February 29 Eating Grasshoppers

David y Pamela

We baptized David this week, and his baptism was SO GOOD. He went to church in a suit and tie, and just LOOKED the part, he was shining before and even more after the baptism! We had an awesome lesson with him and his wife on saturday, all about what comes after a baptism, and they are really excited to work towards a temple date! It has been such a blessing to get to help them bother, her to come back to church, and him to change his goals in life and way of living now. The Lord is so merciful and so great.

We have three awesome fechas for this week, la familia Saavedra,(Abril, Irais, y Joshua) They are so excited. We had to go with them to church at 8 this week, because they had a compromiso with their family. We ended up running a little late, and we were getting to their house when we saw them already walking down the street, looking for a taxi to go to church. haahah they were like "hermanas! we thought you slept in so we were just going to go by ourselves." I LOVED that, it just shows that they really love the gospel and love to feel the spirit. They really put the Lord first on sundays. I'm just so grateful for them, for that first contact the first day of the change <3

 I feel so grateful for this last month, because I feel like I'm learning SO MUCH. I've finally learned the importance of focusing on finding people ALL THE TIME. I have gained a testimony, that there really ARE people here waiting for us, we just have to cumplir with everything the Lord asks, and then it's a sure thing that He will help us find them!

We had three intercambios this week too, and the BEST was that I got to go back to Loma Hermosa, and see some people again. It was so cute, I went with Jorge and his wife, and then with Sonia and Melanie and Gael and Axel again, it was such dejavu and I LOVED being back in my area again!!!

 the greatest fam ever. 

 I LOVE Loma Hermosa

Hermano Jorge, my abuelito

And today we went to the Zocalo, like downtown, and took some pics and had to go shopping for new backpacks and stuff. 

I should always wear a sombrero

la grande y abominable

Its been an awesome week.  I love being here in Mexico, and I love my Savior :)

<3

Hermana Schneider

eating chapulines with la Familia Sanchez hahahah. (grasshoppers) 

the awful thing is that they didn't taste that bad.

Hermano Sanchez with his grasshoppers.  they were actually really spicy... he's crazy

February 15 Valentine's Day

Celebrating Valentine's Day with hot fudge

Well this week  was a little difficult to be honest. Our fecha with Joel fell, he didn´t tell us before that he has problems with the ley de castidad (chastity) and then of course didn't want to be baptized when he knew he wouldn't be able to cumplir( to keep). So that was disappointing and it is hard because now he doesn't want to go to church, he's just embarrassed.. But we will keep working with him.
We had miracle though! Juan de Dios, a 14 year old joven, and he wants to be baptized! We didn't get to know him until this Sunday, but he has been going to activities and church services with his friends in the ward, and likes it! We will get to know him better today and be able to talk to his family.
Abril, her son Josh and her sister Irais went for the second time and they are progressing REALLY well. They are the most escogida(choice) familia that I have ever met, and I feel so blessed for finding them!

I had my first intercambios this week, and it was actually super fun. I was with Herman Diaz, fresh from the CCM and from Oaxaca. She bought me my first coconut, that was delish.  With lime and chilito, it was really tasty.

but Hermana Gallacher and I are still having a blast,  even when things don't go how we want them to, we laugh and joke around a ton. We speak the worst spanglish in the world but its been funny.

Love you all the much!

It's been so long since I've had Panda!

February 10 - Zone Conference

 I LOVE being with Hermana Gallacher and I am so excited for the rest of this cambio. This week has  been one of the best weeks of my entire mission.  I can't even describe how strongly I have felt the spirit and how many miracles we have seen this week. 

So the very first day of the cambio, Hermana Gallacher and I went out and started off for an appointment. We were contacting, and we saw about three families up ahead. It was the coolest feeling because I looked at this family passing by and the thought came so quick in my head... "ellos". I immediately followed the prompting.  I am so thankful for the spirit, because when we started talking to them, we knew that they were going to be really good. We got to the first lesson with Abril, Josh(her son) and her sister Irais, and they had already read the restoration pamphlet and we get in and they just start talking about how much they loved it.  "its so beautiful!" and Abril is like "I feel like we have been walking errantes (lost)  searching for the truth too!" I'm like okay this is way to perfect. 

 Now we have gone with two different members to teach the familia Saavedra, and they know the bishop, and they LOVE the church. Josh (who is just 8 yrs old) was singing primary songs when he got home Sunday. I have been thanking my Father in Heaven every single day for helping us find Abril, Irais, and Joshua. They will be baptized the first week in March.

Oh and when Irais prayed for the first time, she just starts out so sweet "hola Padre Celestial, help us to find the right path, and to know what is the truth... and then she starts crying and just says... I think this is it".  they could identify the spirit so easily, and they are so READY for the restored gospel.  what a BLESSING!!! ahhhh I'm so excited for them

And we had some pretty incredible lessons with our new Mission Leader,  his name is Hermano Salguero. I'm not kidding he is the coolest guy ever, and his family is the BEST.  we learn SO MUCH from him, and from his wife.  

The four of us together again :) at conference, in presidentes giant house

This Monday was really cool, we got to go to concilio (council) and it was amazing.  I learned a lot and I just love Hermana and President Whitehead so much. I'm so sad that they are going home like 3 weeks before me :/

I feel like I have a million things to tell, but just definitely not enough time. 

I love you all. I LOVE the Lord. I LOVE Mexico and I love the mission. 

its like you can't really describe it in words. 

<3

have a good week!!

We went to see Hermana Fernanda Nuñez open her call... totally brought me back to the day I opened mine. so crazy to think of how different everything was back then°

she's going to Honduras, Teguc.   She's so excited!

Feb 1st Back with Hermana Gallacher from MTC

So I've got lots of updates!!

This week was amazing honestly, a great way to end this cambio.  Marisol accepted her date to be baptized this week!!! Many times as missionaries we say that we got her to say yes, or "sacamos la fecha", but it really wasn't us at all.  Prayer is so real.  We just kept committing her to pray, and she did, and she got her answer. She didn't have a vision, or hear a voice, but she felt peace. She felt that it was right. It was hard for her to make the decision, but she finally did, and prayed about it, and THEN received the confirmation that it was the right thing to do.  That is the great great lesson I learned from her, to have to faith to make our decisions by ourselves first, and then ask the Lord if it is right. Because MANY times we sit waiting patiently for the direction from God,  but he is just waiting for us to make up our minds and ask Him. Its a "trial of faith" but then comes the answer.

We also celebrated Hermana  Benitos birthday this week!!! I love her so much, and gonna miss her tons. It's fine because I'll just go visit her in Spain ;)

Hermana Benitos' birthday flan because she can't have gluten

Sunday was honestly just the best ever, it was one of the best baptisms of my mission, because I felt sure that she knew she was doing the right thing. <3 

The best baptism with Marisol (and her novio (boyfriend) Adrian.. they're the funniest)

So that was our little miracle for this week

cambios... I'm staying here in Claveria, and I'm with Hermana Gallacher!!  That's right, my companion from the CCM, round two. Obviously we are beyond excited.  I can't wait, I know that this cambio is going to be insane.    And I'm also hermana capacitadora (trainer) now, so that will be new and super fun, to be able to work with all the Hermanas. (and I'll get to go back to Loma Hermosa hopefully, I literally cant wait for that)

So those are some of the updates for this week. I feel a little nervous for the new responsibility, but I am really excited to be able to learn so much from the other Hermanas. :)

I LOVE YOU ALL!!

Hermana Lesueur

January 25 - One Year Mark!

Celebrating ONE YEAR... with a pastel de frutas basically, literally SO MUCH delicious fruit, for what would be like 2 dollars.. our greatest find!

Baptism of Maribel

Hey! So here is what's been going on this week...

It has been kinda a normal week, we had a few let downs as we had to stop teaching a few families because they're just not progressing.  That always hurts. No matter what the reason, it's always sad. but we just pray that their time will come.

I'm a YEAR into the mission. That's insane. AH. I don't know how to feel about it but that's that.

We found a really cool new little family! Gabi (mom) Dana (19) and Oscar (12) We've only taught the restoration to them but it was an awesome lesson. I live for lessons like that, when you just see the look in their eyes, and you know they're feeling something different.

And we have been working on activating another little family, and we are trying to put a fecha with the wife.  She hated the missionaries, and with good reason, because her husband (Juan Carlos ) and hijo Joseph got baptized but didn't understand what was going on and never went back.  But they have a huge desire to learn more now, because we explained a lot about the Plan of salvation, and how they can become an eternal family. It was cool, I felt totally impressed to just sing a hymn, we sang oh my father (but the cool version with the tune of come thy fount) and then just went through the hymn and talked about what the words meant to them. The spirit was so strong, she was crying, I was crying, and it was a really cool experience.

Oh and sunday we had the baptism of Maribel! I think I've mentioned her, she wanted to get baptized like a month ago, but couldn't because they had to amputate her leg.  So she has been in recovery and got cleared to be baptized. It was a stressful day though, because she was terrified.  She fell this week, and because of that was really nervous, but everything turned out fine!

it was touching to see.

Another fun thing that happened today, we went to the immigration office to renew our visas, and had a little one year reunion with my generation, hnas Gallacher, Erickson and Hardy. we were so happy to be just talking and catching up and reminiscing on a year ago .  So much has changed.

I think thats why I was so happy this week. Just being able to look back at what I was doing a year ago, and how much my understanding of the Gospel has changed, it is SUCH a blessing to be out here.

<3

love you guys

hna schneider

One year later, My girls from Arizona I was on the Plane with to Mexico

I love My Companion

January 18- Interview

Here's a little update of the highlights of this week...

Interviews with President, it's probably my favorite.  I love just being able to discuss the area and how I can improve personally.  And we always get out of interviews super excited.  

We had the BEST best best comida with la familia Salguero this week.  Saturday Hermano Salguero invited the four of us (Hermana Benito, Hermana Dagua, Hermana Lesueur and I) to eat at his house and gave us a presentation about Mayan culture and history of the Libro de Mormon.  

I'm not kidding it was the coolest thing of my whole mission. This guy knows his stuff, he studies archaeology and gives tours to LDS people in all parts of Mexico and Guatemala.. Palenque, Chichen itza, places in Veracruz and well all over the place.   And he knows the scriptures like a BOSS.  

(his little 7 year old daughter and I were talking a bunch, and I'm like whats your favorite thing to do? and shes like, I like to read. and I ask her what books she likes, and she's like, mostly just the Book of Mormon. ,whenever I'm bored at school I just read the scriptures.  I couldn't believe it... she's awesome.)

I can't even tell you how much crazy stuff we learned, because it would take way too long, but he just showed us a ton of maps and things that people have found that totally coincide with El Libro de Mormon.  I'm pretty sure I want to study archaeology when I get back, even just as a hobby, and I'm TOTALLY going to come back and go on some tours with him one day. because it is SO COOl.

And we put a baptism date with one of the miracles from last week, Marisol.  She is pretty awesome, and with the Lord´s help she will get baptized in two weeks.  :)

love you guys all the much!

Hermana Schneider

January 11 -Dia de los Reyes

okay, so let me just tell you about this week.

 So this week was kinda incredible, well not at first.   All during the week, we were experiencing just tons of disappointment.  Those days when every appointment falls through, and you're just searching the streets looking for new people who will progress.  We walked a lot this week. And there were a few days when we got home and just felt bad, like today was NOT effective, I didn't feel like we got anything done.

But it was such a blessing. Hermana Benito and I got to talk a LOT.  I feel like I got to know my companion a lot better, and we grew closer.    But also, we found some INCREDIBLE miracles. 

We were trying to find all the people who were going to go to church, and just no one was ever home and it was frustrating.

I remember that on Saturday I told my companion, Wouldn't it just be so nice if someone just showed up to the chapel, and wanted to be taught? And then we prayed that it would happen.

And Sunday we got to church ( after passing by for a few people that weren't home), and before taking the sacrament I just said a quick little prayer.  Lord, let thy will be done, but please help someone get to church. 

We had TWO miracles that day!!  One is named Javier, he got up that morning thinking he was going to go visit the Jehovah Witness, but then he couldn't find their church, and ended up seeing Hermana Valdibia (a cute little widow with white hair and a huge testimony) and Javier asked her if she knew where the Jehovah Witness had their meetings.  Instead, she invited him to her church and brought him herself. After sacrament meeting, we met Javier, and he was amazed, he LOVED the talks and loves our "philosophy". We have an appointment with him today.

So we were so happy, and I felt so grateful, and then we find another miracle!

Marisol, her boyfriend is from another mission, but she's gone to church lots with him and went for the first time to our ward.  She is excited to be taught.  I can't even describe how blessed I feel.  I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers, and that He wants us to help His children!  We just have to trust 100% in Him and in His work. 

So that was the huge highlight of the week.

another one was Dia de los REYES. 6th of January

I literally love it and want to continue the tradition when I get back to the US.  Dia de Reyes, when everyone puts their shoes out and the Kings come and deliver candy and presents. like 3 more Santa Clauses. But its pretty awesome. And the Rosca, the sweet bread in a circle, with the little plastic babies inside. If you cut a piece with a baby in it, you have to bring the tamales to the next party on Feb 2nd.  honestly in Mexico, everything is an excuse for a party. but it was fun. when we ate with the members we had a little bit of rosca and ponche with them, and my companion surprised me with a cute letter and a bracelet in my shoes. 

 and we ate a rosca (well I did because my companion is siliac and can't have gluten) and it was a pretty fun night.  

The Rosca

so that was my week. I feel so blessed to be out here really. 

Thanks Mom for my Package!

This is me with our new creation.  We made hot chocolate, then blended some PEANUT butter and banana with it in the blender, I'm just saying its HEAVEN. there isn't a smoother more tasty type of hot chocolate out there and we are genuises

The best Agua de fresa ever!