changes in one week!

Well, I've been in this area for a long time (5 changes!) and on next Monday we'll see if I'm leaving. I only have 2 changes left, but I'm pretty sure that I'm not finishing off my mission here.... There are rumors that they're going to close our area, or combine it with a branch, but who knows! Only time shall tell...

This week was so great! We did so much crazy stuff. On Wednesday we learned to milk cows (truth be told, I have a hidden talent for milking cows...haha) for a member in the ward.

The next day we had a sister training leader come with us to have divisions in our area! We had a blast as a temporary trio for a day and I learned soooo much from her! One of the things that impacted me is that she said that she always looks for the connection. She looks into the peoples' eyes and watches as things just click for them! I started doing it and usually they just look back at me like I'm crazy, but some times it works :) She also said that we should teach so that when we get to heaven, that no one tells us "I didn't feel the spirit and I didn't feel your love!". That's the new focus: love, spirit.

Other fun tidbits from this week....

-I contacted a nun on a bus. She was waaaay nicer than anyone else on the bus that I talked to! She said that one day she might come to church ;)

-A member told me that I needed to start using a certain cream so that I could look cute. Being sassy, I responded "I'm already cute." and then she pointed to my companion and said "Not as cute as her." Sometimes the people here are just too honest... haha

-Yesterday was zone pday and we went to Sololá. It was really great! We had such a fun time and we got new zone shirts!

A spiritual sidenote: When I was thinking about this area and what miracles I've seen, I thought to myself  "Well, I've only had one baptism here in my whole 5 changes." But then Heavenly Father gave me many opportunities during the week to see much I as a person have changed and been perfected. I'm not saying I'm perfect (nooooo waaaaaay.)

love you all soooo much!

Hermana Weatherford

the mouse hunt continues....

this week was crazy and fuuuull of pictures! too bad my camera doesn't really want to send any, though... haha oops.

This monday we went to put on corte, the typical clothes from around here. we then went and took about 3297593487 pictures.. haha ;) here are some!

This week we also had interviews with President Markham. We had to get up at 4 am, but it was soooo worth it! He said something really great though "If we want to be like Christ, we don't just walk WHERE he walked, but also HOW he walked." It reminded me that we don't just need to suffer, but suffer with LOVE!

love you all!

Hermana Weatherford

Mother's Note: I received instruction from the mission home regarding packages. Because of the coming holiday and the inconsistency of international mailing they say:

Christmas time is drawing nearer as the days go on. For this, we know that there are packages being made and organized to send to your missionary children. We want to avoid confusión with packages that are sent to your missionaries. Some packages are urgently important others should be held until Christmas. We are going to have a Keyword to write on the box in more or less big letters to signify Christmas. The keyword will be “Bulldogs”. When we receive a package that has “Bulldogs” written on it, we will reserve it until Christmas. If you would like your missionary to receive his package before Christmas, write “Cougars”. When we receive a package that has "Cougars” written on it, we will not reserve it until Christmas- we will deliver it as soon as we can.

October 7, 2014

Pictures and this time with Words:

somebunny sent us a package. happiest day of our mission lives. I might have given myself a minor stomach infection with all of the candy. SO WORTH IT.

Also, we're loving being mother and daughter twins. So cuuuute! I printed out this picture and we both have a copy of it!

Note from Mom: I sent a Mother/Daughter package, playing on the titles they give each other. Matching pj pants (Tee does love her pajama pants + pretty American, right? + matching!) Also included were the usual pens and post it notes, a bottle of hot sauce (apparently Guatemalans don't eat spicy), and a HUGE bag of American candy. Including Uno bars, Tee's favorite. Plenty to share. 

General Conference:

this week was soooo great! i learned so much!

sorry that i don't have any time, but know that i love you and that things here are great in Patzicia!

i know christ lives and loves us!

Hermana Weatherford

seeing miracles and mice!

This week we had a day where we saw a total of 5 mice during lessons. In one occasion we were teaching and the mouse climbed into a mug. So the investigator put a lid over the mug and then the 3 friends of the poor trapped mouse came to try and get it out! Another one was just stealing corn kernels. 

Another one we saw was in our house. oops....

Onto the week! This week we went to visit one of the little villages of our area! It was really strange, because just by travelling a few minutes in a bus, the people change SO MUCH. They are soooo nice. We need to work more out there! Or at least have a branch out there! The picture is of Hermana Cornelison and I looking out at the good view!

General Conference is coming up this weekend! This will be my 3rd time and I'm even more excited than the times in the past! I looooove being able to hear the prophet and get my investigators to do so as well! It's such a good time to receive revelation and get answers to our questions and doubts! Everyone watch it! It's sooooo good :D

Hermana Cornelison and I are having a blast. She helps me to be a better missionary and even though I'm technically the trainer in this companionship, she's the one who is training me! She's so so pilas and is going to do such great things in the mission. And she's hysterical. We pass all of our time walking talking about random stuff and quoting The District, a miniseries thing about missionaries!

Things are great! This change has ended, but in only 4 more weeks we'll end the next one! So, I have 4 weeks to enjoy my time here in freezing Patzicia and then we'll see where the Lord sends me!

Love you all sooooo much!

Hermana Weatherford

us eating the best ice cream ever! 

6000 Pictures

with Hermana Brower, my ex companion!

 at the meeting of all of the sisters in the mission, with my 4 closest friends from the CCM

we had house inspections on Monday, so we killed ourselves cleaning. we were zombies.

the moth that we found in our house, the size of a butterfly!

The day that it POURED and we took a picture in our house before going out to get super soaked. 

Teaching and getting a reference from a member who was selling Atol Blanco on the sidewalk. Perfect opportunity for a selfie!

We're cute. This was yesterday at our zone pday at a place called Aventura.

Just swinging around a tree like a boss :)

oops, a bit confused there. that's when i was walking on a rope (right before i fell.... haha) and this is the tree swinging one.

all of the sisters in our zone!

The whole zone yesterday

Walking through rivers in the street. No big. We got soaked.

This rain is CRAZY

happy 15 de septiembre!

This week was crazy! A birthday, zone training, meeting Elder Ochoa and celebrating Independence day! 

Hermana Cornelison and I expected to find a bunch of people selling flags and cool stuff, but no. Just a bunch of drunk guys who walk a little too close to be comfortable.. But everything turned out well! No problems at all (my newbie companion has yet to have a misfortunate run in with a drunk.)

We got to meet Elder Ochoa and THAT was amazing! He taught us so much in just a few short hours! I learned soooo much. One of the main things that he taught us is that the people who progress are the people that understand who we are representatives of. He told us to try asking a question to the people who reject us: "De quien piensa que somos enviados?" or "who do you think we are sent from?" We started to put it into action and usually they don't answer us.. and then close the door in our faces... but we know that they know that we are the LORD'S representatives.

Yesterday we had to give President Markham a call to let him know that we didn't meet the standards of excellence, even though we tried our best. The first thing he said to me was "Hermana, YOUR HEART IS PURE." And then he repeated it a few times. It was something that Hermana Cornelison and I had to get into our heads "We did our best, we will keep doing our best and we won't feel bad. We have pure hearts and clean hands." I love my mission president :)

This Friday we will have a meeting with all of the sisters in the mission. I am so excited! A great opportunity to see all of my friends and also receive training from President Markham!

Love you all so much! Stay strong, know that I know this is the truth and that's why I'm here with wet feet, freezing my face off and getting rejected in all kinds of ways all the time. And I would do it over again because it's SO WORTH IT. 

With tons of love and lots of prayers,

Hermana Weatherford

Here's a picture we took in a part of our area last week. My companion is just the cutest thing ever :)

September 9 2014

here i am with my gorgeous amazing companion. (that's my daughter.) we bought banana splits and then today we're here in Panajachel in a brand new chapel!

Things are going great! we're working hard and using the lessons found in ALma 17:28-29 where Ammon responds to his struggles with "I will show forth my power". So that's what we're doing this week, using every challenge as an opportunity to show the Lord's power!

Love you all soooo much!

Hermana Weatherford

[Her companion's name is Hermana Cornelison....I had to go back and look.]