of meat attatched to it. It was weird. So I bit into it and it wasnt too bad...Then I asked what it was...ahaha I almost threw up. It was pig skin with the muscle STILL attatched...Oh my I honestly dont know how I kept that down. Then she kept offering me more and more to try it with different things and seriously it was a miracle I could keep it all down. Finally she kept saying oh have more have more and I was like Im sorry I my stomach cant take any more. If I had eaten one more bite I literally would have thrown up all over the table right there. It was so gross and I was so full haha. It sounds like youre eating a mouthful of rocks! Ohhh its bad haha. So that was interesting. 

We are BROKE. literally broke haha. We have to walk Everywhere becuase we have no money and our area is Huge. So I walk around 10 or more miles everyday this past whole week. Its so hard. We get home and were just exhausted. It has been in the 100s almost this whole week. My clothes are just soaked with sweat and my drips with sweat. Its nasty. Its difficult to get up in the morning becuase my body is so sore and then I have to exercise for 30 minutes haha. Ugh its difficult but we get money this wednesday so yay! We have had no food also. Its been so hard. And we dont have any water in our house. Its yellow. I dont even dare. I cant take a water bottle with me while we walk becuase it gets burning hot in about 15 minutes. So I think Im losing weight haha. I dont drink unless in a persons house and I dont eat unless in a persons house haha. Its fun..haha ok we have a little food its not like Im starving myself but its like a little bowl of cereal and some jello. Weve had jello for dinner for the past two nights haha. But we will make it to Wednesday!

Missions are great! haha. Cant wait to see some of you over skype!! Hope this week is great. 

I know this is where Im supposed to be. I know that as long as I am faithful and obedient I will witness miracles and my testimony will grow leaps and bounds. I love this Gospel! So much! Everyday I learn something new and it just amazes me.

Love you all so much!

Hermana Grover

Everyone here says the same thing they do in the MTC, the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. Er wrong. The days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like months. I feel like I have been on my mission for a year!

This week has been...I dont know how to say it. Ive had really good days and really bad ones. There was one day I had, I dont even remember what day because it felt like a month ago but it was such a great day. I felt great and I was excited to teach and I wanted to teach and I wanted to speak in SPanish and I was understanding people. That was the day when I was exactly obedient, my thoughts were focused on my mission, my comp, members, and investigators. I wasnt thinking about the end of my mission or what else I could be doing or how bad my SPanish is or how I can never understand anyone. No my thoughts were focused and positive. It was the best day on my mission yet. I learned A Lot that day because my next few days were just bad. A mission is about sacrifice. You sacrifice your time, language, and such. Also when you are set apart you are set apart to a higher thought (D&C). Therefore I have to change and sacrifice who I was before to become who CHrist wants me to be. I dont know if this makes sense but Ex. I think a lot. I love to think! But my thoughts are everywhere and I probably think too much haha. My great day was when I was focusing ALL my thoughts on my Mission. This is really difficult for me, to center my thoughts, but I know Im not going to be an effective missionary if I dont do this. An Hermana in my District told me this, These 1st few months are all about you.

I thought about that and its true! I need to not focus on me and focus on others. I need to stop showing my frustration and worrying about my Spanish and focusing on the needs of others. Thats how Im going to learn faster on so many different levels. Now the really hard part is actually putting these things into action and changing. But I know with the Lords its not impossible. His arm is always stretched forth to ctach us when we fall and to lead and guide us. His arm is extended to all (3 Nephi 9¨14) My absolute favorite scripture. Its beautiful. 

Entonces, This is the Lords mission not mine. I need to not say what do I want what do I want. No what does the Lord want? 

Oh Jhoanna was baptized Saturday! It was beautiful! Carlos will be baptized this Saturday! He asked me to give the talk on the Holy GHost! YIKES. Im SO scared haha. 

and then we have another baptism date set for a couple the next week! Yippee!!

Love you all! and I will try to get the email from last week out to you sometime....sorry about that! 

Hermana Grover

Unfortunate:(

Shyloh tried to write a letter, but it didn't go through because it didn't recognize the email addresses for some reason. She lost the whole letter. She was so sorry. She said many things happened this week, but she didn't have time now to write. I received her short note at 6:00 p.m. She said to let you all know that she is doing ok and being very humbled. She misses you and is still struggling with the language and everything, but said it's ok.

She said to please keep writing her and praying for her, and that she loves you all.

Mom

Chiapas, Mexico

Holy cow! I don´t even know where to begin. This is hands down the most difficult thing I have ever had to do in my life. 

We arrived at like 6:30 at night on Monday. The trip was long but Hna Johnson and I talked to a few people. In spanish! It was interesting haha. Anyways, the President picked us up and we got in the car and I almost cried. Its the first time in my life when I wanted to wear a seatbelt haha. There are no lanes except the divider for a car going one way and another car going the opposite. But if you are going the same direction there are NO LANES. People will fly in front of you when you are going 60 miles an hour! I literally risk my life everytime I get on a bus haha and everyone just walks in the streets. We literally almost hit like 50 people a day. Its rough...the people in Tuxtla will randomly set bushes and sticks on fire. So you will be walking or driving and there will be fires on the side of the street...Not to scare you Mom! They are not big and are no harm so dont worry. 

Hna Johnson, me and another Elder from the MTC (Elder Spence) had dinner at the Mission Presidents house that night and I just wanted to cry. I didnt understand anything and I could not speak back either. UGH I cant even tell you how difficult and frustrated I am with the language. This week has been the longest week of my life. 

I am really struggling with the food and where we live. But the people are super nice! Though they get frustrated because I cant speak so they generally avoid talking to me haha...

I met my new companion on Tuesday and thats when I left Hna. Johnson and I have never felt so lost or alone because my companion is Native. She doesnt know English...So I am really struggling communicating and just ugh its rough. My faith in Christ and myself is seriously being tested. I have only cried once but I have teared  up probably around like 30 times haha. But as the days go on the better it gets. I still dont understand a lick in spanish (though I am starting to understand a little better) and I cant speak it hardly at all. 

My comp is Hna. Tejeda and she is 23. She is funny and very short haha. Its a struggle for both of us because she cant speak english and I cant speak spanish so communication is difficult. The Mission President felt impressed to have us together and that we should be the 1st Sister Missionaries in Chiapa de Corzo. So we have had to start from scratch with everything...Oh my gosh Missions are hard I cant even describe to you. 

BUT on the bright side the people love me...just because I am American haha. They think I am really funny and they are obsessed with my hair haha. Daily, I kid you not DAILY Every ingle person will stare at me when I walk in the streets or ride the bus. Also I get SO many winks from men and I get Hey beautiful! Or Hey pretty come get in my car! Yeah...it is funny but scary at times haha.

My house is...interesting haha. You just walk around and there are lizards on the walls everywhere. And millions of ants. The water is absolutely disgusting. It smells like manure and tastes sweet...yucky. The bathroom smells o gross too! Haha and I sleep on a cot and worms and stuff crawl all over. They are little white things and they bite me and itch like a misquito bite..But I have only gotten 4 misquito bites! There really are not any here only by the water or at night if you are just standing there. But the humidity is SO MUCH. I dont need any product to make my hair curly just a little water. I dont even worry about hardly any make up because you just sweat it all off in seriously 5 minutes. Oh my gosh its gross haha. I take cold showers but the sink water is warm. So all the water is warm unless you leave your waterbottle in the fridge and it still doesnt get very cold. It is really really hot here so I am starting to get a little color. Yes! 

The area is really pretty and I have met a lot of people whospeak a total different language. In Chiapas there are 12 different languages ranging from ancient Mayan or Aztec cultures. I have learned some words but I am only supposed to speak Spanish. :( But its ok because spanish is hard enough as it is!

Ok the food. Is good! Dfferent but good. MY absolute favorite thing is a drink. Its called fruta de agua. Its just fresh fruit with water and sugar. Any kind of fruit. So far I have had tamborine and watermelon, and some other tropical fruit I dont know.But I hope to try pineapple soon! But seriously it is so good. The tamberine is gross. My favorite is watermelon. I had like 5 glasses of it haha. I will make it when I get home...in 17 months.. For breakfast we eat sandwhiches..for dinner we eat sandwhiches...for lunch we go to a house of a member or investigator and they feed us. So far I have had lots of soups that are like at home and hamburgers but they are different than ours. They have like 4 different meats on their hamburgers. They fry their veggies and put some stuff on it I dont know but it is really good!! Then I had a whole fish. Like an investigator (Laura) handed me a plate with the entire fish on it..its whole body; eyes, bones, scales, fins, tail, etc. It was pretty good though. Yes I only ate the meat she just served the whole fish on my plate. 

I dont talk much during lessons becvause I dont what they are saying and how to talk back haha. Its like I forgot all spanish. But I did talk in one lesson and that lesson is what keeps me going and what might keep me going for the next few weeks. Her name is Joanna and she is 17. We were talking about church and then I had an impression to ask about the BoM and her feelings when she read it..3 times the impression came and finally I asked her and she just stared at me. Then she explained her feelings and they were good and then I asked if she has prayed to know if the BoM was true and she said yes yes I have and I have received an answer. Yes I know it is true. So right then we asked her to be baptized and she said yes! She had been meeting with the Elders for a month, a couple months ago. But the cool thing is a member (Carina) told me after she found out Joanna said yes to baptism she came and told me: Hna. Grover, I went with the Elders to the lessons with Joanna and we asked her 3 times and she never wanted to be baptized, at all." So what I said just really helped her out is what my Comp told me. So that was cool. It will carry me for a while. 

Anyways no time. My address is:

Misión México Tuxtla Gutierrez (accent over the 1st e.) 

Calle Jazmines #210

Fracc. Los Laureles

Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico

C.P. 29020

Love you all so much! Miss you like you could no even believe

Hermana Grover

PLEASE write me!