ukuleles & trailer parks

HOLA!!! what is up what is up?? this week has literally been all over the place but it's been good!! and hey i havent killed my baby yet so we're doing good with training!!!! 

and my baby is AWESOME! Hermana Hampton is a gorgeous redhead from a tiny town called Alberta in Utah and we have had a blast so far. her Spanish is growing every day and it's just so awesome to be able to be her companion. 

 

small plates:

-the. gift. of. tongues. is. real. 

a week ago before training, I could get along alright with Spanish, but I did not feel ready to train because of the language and having to take control of lessons and conversations, but I can truly testify that God qualifies those He calls and He helps so so much. there were countless experiences this week where I was speaking I later realized that I had been speaking fluently in lessons or contacts... it definitely was not me. there is no way I could do this by myself. I'm truly speaking now and I'm absolutely loving the language because I'm able to fully talk with anyone. I love love love being a Spanish missionary 

-we had finding day on Saturday and had some really cool experiences. we first went to a neighborhood where apparently the elders had just been and ran into a man that said he doesnt usually talk with missionaries because hes Evangelist, but he said he had a question that came to his head after the elders had left like an hour before and then we knocked on his door. we weren't necessarily able to answer his question because it was a little deep, but it was cool because it gave us the opportunity to talk to him for longer than usual and we knew that it wasnt any coincidence that we showed up right after the elders. that afternoon, we went to the sketchiest trailor park in the area in the middle of the woods and actually had some good success!! at first, I thought this was where I was going to die because hermanas were attacked there a few months ago, but we ended up finding a lady from Brazil who was taught back by missionaries before and she was such a sweetheart. she took us down to the river and we had some good conversations about the gospel soooo hopefully we can come back to the super sketchy trailor park!

-THE ELDERS FOUND A FAMILY FOR US AND THEYRE FREAKING AWESOME!!!!! the mom is from Argentina and is a member, but her husband is not, but theyve been trying to find the hermanas to teach him and their 3 darling kiddos, and the elders FOUND THEM! they are so so kind and responded so well to what we taught when we visited and so we're freaking stoked to keep coming back!! 

 

large plates:

-literally we had the best day ever. we went to see our pal David who owns the music store in town and we just started chatting and Hermana Hampton brought up how she tried to learn the ukulele in the past and wished she had kept up with it, and he just goes "oh here you guys can borrow these" and pulls 2 brand new ukuleles down from the wall and straight up let us take them home if we just promised to pray for the store and its employees and we were like uh heck yeah we can do that, sooooo we have 2 ukuleles for a few weeks which is SO AWESOME because I have missed my uke and guitar a ton out here. TENDER MERCIES! 

-tried to speak in Spanish to a Russian man who said he doesnt speak English because I'm so used to that response and responding in Spanish hahahaha 

-met a woman named Understanding who gave us some essential oils and soap that she made herself in her trailer in the woods. gotta love the folks here man

-ate a plate of enchiladas that lit my mouth on fire and brought many tears to my eyes, but just smiled through the pain because I love the people too much hahahah 

 

one thing I have had reaffirmed over and over out here is the importance of sowing seeds. we talked with a recent convert in the English ward and she told us her conversion story and how many times missionaries came by before she let them in, but also how much the gospel has blessed and changed her life. she would be a completely different person if it weren't for the missionaries who didnt give up on her. it gives me hope because probably 1 out of 100 contacts actually holds potential, but the other 99 are seeds planted and one day they'll take root and grow. God's plan is amazing, but sometimes requires some patience, but I can truly testify that His timing is perfect. you can look back and see the dots connect

 

I love this church, I love this gospel, I love being a missionary, i love my savior, I love wearing His name, and I love watching this gospel change me into the person i want to be. 

 

les quiero y estoy agradecida por su apoyo y amor. 

realmente agradecida. 

 

con todo de mi corazon, 

hermana hess

 

fotos:

 

beautiful Washington

bye hermanita Jackson:(

our ukuleles!!!!

mama and baby!!!!