Dec. 5- Enduring Well! (part 1)

Dear Family,

We had a very busy but great week! Presidente Avila gave me permission to visit some families and recent converts that live in Iguala, Guerrero in the ward I was in back in January to say goodbye, and it was really amazing seeing them! We had been really busy doing all the divisiones with the sisters still and travelings and meetings, but we are happy:) 

This is me and Raffa (Rafaela) I wasn't able to be there for her baptism, but I taught the first half of her lessons before I left Insurgentes, she is very special! I even gave her an extra set of Spanish scriptures I had:)

You make good friends with members after you have been in a ward for a while, and I was in Insurgentes for about 5 months:) This is Rosy and her daughter Dianery. Dianery is 16 years old and writes me almost every week on the email:) 

The Hernandez family is also really special to me, Hermana Silvia is the relief society presidente and Bishop Hernandez is the young mens president. I was scared when we showed up to Iguala that no one was even going to remember me, but their daughter Greydis ran from their house screaming to hug me and took away all my fears:) I love them!

We spent a lot of time with Hermana Amsi and her family when I lived there, as well:) They are a family of 5 girls and it is always fun to be with them:) 

The bishop of Insurgentes and the whole Sanchez family have a special place in my heart as well:) The Bishop doesn't even call me by my name, he just calls me "my blessing" if he needs to tell me something or if I can help him in anything:) In terms of baptisms or huge things in my time as a missionary in his ward I didn't have much, but when I mentioned that his wife just told me that I was a missionary they could truly see that worked hard. I hope I can always be a blessing to my future bishops:) 

I was also really happy to get to see Cecilia and her daughter Cecy:) I was their for their baptisms, and they were two of the most difficult conversions I have even had:)! It wasn't planned to see her because we didn't have time but God organizes everything, and Cecy was inside of the house of a person we had an appointment with:):):)

And this is the amazing Familia Lopez Ramos that live right next to our missionary house. They have shown me so much love and respect and care. I will forever be grateful to them and I will try to treat every missionary in my ward with as much love as they always show the missionaries:) 

Hermana Cecy Lopez Ramos made all of my favorite food while we were there, and this is a picada:) It is made from the maza of tortilla with cream, cheese, and salsa:) 

Enduring Well- Part 2

These are the missionaries who we actually came to do the divisiones with:) They are keeping good care of my old area of Insurgentes:)

One day we were walking in the street and I heard frantic meowing, I looked up and we found a cat that was stuck in the tree! Since we are trying to #LightTheWorld we preformed the act of service of getting it out and it was so cute:) 

I had another huge blessing of being able to attend Stake Conference and see some converts of the first ward I was in a year ago! Walle and Luis were the first baptisms I had in my mission and it made me so happy to see them again. Walle even has the Melchizedek Priesthood and says he is thinking about going on a mission. I also had a nice surprise of seeing Ivette, the girl in the picture:) She walked up to me and said that she had met me before and wondered if I remembered. In one of the last weeks I was in this ward back in my training I contacted Ivette on the street and asked her if she wanted to receive our missionary message. She accepted but then she wasn't there when we came looking for her. Later missionaries got in contact with her and she was baptized:) She remembers that I talked to her that day on the street when she had her headphones in but we had a message to share:) So amazing!!

The Stake Conference was also really fun because our recent convert Ricardo sang in the Stake Choir:) He is literally progressing so much! It is so amazing seeing him grow and shine!! He finds joy participating and serving in the Kingdom of God and I am learning so much from his faithful service.

Well, I guess this is my last full week as a missionary because next Monday I will only have days left. I am going to give it my all and serve with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. I am happy for the fruits I have seen and the joy I have felt, and who knows, maybe there are more Ivettes that I still need to reach out to and find in these next 12 days for future missionaries to teach:) I love you all!!

Love, Hermana Swallow