Ahhh Reality

Querida Familia Mia....

I wish that every week could be happy faces, glitter, ice cream and baptisms.... but in the interest of being real, this week wasn't any of those things. It wasn't awful. I mean on the bright side I didn't fall into any sewers! Any week that I don't do that is a win. We just have to remember that although being a missionary is an incredible experience and more valuable then any experience in the world, we're still human. We still feel frustrated, sad, mad, guilty, disappointed etc. even as a representative of Jesus Christ. But it's the light at the end of the tunnel that keeps us moving forward. My light at the end of what feels like an eternally long and dark tunnel is the atonement. Sometimes the atonement is a very misunderstood doctrine. Some people see it as only a lysol rag to wipe away their dirty sins or only as a warm blankie to help them feel better. I learned that it fills these 2 functions and even more. The atonement is what tells me, "It's okay that you're not perfect right now, but I'd like to help you be better". The Lord isn't as interested in if Hermana Kugath is the best missionary in the world as he is if she's getting better every week, if she's trying harder, if she loves people more. The truth is that our Heavenly Father doesn't expect everything of us right now, what he wants more then anything is for us to progress. Better today than yesterday and a commitment to be better tomorrow than today. 

I honestly don't remember a lot from this week (the week of the waterfall went a little overboard and everything's a bit blurred by tears ;) haha jk. I don't cry). I've realized that were sort of the experts in teaching the novios (boyfriends or girlfriends) of all the members in our ward haha. If you take a look at our teaching pool you'll see that 90% of the people on there are love interests of members. Part of me feels real great that they trust us enough with their sweethearts and part of me is just like " hello! Date members!".  but you know, Latinos... We went to visit Julesi this week and we had a real spiritual experience with her. She was telling us how her boyfriend had been acting like a real punk that week. She cried a little and told us about some of the difficulties she's been having and also expressed a little of her dreams for the future for her and her daughter. We taught her about The Family Proclamation and the law of chastity and how if she lived her life according to these standards and commandments she was promised the help of God. At the end she even picked her own baptismal date! Up until that point she was unwilling to commit to a date, but the Spirit was really strong. hm, aue mas. I got my cedula this week! I'm officially legal here again so thats cool. oo oo Marta's husband said he would sign the divorce!!!!! Finally. It's a huge miracle! What would have been a 3 year plus process for their family is cut down to 1-6 months. What a blessing! There was a talent show in the ward this week and a group of young men danced and it was super awesome! Haha. there was this 14 year old who is the coolest kid we've ever met and him dancing made him even cooler haha. Last experience, this week we read in Mosiah 4 where it says: "are ye not all beggars before God?" and then king Benjamin gives us this great talk on service, loving one another and that as we give of ourselves, we retain a remission of our sins. One night we were walking when we ran into our friendly neighborhood drunk, Geovanny. We found him a few weeks ago and challenged him to give up alcohol. And he has! We asked if there was anything we could do to help him and he said "well i am a little hungry". My companion took out the granola bar from her backpack (literally the only thing we had, and it was Sunday so we couldn't buy anything else) and gave it to him. That is sacrifice, service and charity. Love people.

We'll gotta run. All my love and prayers from Gravilias to you!!

Hermana Kugath