Forgiven!

I told her a mother needed more than "hey thanks for the pics" I think I will forgive her after this fantastic letter.

Ummmm.... yikes! I thought I wrote you the big letter!!! I’m so sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 We had 7 investigators in church this Sunday, broke the record here in San Pedro :D   Margaret, Carlos, and mini Margaretha, Carlos's daughter from his first marriage. This week we met with Rodrigo, Natalya and Diego!!! Whoohoo! That is who we are teaching this week :D plus a few others :D Margaret prebooked a time to get married this Friday, she wants me and Ricagno as her witnesses but I’m still waiting for my carnet (license) so it’ll be Ricagno and Charlize(her 20yr old son) as her witnesses, and she wants to be baptized sat at 8pm. I hope it works out! We’re going to light a fire under Carlos this week so he will marry her, they’ve been together for 23 years, its time. We’ve been teaching Carlos and he introduced us to his daughter who’s having a rough time with drugs.  On Saturday I told Carlos to write down a question, not to tell anyone what it was, bring it to church, and the question would be answered.  I told him that would be his answer to whether this church really is the only true church. He needs to marry Margaret on Friday, and be baptized himself. He did it, and after church he just said, I got my answer, I’ll talk to you guys about it later. He asked lots of questions about the priesthood. :D mini Margaretha just needs to turn 8, in May so she can be baptized as well.

 We’re teaching Nat and Diego tonight in noche de hogar (FHE), with some cool young members. They both know the church is true, Diego just needs to feel ready for baptism. I’m like "you’ll never be ready 100% just take the leap of faith boy!" Either this Saturday, or the 6^th of February are the dates they have for baptism.  

Rodrigo we met this week in a street contact, went to visit him and both of us almost turned and ran. He was super scary!!! But near the end of the lesson, I don’t remember what we said or asked but he opened right up and told us how he lost his girlfriend to cancer in 2001, and how he had major depression and stuff!  It all made sense and we taught awesomely and he accepted the 13^th of February for baptism. He wants to start completely fresh, erase the past, and have the spirit to guide him the rest of his life!  We came back to teach him with a member 2 days later and he told us how he felt the difference in the last two days reading the Book of Mormon and he wanted to come to church. Usually he doesn’t leave his house. :D  We're going back tomorrow with another member, members are like magic.

 

This morning we dressed up :D we found pipe cleaners and I was gifted wings during white elephant Christmas exchange. :D

 

 

Love the stache!

 

 

 

Yesterday we had a delicious meal for lunch.  I was super concerned the meat was horse because it had a weird texture, but its ok, Hna Ricagno asked some well worded, innocent questions and we discovered it was beef, phew! It was delicious it had flavor!!!!! Yummo!!! Completos or the guacamole hot dogs are my favorite! After 9:30 the other night we called out for sandwiches, and they were yummy! We were so hungry! I dream of your cooking!

Thank you so much for teaching me, guiding me, walking beside me, listening to me, for giving me books, hugs, an aggressive way of expressing affection,  and everything!!! Hermana Ricagno le mando un besito. I’m going to have my first interview with the president this week on Thursday :D  It’s funny because I see him and Hermana Bluth all the time :D  I’m more excited for cookies than visiting with the president! 

 

Love Shaylee

 

Hermana Ingrid cooked enchiladas, Hna Ricagno never had them before and loved them!!! 

 

 Picture Magaretha drew for Shay

 

 Study time!

 

 

 Studying King Benjamin

 

 

PUNK MISSIONARY!

Shaylee is obviously to busy, having to much fun, or both. She did not write anything to any of us besides a quick response to a picture or letter we had sent her. RUDE! LOL! I'm glad she is happy.  She did say last week she would be sending lots of pictures, here are a few. I better get a long letter next week informing me of all she has been up to.

 

                                                                     Mmmm... fish!

 

                                                    Dog was asleep on his back...strange.

 I did get this interesting little letter from Shay and her comp in the mail today. They wrote it while standing in line for something. They seem to have a lot of fun together.

 

                    Hermana Ricagno is pointing at the bird sculpture, not the photo bomber. haha!

 

Favorite Food: ICE CREAM?!

 

Natalya missed church and has to wait till the 30th to be baptized with Diego.  We taught them with a member, the member taught the lesson and it was fantastic! Diego said closing prayer, he asked that they  would be able to know where the truth was, and oh ha la esta en esta iglesia!!!! he hopes it’s in our church.  He came to church without Natalya yesterday!!!!! He’s 18, and if she’s not there he’s not there, but he came!!!!!!!!!! OH! The bishop at 4 o’clock Saturday asked me to speak on the restauracion for 10 minutes in sacrament yesterday. I was like... yo puedo, I think! But I survived!!!!! And people were thanking me for my message :) mom I was translating my talk from English to Spanish while I talked because I wrote it in 1 hour!!! I also went up to the podium missing the last 4 minutes of my talk because Hermana Ricagno had the pages!!!! Barbara’s mom was crying, called me valiente, extremely brave.

 We had a return and report, and Hrma Bluth (mission Mom) made me Hawaiian haystacks!!! She is awesome!!!! Seriously love her.

 I love you so much and am grateful to be your daughter. You taught me to have an attitude completely different about life than all  of the other girls here.  Haha Hermana Ricagno told me the other day, I’m like a man, in a good way, "things are the way they are, it’s not a big deal let’s make it work." Haha her translated words.

 I cried yesterday setting goals because we decided that 8:30am-10:30pm is only Spanish for me. I miss English. Oh and my iPod is working!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you!!!! Beyond 5! Women of destiny! Jenny Philips! Guitar solos! I love it all thank you! Makes the mornings so much better! There was even some Spanish songs in there :D I love it! We were super busy, I’m sorry I didn’t take more pics this week, next week there will be a ton!

 

"Baptism by water" chick is good, works a lot though.... oh well we’ll catch her eventually! 
( The girl that said she wanted to be baptized the right way)

Love Shaylee

 

(I asked her what her favorite and worst food was)

Favorite food is ice cream

Worst is anything meat it's HORRIBLE!

 

ME: Ice cream shouldn't be considered a food!

Ice cream here is food!

 

 

 

Sisters at return and report. I assume it is when they return to the mission home and report in person to the mission president.

 

Selfie while writing today.

New Years At The Beach

 

 

We had a party on the beach on New Year’s!! It was so fun! I KILLED in ninja destruction. Elder woods was the one who eventually got me out. I went into a full split and someone made a sound and I looked away and he got me out! I was so surprised! Elder Woods and I claimed the championship.

 

 

 

 

 

 First pic of 2016 :)

 

 

Natalya is getting baptized on the 9th of January, but Diego, her brother, has to wait an extra week because he missed church, well see what happens :)

 

 We saw a double rainbow after a hard lesson :D we called the guy an adulterer and he told us we were always welcome in his home because we are good people haha weird... :)

 

 

We’ve been teaching Alejandra a lot this week, she is the sister of a recent convert and is looking for peace. She is super timid and has lots of fear. We are teaching her the restauraccion again tonight and I’m super excited for it. It’s so cool seeing the changes in people’s eyes. They start to shine, it’s awesome! I’ve seen that change in Alejandra lots, especially since she started praying and reading a little in the Book of Mormon. My favorite lesson to teach is plan of salvation because of the way it connects everything together. I love how it makes sense of everything. :)

 

Love you forever!

Shay