buenos dias!
this has been a pretty great week. sister kellett and i found 8 new investigators. we found two young families who are just amazing and really searching for more in their lives. we also found a pretty awesome guy named genaro. genaro villarreal. who knows, maybe if you googled his name you would find some crazy things. he was a pretty big time drug dealer. then about two years ago he got in a bad car accident. he was the only one who survived.. was in the hospital for three months. got busted for the drugs and everything, his wife left him and took his two kids, all of his cars and houses were reposessed, he's pretty physically damaged.. he's like on welfare/rehabilitation because he can't work. and he kind of has a little bit of brain damage, but who knows if it's from the drugs or from the crash. anyway.. he's awesome/crazy. so he's totally turned his life around to god. like he turned himself in for a bunch of other things he had done.. like stolen cars and such.. and is probably going to be facing a good 10 year jail sentence in a few months. he's working with his lawyer and has court dates and things. he reads the bible for hours every day and all sorts of books on jesus' life. he's very receptive to the things that we teach him. he has genuinely turned his life around and knows it's for the better that he's going to jail and he doesn't want to feel the guilt anymore, he knows he's done wrong, he hasn't done drugs since the accident.. etc. he's cool. the funny thing is though, he had a tattoo of his wife on his arm. but then after the accident and she left him and all that, he had her face tattooed over with like the freakiest looking skull face ever. i took a picture of it.. i will send it home some time. it's so funny.
hmm. what else.. i feel like crazy people are just attracted to missionaries for some reason. we meet the craziest people. it keeps life so entertaining. we meet this toothless guy. he had like two teeth. and he was talking to us about the bible, and the conversation was very calm and didn't have contention, but for some reason he was yelling. SO. loud. maybe he was deaf or something. but he would yell, and then make the weirdest facial expressions with his no teeth and it was the funniest thing ever. he was crazy.
we also meet very cool people. like we met this guy named Al. he just retired from being a teacher at the age of 80. and he is so fit! he exercises every morning. he used to be the texas state champion for boxing. he has this huge poster cut out of himself in like 1940.. which sounds kind of weird but i swear he's super cool. and he has the coolest thoughts and philosophies and really knows what life is about. like he was telling us about his friend who was the first mexican ever to be president of this very racist medical association in texas. and how proud he is of him and how we should never give up and should always keep working. and that work is the only thing we need in this life. as long as we're working we're learning and growing and staying alive. which is all so true. what a cool man. he's traveled the world being a teacher and helping people. he is my hero. his son got in an accident a few years ago (is like 35) and still can't walk. but they are both so positive and so grateful for the blessings that they have and are just an awesome family.
well.. i am out of time. it goes so fast. thanks for all the e-mails and things letters and things this week! i love and miss you all.
xoxo
brittany
Monday, February 22, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
I'm a real missionary!
I'm here i'm here! And it has been such a crazy week. I am a real missionary! what the? I love it. My companion's name is Sister Kellett. She is from Michigan and we have so much in common it is kind of ridiculous. Like: we both have great friends named Marni, we were both vegetarians before starting our missions, we both have blonde hair, we have very similar senses of humor, we like a lot of the same music, we try to get every single puppy or kitty we see into our arms. ha. i love her. i live in an apartment with two other sisters, sister carlos and sister browning and they great as well. we all get along well and laugh a ton and work hard.
well, my first week of non-veggie ism i was thrown into the fire. i ate... cow... tongue. that is right. cow tongue. cow tongue tacos. with black beans. it actually wasn't too bad. it could be because i drowned out every bite with as much beans as was possible.. but it really wasn't too bad. people here LOVE to feed us. even if they don't want to listen to our lesson, they want to feed us. we had two consecutive dinners my second day here. the food really is delicous. i had a family make fun of me because apparently i don't know how to eat chilis right and took a bite of one that was super spicy and my face turned red and i started coughing and we were all laughing. i will get the hang of this.
we went to downtown laredo for p-day and ate lunch at a restaurant with an investigator/friend of ours. downtown laredo is about 5 minutes from our place.. it's right at the border. the food was sooo good. my companion and i were the only white people in sight. the people here are so great. so loving and open. and they love my blonde hair. they always make comments about how beautiful my companions and my hair is. i can get used this.
we had a really neat thing happen the other day when we were out knocking doors. we had planned earlier to do these two streets in a neighborhood that hadn't been contacted in a while, but when we got to the neighborhood we ended up deciding to do the street right next to it. we went all the way down the street with not much success, but the last house on the street was amazing. i saw from a distance that there were a bunch of people out on the front lawn and as we got closer we realized it was two older women and then 4 handicapped people. people with special needs? i am not sure what is most politically correct to say. anyway, we went and started talking to the two ladies. one of them was loading some of the kids in the car. we introduced ourselves, said we were missionaries and we teach about christ and asked if there was anything we could do to help them. usually when we ask people if there is something we can do to help them they so no, but this lady was so happy we wanted to help her! so when the other woman got in the car and drove away, the woman who lived at the house invited us in.she told us that she actually was a member of our church but hasn't been active for 14 years. her story is amazing. i guess about 17 ish years ago her husband had left her. she had a three month old baby. and she thought it was just the end of her life. she told us she had planned to commit suicide one day. she was going to kill her and her baby because she didn't want her baby left parentless. so she was hysterical one day, like crying and planning to do this when the missionaries knock at her door. they asked if they could help her and she said no but it softened her heart and she decided not to kill herself. and they next day they came back to check up on her she let them teach her and she was baptized about a month later. she said she knows the book of mormon is true and she had the truth in her life and was so happy and her life was receiving so many blessings and she had so much peace. then her husband came back to her after a year or so. and their marriage was terrible and her going to church was tearing them apart and he was slightly abusive and it was just not a good situation. so she ended up falling away from the church to make her husband happy. then like ten years later he left her again. so anyway.. she like moved into this nice home and adopted these three handicapped children/adults and takes care of them. she just has a heart of gold. it's amazing the things she was telling us. so we shared a message with her about how we're never alone and shared some scriptures and just chatted with her. we asked her to say a prayer at the end of our visit and she started to cry and it was the sweetest prayer i've ever heard. so humble and heartfelt. after she said she knew it wasn't coincidence that we stopped by her house and that she's been missing spiritual growth in her life and had been praying for it every night. that she knew the book of mormon is still true and that she needs to be at church and have it back in her life and she just didn't know where to start. she's been so busy taking care of her kids by herself and has no help. all of her family is in mexico and she doesn't have very many friends in the neighborhood. bah. i just love her so much. her name is silvia.anyway. we are going back to her today and helping her clean her house and take care of her kids and read with her more. it's just amazing. God really does put us in people's paths when they need it.wow. this super long. i must be going. i hope this e-mail finds everyone well. Laredo is treating me good so far. the weather is perfect, the people are great, the food is delish.
xoxo
hermana morrill
well, my first week of non-veggie ism i was thrown into the fire. i ate... cow... tongue. that is right. cow tongue. cow tongue tacos. with black beans. it actually wasn't too bad. it could be because i drowned out every bite with as much beans as was possible.. but it really wasn't too bad. people here LOVE to feed us. even if they don't want to listen to our lesson, they want to feed us. we had two consecutive dinners my second day here. the food really is delicous. i had a family make fun of me because apparently i don't know how to eat chilis right and took a bite of one that was super spicy and my face turned red and i started coughing and we were all laughing. i will get the hang of this.
we went to downtown laredo for p-day and ate lunch at a restaurant with an investigator/friend of ours. downtown laredo is about 5 minutes from our place.. it's right at the border. the food was sooo good. my companion and i were the only white people in sight. the people here are so great. so loving and open. and they love my blonde hair. they always make comments about how beautiful my companions and my hair is. i can get used this.
we had a really neat thing happen the other day when we were out knocking doors. we had planned earlier to do these two streets in a neighborhood that hadn't been contacted in a while, but when we got to the neighborhood we ended up deciding to do the street right next to it. we went all the way down the street with not much success, but the last house on the street was amazing. i saw from a distance that there were a bunch of people out on the front lawn and as we got closer we realized it was two older women and then 4 handicapped people. people with special needs? i am not sure what is most politically correct to say. anyway, we went and started talking to the two ladies. one of them was loading some of the kids in the car. we introduced ourselves, said we were missionaries and we teach about christ and asked if there was anything we could do to help them. usually when we ask people if there is something we can do to help them they so no, but this lady was so happy we wanted to help her! so when the other woman got in the car and drove away, the woman who lived at the house invited us in.she told us that she actually was a member of our church but hasn't been active for 14 years. her story is amazing. i guess about 17 ish years ago her husband had left her. she had a three month old baby. and she thought it was just the end of her life. she told us she had planned to commit suicide one day. she was going to kill her and her baby because she didn't want her baby left parentless. so she was hysterical one day, like crying and planning to do this when the missionaries knock at her door. they asked if they could help her and she said no but it softened her heart and she decided not to kill herself. and they next day they came back to check up on her she let them teach her and she was baptized about a month later. she said she knows the book of mormon is true and she had the truth in her life and was so happy and her life was receiving so many blessings and she had so much peace. then her husband came back to her after a year or so. and their marriage was terrible and her going to church was tearing them apart and he was slightly abusive and it was just not a good situation. so she ended up falling away from the church to make her husband happy. then like ten years later he left her again. so anyway.. she like moved into this nice home and adopted these three handicapped children/adults and takes care of them. she just has a heart of gold. it's amazing the things she was telling us. so we shared a message with her about how we're never alone and shared some scriptures and just chatted with her. we asked her to say a prayer at the end of our visit and she started to cry and it was the sweetest prayer i've ever heard. so humble and heartfelt. after she said she knew it wasn't coincidence that we stopped by her house and that she's been missing spiritual growth in her life and had been praying for it every night. that she knew the book of mormon is still true and that she needs to be at church and have it back in her life and she just didn't know where to start. she's been so busy taking care of her kids by herself and has no help. all of her family is in mexico and she doesn't have very many friends in the neighborhood. bah. i just love her so much. her name is silvia.anyway. we are going back to her today and helping her clean her house and take care of her kids and read with her more. it's just amazing. God really does put us in people's paths when they need it.wow. this super long. i must be going. i hope this e-mail finds everyone well. Laredo is treating me good so far. the weather is perfect, the people are great, the food is delish.
xoxo
hermana morrill
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Week 8
friends/family,
hiiiii!this week has been great. i received my travel plans! i had a firm and steadfast hope that someday the MTC would end, i just wasn't sure if it was naive of me. but alas, i have proof that there is an end to this place and an actual mission field for me to go out and serve. i have learned a ton this week actually and i feel like i am finally becoming a missionary, and not just a girl doing missionary things. i'm feeling much more confident with my teaching abilities, getting to know people abililties, testimony sharing abilities, spanish speaking abilities, and just knowing that God is my strength and will help me where i fall short. i don't have a fear of going out to the field anymore, i am just excited!i want you all to know that i know that i am so excited to be here. and i know that the atonement of jesus christ and the gospel are for EVERYONE. and will bless everybody's life. i know that we lived long before this life and are here on this life to learn to become who we have always been, and to learn and grow and make mistakes and be happy, and to one day after this life live with our families forever and become perfect. i know that through the atonement we can always have comfort and peace in this life. there is not a single thing anyone could ever struggle with that our savior hasn't suffered personally, and that he doesn't want to help us with. all we have to do is come to him. we have never ever ever messed up bad enough to deny that love either. all we have to do is come to him. i know more than anything that god loves us and wants the best for us and KNOWS what is best for us and is hoping with all of his might that we will use and remember the atonement every single day. and we are able to use the atonement through following the teachings of the gospel that jesus christ himself taught. that are in the bible and are in their fulness in the book of mormon and taught by a living prophet today. i know that we can pray to heavenly father and receive revelation and guidance for ourselves, and we can receive comfort when we are sad, and receive answers to questions. the gospel is the key to peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come. i know that. you are my friends and family, i think or hope you know that i am happy and have that peace in my life. and it is from this knowledge. i can't wait to get out there and help other people find this.
thanks for all the love and support you have been sending my way. i miss you and think about you often. but not too often. :)i will wave to you all from the airplane on monday morning! see you in 16 ish months. wow. its already been 2 months??
vaya con dios!
xoxohermana morrill
hiiiii!this week has been great. i received my travel plans! i had a firm and steadfast hope that someday the MTC would end, i just wasn't sure if it was naive of me. but alas, i have proof that there is an end to this place and an actual mission field for me to go out and serve. i have learned a ton this week actually and i feel like i am finally becoming a missionary, and not just a girl doing missionary things. i'm feeling much more confident with my teaching abilities, getting to know people abililties, testimony sharing abilities, spanish speaking abilities, and just knowing that God is my strength and will help me where i fall short. i don't have a fear of going out to the field anymore, i am just excited!i want you all to know that i know that i am so excited to be here. and i know that the atonement of jesus christ and the gospel are for EVERYONE. and will bless everybody's life. i know that we lived long before this life and are here on this life to learn to become who we have always been, and to learn and grow and make mistakes and be happy, and to one day after this life live with our families forever and become perfect. i know that through the atonement we can always have comfort and peace in this life. there is not a single thing anyone could ever struggle with that our savior hasn't suffered personally, and that he doesn't want to help us with. all we have to do is come to him. we have never ever ever messed up bad enough to deny that love either. all we have to do is come to him. i know more than anything that god loves us and wants the best for us and KNOWS what is best for us and is hoping with all of his might that we will use and remember the atonement every single day. and we are able to use the atonement through following the teachings of the gospel that jesus christ himself taught. that are in the bible and are in their fulness in the book of mormon and taught by a living prophet today. i know that we can pray to heavenly father and receive revelation and guidance for ourselves, and we can receive comfort when we are sad, and receive answers to questions. the gospel is the key to peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come. i know that. you are my friends and family, i think or hope you know that i am happy and have that peace in my life. and it is from this knowledge. i can't wait to get out there and help other people find this.
thanks for all the love and support you have been sending my way. i miss you and think about you often. but not too often. :)i will wave to you all from the airplane on monday morning! see you in 16 ish months. wow. its already been 2 months??
vaya con dios!
xoxohermana morrill
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