Two Months!

Marta's new favorite, Mexican Panaderia

From 24 August 2015

Woohoo!  I`ve been here for two months!! (CRAZY). My Spanish comprehension and speaking are rapidly improving, but I`m nowhere near fluent yet.  The Open House is probably the most exhausting thing I can imagine (because we are LITERALLY on our feet and talking to people (in Spanish) and smiling (which gets painful after 6 or 7 hours) for 12 hours straight.  Fortunately, we basically have Thanksgiving every day for Comida (we usually have 3-5 full dishes), so we have plenty of energy.  Also, you all should google images of Mexican Panaderias because they`re basically my new favorite thing.  In other news, we`re going to have (my first) baptism on Sunday, and I`m pretty excited!  But I also have to give a 7-minute talk in Spanish so that`s less exciting.  

Musings on Mexican/general human culture:

• People love to talk
• Mexican people cannot say no if you ask them to do something, but that doesn`t mean they are actually going to do it
• Talking with older women in the Reception tent after the temple tour is dangerous because sometimes you will innocently ask how they are doing and they will launch into a story of an undetermined length in rapid (but quiet) spanish until one of their children comes to rescue you and tell them it`s time to go. 
• My smile is my most powerful weapon as a missionary.
• I realized that I`m kind of like Ammon among the Lamanites because I`m a random white person who wants to serve them.  (and I have a "disarming" smile)
• There is a plan.  Heavenly Father`s time-line and people`s agency are two of the most frustrating things to deal with as a missionary, but they are incredibly important to trust.
• We are INCREDIBLY blessed to have a whole, sealed family that is active in the church.  I pray every day that we can stay that way forever.  And ever.  And eternity.

I love you all bunches and bunches.  You are in my prayers!

Lots of love,

Hermana Houghton #3