Mackenzie's Mission: May 16th, 2016

Hello my dear family!!

This week has been very interesting! With changes and trying to learn my new area it has been a little crazy. But I have to say I have learned 3 big things this week:

1. I am in one of the biggest areas in the entire mission. My area used to be two areas but with Hermanas going home for health issues early Presidente Cook made it one. So with my knee we are planning on taking lots of busses! But with a bunch of area we have a lot of opportunity!

2. I am white. Yes, I was already fully aware of that but let me tell you why. My area is alot more humble than my other area and because I am white no one wants to listen to me. I can say something that I know is gramatically correct and the people will act like they don't understand me. I can say something and ask a question related to the gospel and they respond with ç, where are you from? As soon as I say the United States they don't want anything to do with me. My companion and I are working on how to find ways to keep people interested haha. On the other hand my bishop asked me to start teaching english classes twice a week! I am a little nervous because it will be just me but I am a little excited too! This area hasn't had a gringo in a very, very long time!!

3. This is also something else I already knew but Peñarol and Nacional is HUGE here. They played a game against each other yesterday and we could keep score because every time someone scored people would run outside and shoot off guns and be screaming and yelling. It was pretty interesting hahaha. Luckily, they tied so everyone didn't go completely crazy! Peñarol and Nacional are two major soccer teams here just an fyi haha.

Also, 2 funny stories. So I have this cold right? It is pretty awful so after lunch in the house one day I laid down. Well after a little bit my companion woke me up to ask me where something was. So I told her it was in one of my suitcases in the front room. Well afterwards she just sat there looking at me so I told her again. Then she explained that I was talking in english and she couldn't understand me hahaha! Yeah, I have not reached that point in my mission yet where my first reaction is to speak in spanish, although I do dream in spanish sometimes! The other funny story is we had a Noche de hogar the other night with a less active family and at the end they asked me to say the prayer in english. I could barely do it!! It seriously took forever and they were all laughing by the end of it and tol me I could do it in spanish next time!

As far as investigators go we have one named Marcelo witha baptismal date! We had our second charla with him on Friday and he came to church on Sunday! He is really amazing and we are super excited!

I know this gospel is true and that we have a Heavenly Father who knows and loves each one of us! I hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Rich