Sunday, December 21, 2014

41s President: Hermana Steele, your life is going to be really.. rare (strange)... today.

From December 15th:

What? Just about a thousand things go through your head when your mission President says that to you. I've been sick, is he sending me home?? Am I going to have a really tough and crazy companion? Did someone die?? Did I do something wrong??? (be prepared for a very dramatic and detailed description of my life the past week hahahaha)
Saying goodbye to San Luis was so hard. And surprise, they took out both me AND my comp. 
bishop's kids!
<N> was baptized on Saturday, but he was really torn up that we both left. Suuuper sad. Hermana Renteria was able to go to the baptism because she stayed in the South, but I wasn't, because I got transferred to Tegucigalpa. BUT <N> GOT BAPTIZED!!! He called me before the baptism to tell me how much he appreciated me. It meant a lot. I miss San Luis. But I'm super happy in my new area.... heh heh
Elder Rigby and I, he told me his mom reads my blog so we took a picture for her hahaa, hi Sister Rigby!! :D
So Wednesday after the 3 hour bus ride, we pull into my old Esperanza stake center (if you remember, I started my mission in president's ward, and my building is the stake center where we always have changes). I get off the bus, and the AP Elder Hatch comes over to me <hermana steele President needs to talk to you after the changes meeting> Okay that's weird. Then I take a few steps and see President motioning for me. Me? Wait right now? Okay esta bien. Hi President!

We start walking to an office in the stake center.


<hermana steele!! how is your health?>


<it's good president Im really getting better>


<hermana steele you know Im watching you limp right now, you can stop telling lies>


<ah haha well its cause i had to stay up all night packing for changes and cleaning my house!! soooo everything kinda hurts>


<thats exactly what youre NOT supposed to do, exhaust yourself! well hermana steele I wanted to talk to you before changes so youre not suprised and confused. Youre life is going to be very rare (I think she means strange)  today.>


<.....okay....................................>

<well first, we are going to call you as a Sister Training Leader>

<What president thats awesome yay thank you!!!!!!> 

and Im thinking, thats not weird. what is he talking about. and then...

<But... we are going to put you in an area you have already been in before.>

<....What? Im going back to la Esperanza????>

<Yes hermana steele>

<IM GOING BACK TO LA ESPERANZA EN SERIO PRESIDENTE GRACIAS GRACIAS WHAAAAAAT>

<So youre happy? we were worried that->

<YESSSSS I'M SO HAPPY THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER>

<okay hermana steele calm down calm down> lolololol

So, Im back in Teguciglapa, in my FIRST AREA. Same house, same bed, same ward, same creepy neighbor, (mom needs more info on THAT) same broom, same cockroaches, same streets, same noises, same dogs, same tiny bathroom, same members that I love so much, same desk... 
Different companion, different investigators, different calling, different hermana steele.
Different climate too. I'm freezing my butt off.
So yeah, this change they decided to change the sister training leaders area for the first time in years. And they decided to make it my old area. And put me in it. So I'm lovin it.


I LOVE THIS FAMILY fam r

I did my first divisions (when companions split up and go with other missionaries) on Friday. They were so fun. I went to an area called Miraflores where my trainer hermana Groll started her mission. I got to teach one of her converts!! I think divisions are going to be my favorite thing ever.

Problem is.... Chikunguya.

 I can't do the same thing for very long. Can't walk too long, stand too long, sit too long, lay too long on the same side... I'm getting better! I think. 

The cold climate is really helping (seriously Im freezing I miss the South sooo much). The ice cold showers that I swear will kill me one day. So I still have to be resting sometimes. I was really surprised that President Bowler called me to be a STL (sister training leader) in this condition haha but he loves me and I love him. This will be a fun adventure.

BUT MAN I MISS THE SOUTH. My zone down there was sooo pilas. So fun. So united. This zone... well.... we will see. haha
My companion is absolutely wonderful. Her name is Hermana Castellanos from Guatemala. I love her soooo much. She is such a wonderful missionary and she takes care of me so well.
comp selfie!!
 She has been a STL for one change and her comp, hermana Flynn, just went home. She was a little upset they changed the STL area because she loved it.. but Im super happy :D still don't know why they changed it but I'm content :D
This change was hard. I finally had mission friends go home. Man, people told me how much I would love the members and investigators in my mission, but no one warned me about how attached Id get to the other missionaries... MY TRAINER WENT HOME WAAAAAHH but really. Hermana Groll is one of the most wonderful, consecrated missionaries the world has ever seen. HERMANA GROLL I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!! :P My zone leader for 4 changes, Elder Torres, went home too. That was hard too. We had 35 missionaries go home this change. It. was. hard. The mission is changing.
I love this work and Im super happy.

 Keep prayin for me please :P 

I cant tell you how wonderful it is to be back in Esperanza. I have received the warmest welcome. I had no idea these people loved me so much. Especially <Fr>. Remember <Fr>? I started teaching him with Hermana Saldate and he was baptized after I left the area. But I have never seen him so happy. He was so happy to see me. AND <MAR> IS SO PILAS OHHH MY GOSH. Literally I love her so much. Im so happy to be here.
Ill see if I can figure out how to send pictures :P love you all!! write me letters!!
love, 
hermanita steele


hna <G> and her daughters I LOVE THEM


<N>!!!!!!!!!!


<A> and <B>

hahahaha I love them



 <F> and <E> and baby <C> :D

I found him in my bed last night so I put him in a jar. he's still there


hahahaha Elder Mendivil and Elder Hatch in the background

 MY LAST HUG

40s Aquí estoy...

From December 8th

From Mom- I told her that many people had been praying for her recovering and she replied, "​Tell them to keep praying haha. I really have felt the prayers but I still am not able to work full time. My legs still swell up a little and going to teguc on friday took me out. I still have joint pain BUT I AM GETTING BETTER!!!! I am improving. Resting A LOT haha.​"


Elevating my feet in hermana Glenda's house after church Sunday haha

Her letter:


Tengo cambios ya me vooooyyyy

haha These are my last days here in San Luis and I am so sad. I love it here soooo much. I love the members and the investigators and just everyone. Its such a wonderful area. Gah. I wonder where they will send me. Ill find out on wednesday and you all will find out next week!
<N> is getting baptized on Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! its for sure this time! He passed his interview. The problem is, Im leaving. So Im sad. He is too, but I think he needs this. We can't have the baptism sooner because (of something) so he needs to wait. But no matter how much I wanted to be at the baptism and get an exception so that he can get baptized tomorrow before I leave, its not going to happen. And I say I think he needs this because he needs to have some consequences of what he did, not just postponing his baptism, but the missionary that taught him can't be at his baptism because of it. Even if that means I have to suffer a little bit so he learns a lesson. Gah. But it's okay. I understand. Ill see the pictures, cry, and then be happy haha. DANGIT. It's my only baptism in the area too. Gah. Its okay. Over it. hahaweraeylaiu3wrgfbaf


Hahaaha it took 7 hours to go to Teguc to go to the temple because there was a semi truck that fell off a bridge. 



From another missionary...


 But the temple was good. :D we took <N> and <H>. <H> is a recent convert getting ready to leave for the mission. 


Tegucigalpa Temple with Hna Rentería
...and with Hna Woods
Well I am still having a hard time working. My legs and feet get swollen and hurt. I have to elevate my feet for lots of hours every day. Its rough. Please keep prayin. I really feel your prayers and I really need them. But I really am getting better :)

Thats all for now haha

love, hermanita steele :D

Member <B> and her non-member boyfriend <A> who I've been teaching. He's super pilas :)



map of my area!





I love <A> and <M>!


 I love <Ma> haha he was baptized the day after I got in the area back in August!

 J and L <3 they're members here gettin married in december

<Mi>!!!! member in the ward who helped us lots with <N>



bus ride home from teguc. Elder Camey isn't actually an angry person hes really very happy hahahaha

 HERMANA <G>  GOT BAPTIZED!!!!

 my apartment building! I live on the top floor first door

















39s Recovering

From December 1st

Im better!! No really believe me haha. After that wild ride of a week and a half in my house doing nothing Im okay now! The dengue or chikunguya or whatever I had is all gone. (well, not really; she overdid it... see updates) Just takes rest and lots of sleep. I know I'm better because I was physically able to wait until 10:30 pm last night to go to sleep (I couldn't before and I was sleeping like half the days already) and I ACTUALLY GOT UP AT 6:30. it has been literally impossible and I"ve been getting up at like 7:30 and 8. But now Im better and I FINALLY HAVE PERMISSION TO WORK!!!!!!!! WOOOo!!!! To work tonight :D PILAS HOMBRE 

I have been sort of not following instructions exactly though haha <N> lives real close to our house so we've been going to visit him at night (President said that the most obedient misionaries are the most disobedient when it comes to our health hahaha its true). 

Just a few days when i already was feeling better. Well... he sort of screwed up. But its okay he's back on his feet. He sort of broke the word of wisdom. Once. The night of his baptismal interview. SOoooo. He didn't get interviewed. He has to wait 2 weeks until his baptism. The problem is I wont be here in 2 weeks (most likely) because changes are on the 10th. And thats the 2 week mark. the 10th. SERIOUSLY. gahhaweiuaew Im so frustrated. I HAVE TO BE HERE FOR HIS BAPTISM. The zone leaders say that if they interview him and he's super pilas and the receive revelation from on high, he can get baptized on Tuesday the night before changes. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. hes so pilas!! He's reading the book of mormon and yesterday at church he was like (so funny) hermana steele. I was reading about the 3 witnesses. like ones name is Martin or something. who exactly are they? why haven't you explained them to me? and stuff like that hahahaha it was hilarious. gah. I pray I can be here for his baptism.

bahahaha thanksgiving. the other hermanas in the ward came over (i was on bedrest still) and we ordered pizza.

LOVE YOU ALL I AM SO HAPPY IM BACK TO WORRRRKKk!!!!!

byeeee

hermanita steele

Sunday, November 30, 2014

38s Chikungunya: se cayó hermanita steele

From November 24th


gah.

 so theres been an epidemic of dengue and chikunguya for like a little over a month (both diseases are pretty similar and spread by mosquitoes) so Ive been Offin' it up (using Off, you know the mosquito repellant) LIKE CRAZY to not get sick. Literally there was not one person I knew who hadn't been sick, besides me. Most of the missionaries too had already fallen (ill) but are almost recovered. 

But on Wednesday I was like hey why do my wrists and feet hurt? It must be my carpal tunnel and I got new shoes sooo.. 

And on Thursday, what my feet are a little worse what is this nonsense. 

and on Friday WOW alrighty then I need to get some different shoes it feels like knives in my feet but not important I am singing at multi zone conference today let's GO 

then after conference on friday ummmmm I can hardly walk.

 And then a few hours later BOOOOM covered in red spots. Feet swollen. Fever. Can't walk. Cant move. Go home lay in bed. Can't move or walk until yesterday afternoon. 

Everything hurts. 

im sooooooooo siiickkk booooooooooooooooooooooooooaweihtlaiweurha but its okay im getting better

HOW CAN A LITTLE MOSQUITO DO SUCH AWFUL DAMAGE.

 I'm still on bed rest for this week too.  IT SUCKS no being able to WORK!!!! That's the only thing I want to do and I can't. Even if I tried I wouldn't be able to. It was bad enough just taking a taxi to the stake center to write this morning. 

To top it all off my white blood cells plummeted and so now I have a lovely throat infection, I think it's strep, so Im going to the doctor later today (happy p day to me and the APs) to get some antibiotics. 

Hey I didn't even go to church yesterday. The zone leaders and the assistants to president (APs) brought me and my companion the sacrament which was awesome but a little embarrassing cause the last time I had showered was definitely Friday morning. But I showered today!!!!! I was finally able to haha. Im getting better don't worry. It was just a miserable few days lemme tell you.


Zone Conference, right before the virus hit!!








ON THE BRIGHT SIIIDE -N- IS GETTING BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Havent had a baptism in forrrever. But -N- is awesome. He's this 20 year old guy that we found because he moved in with his uncle who has been visiting with missionaries for like 2 years and loves the church and has a testimony but he just needs to get divorced so he can marry -A- and then they can get baptized. But anyway -N-moved in in the middle of October and we started teaching him on the 21st and he's already getting baptized either this saturday or the next. he is so pilas. We taught him the word of wisdom (health code the LDS church has) and he quit smoking just like that. We taught him the law of chastity and he legit just broke up with his girlfriend, just like that. And yeah he's awesome.

I feel sort of awful so Im going to lay on the floor now here in the family history room haha but I will be better soon don't worry. Just with time and patience. We're watching a movie as a zone today so that should be fun too. 

I LOVE YOU ALL!!! please pray for me Im sort of suffering haha

love, hermanita steele

Saturday, November 29, 2014

37s hiii

From November 17th

i dont feel like writing anything today haha ill just say my comp was  sick  so we stayed in the house a lot and i was frustrated but we had 10 investigators in church and new record yay and emily put in her papers and YAYAYAYAYAY


pretty sunset

I LOVE MY ZONE!!!! we have the most pilas zone ever right now





pretty bird

went to the beach!
me and the APs

hermanita velasquez :D

sand castle!!
it was really bright and the pic didnt really work ahaha

handstands on the beeeach

my bestest friend elder camey
hermana WOOOODS!!! :D

stuffed taxi rides

#honduras
(Elder Hatch is holding the door shut hahaha)
Miguel (a member) and I with PUPPIESSSS!! they're only 4 days old!!!


M WENT TO CHURCH!! look at all the ¨no¨ and FINALLY SI!!!

zone pic at the beach°°° (missing the zone leaders because one had dengue)