Teach All Nations: First baptisms!

Hola familia!

Oh what a marvelous week it has been here in the great city of Huauchinango! My first baptism of the mission!!! We baptized the daughters of Maria:, Fernanda and Magali! We started teaching these girls in my first or second week in Mexico, and it's been amazing to witness the changes in their hearts and in their family in the past weeks. These girls are young but they have felt the Spirit witness of the truth. I know that they are ready for a lifetime of service and learning in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I can't tell you how it feels to be a part of something like this. It's not just life-changing but eternity-changing. To know that you even played the smallest role in someone's conversion to the Savior Jesus Christ is indescribable! So, yeah. I'm happy.

This week was crazy. It was hard but fabulous, and I learned so much. After our incredible week last week, Satan was working hard to destroy our companionship and our faith this week. All I'll say is that I learned a lot about humility, repentance, and the enabling power of the Atonement. In the end, we triumphed over Satan and accomplished and surpassed almost all of our goals for the week. I'll give you the rundown: 2 baptisms and confirmations, 7 investigators with a solid baptismal date, 12 investigators at church, 45 lessons taught, and 11 new investigators. I guess you could say I'm happy about those numbers... !!!!!!!!!!!!!

More fun stuff about Mexico - I had the first food in Mexico that I absolutely had to choke down. Chicharron en salsa verde. Chicharron is basically real pork rinds. It's literally fried pig fat, and it's all the rage here. Well when you chop it up and put it in warm salsa verde, it becomes soggy pig fat. And it is, as you might imagine, disgusting. I had to eat about 25 torillas to get it down and it took at least half and hour. Despite all that has happened in my mission, chicharron en salsa verde was probably the most traumatic.

Also, yesterday I had another grave experience when we had to climb a mountain on our hands and knees. It had rained pretty much all week, so the ground was pretty wet. But we forgot to think about that when we started ascending up some natural dirt stairs on the side of a very steep mountain. It ended up taking like 20 minutes on our hands and knees. I literally thought I was going to go rolling down this mountain and possibly die. But I guess we can just chalk it up to the Mexican experience!

I also had a pretty fun experience when we knocked on a man's door, he let us in, and 20 minutes into the lesson he started America-bashing. I'm talking "America is the country of the diablo" kind of stuff... I won't get into the dirty details but I am very proud of my very best missionary response of a smile and "Well, hermano, I am not here to represent my country but to represent the Lord..."

So that's my email! My investigators are so great. Ignacio (Nacho) and Paty (the taxi couple) are doing so great. Nacho is all pumped about having the priesthood and... Oh man, they are so great! I am loving being a missionary right now. I am learning and growing and loving the people. Hna. Zenteno and I are really finding our nitch and teaching great lessons. And the fruits of our labors are finally starting to show! 12 investigators at church yesterday. TWELVE! I am happy.

Love you all so much. The Church is true. I know it with all my heart. Have the best week ever! Read your scriptures and say your prayers. :)

Con todo mi amor,
Hna. Snyder

Beautiful baptisms: