"I am so happy!"

Happy P-day! Before I start in on anything, I have an update on Mexican culture. Once a year (I don't know if this is all Mexico or just here in Puebla), the have Carnival. It's pretty crazy. Everyone rents out these costumes that are all different colors - long, heavy skirts, button-down shirt, a cowboy hat, and masks. They'd be okay if it wasn't for the mask, which covers all of their face and has fringes on the bottom like a beard. They gather in the streets with their little music bands and dance and whip these long ropes super loud. And later (I haven't seen this yet), apparently they all gather in a circle, dancing, WHILE THEY DE-HEAD LIVE CHICKENS. It scares me a little bit. But that's Mexico for ya. Gotta love it. I'll send you some pictures next week if I can snap some without blatantly looking like a tourist.

Anyway...

It's been the best week to be a missionary!!! Two baptisms this week! On Thursday we baptized A., the daughter of two pastors... EN EL RIO. It was the most amazing baptism I have ever seen! It was on Thursday, which was absolutely beautiful here in Huauchi. When we got to the chapel, the font wasn't full so we decided to head on down to the river. One of the members who just happened to come to the baptism has a teeny tiny little pickup truck and we had like 10 people piled in the back descending a huge mountain to get to the river. It was hilariously, scarily fantastic. A. was 125% willing to do it in the river - she didn't care where as long as she would be baptized that day. Even thought the water was super cold, she hopped right on in. Afterwards, she bore her testimony. I sang "Donde halla el solaz" a capella. It was the best baptism of this dispensation, except Joseph Smith. Maybe.

And then yesterday we baptized P., the 19-year-old mom of 2! She is so young but has so many responsiblities. She has her daughters, her husband, her internet shop, and is just trying to do her best. We have been teaching her since my first week in the field, and so yesterday was so special. Many members came to support her in her decision to be baptized, and E., a recent convert, performed the ordinance! Hna. Z and I sang "Asombro me da" and everything was so perfect. She was so happy. 

AND I AM SO HAPPY!

Today is the last day of my training, what?! And tomorrow, I am going to have a new companion. Yep, Hermana Z. is getting shipped out. I definitely have mixed feelings about that - the fact that I am going to be directing the area and that my "mamà" isn't going to be here by my side. I'm a little nervous, but excited for new experiences. As I finish up my 12 weeks of training, I think about all of the many things I have learned in the past 3 months. I can't put into words everything that I have experienced and all I have learned. I am so grateful to have had Hna. Z. as my trainer; she is incredible. She is truly a consecrated missionary. Together, we are like (in the words of Hna. Z) "fuego". I have learned how to teach by the Spirit, but more, I have learned to live by the Spirit. Yesterday, I was preparing for the day, doing the mundane things, but I was just so happy! I thought, "I can feel the Spirit right now." And it's true. I am so grateful to have learned to recognize and teach by and help others recognize the Spirit so early in my mission.

That's about it for the week! Next week it should be interesting to see how things are going with the new comp, but I know that everything done here in the mission by Presidente is the will of God. Love you all so much! Have the best week ever!

The best baptism in the world and the best members in the world!!

The cute little countdown banner we made for P. for the days leading up to her baptism.

Beautiful little family!

Character of Christ

Hoooooooola! Another week already? How crazy. It's been another great week in Huauchinango! It's always crazy that no matter how good or bad your week seems, it all comes down to how many people you have at church. When we have only a few, the week feels like a bit of a failure and I feel sad; when we have many people at church, I feel super ecstatic and like all of the efforts from the week paid off. With that in mind, we had 8 at church yesterday I am super happy! 8 more people who are progressing towards a baptism! How can you not be happy? I told Hna. Z. this week that I feel like I am in a Book of Mormon story because our experiences over the past few weeks have been so crazy and literal demonstrations of how: 1. Satan wants to stop us from having success 2. Blessings (many blessings!) come after the trial of our faith 3. We grow stronger from our tribulations

I am glad to say that we are in the back half of the story now and are seeing so many blessings! We have 3 baptisms scheduled for this week and more to come! No, we didn't end up having the baptism this week because Pao doesn't have enough Sundays at church, but she is going to have her baptism after church on Sunday - how beautiful it will be! 

Our baptisms for this week are going to be: Pao (the 19-year-old mom of 2 who we have been teaching since my first week in Mexico), Abi (the daughter of 2 pastors who has read almost all of the Book of Mormon and has a rock-solid testimony), and D. (the 12-year-old who has gone to church every week since the first time we met her). I AM SO DANG HAPPY!!!

Yesterday, a miracle happened. After church, almost all of our plans fell through because no one was home. After walking and walking, we decided to walk some more to look for a house in a place that we didn't really know that we had put as the backup plan the night. After asking around, we found the house - our potential investigator wasn't there, but her mother-in-law was. Long story short, turns out the mother-in-law is an inactive member of 10 years!!! She had been feeling forgotten and alone until we showed up yesterday. She is more than willing and wants to go back to church where everyone is so kind and she feels different in the best way. It surely is God's will that she return to the church after years of feeling lost. What a miracle! It is so easy to feel God's love for His children when things like this happen.

So it's been a good week! In a week I will be finishing up my training - crazy. I might just be feeling nostalgic, but it is crazy to think of how much I have grown and changed and all the things I have learned in this short time I've been in the mission. I can't tell you exactly how I feel and what I have learned, but I will just say that I feel so much closer to and am trying to be more like the Savior every day. Being a missionary is the best.

With that in mind, I want to share some things that I have been learning recently that are changing my life. Most of what I am learning comes from "Character of Christ" by Elder Bednar and "The Fourth Missionary" by Lawrence E. Corbridge (EVERY FUTURE OR PRESENT MISSIONARY NEEDS THIS TALK!!!). What I have learned is that without the character of Jesus Christ, there would have been no Atonement. So what is the character of Christ? One very important aspect of His character is that in every moment of tempation, pain, or suffering, He always - without a moment of hestitation - reached out to someone else. In the very moments that He needed comfort, He comforted someone else. His very nature was such that when the people around Him needed something, the compassion within Him was "activated" (in the words of Elder Bednar) and He acted immediately. He truly conquered His human body and became completely God-like. 

So how does that apply to us?

Just as Jesus Christ is our example in everything, He is our example in His very character. Our purpose in this life is to become more like Him, and that implies completely dominating our natural desires. But it does not imply fighting every day against our natural man. No, because our purpose in life is to change. We must change our nature by developing a pattern of acting outside of ourselves at all times and in all situations. Eventually, and only possible through a lot of practice and the enabling power of the Atonement, our character will be more like that of Christ - when someone around us needs help, our compassion is triggered, no matter our personal circumstance. 

So that is my goal! I am working on changing myself, my very nature. It's only possible if you give your heart to the Lord - all of your thoughts, desires, and dreams. But it's possible! And really it's the only way that you will become even a fraction of the person Heavenly Father has given you potential to be. READ THESE TALKS! They say everything way better than me. But more than read them, apply them. A talk is only a talk unless you actually make changes according to the words. At least that's what I am trying to do. :)

Anyway, I just love you so much! I feel like I am starting to understand the potential Heavenly Father has for each of His children, and I just know that our family has the heavenly potential to do so much. I LOVE YOU!!!!

Love, 

Hermana Snyder

A beautiful Sabbath day:

Playing for the Ward Choir - you might as week call us the Mexican Tabernacle Choir!

I play the piano almost every Sunday - the Mexicans think I am Mozart!

And this is REAL pico de gallo:

There are these weird vegatable things that grow on trees here that apparently you eat with eggs. We decided to borrow this lady's picking-pole and give 'er a go! We're going to eat our harvest tomorrow for breakfast... I'll tell you how it is!

Great week!

It has been a great week here in beautiful Huauchinango! After the experience last week, I feel like I am living in a Book of Mormon story. This week has truly been a testament of how after adversity, we must learn, grow, and reap the blessings! We had 7 people at church yesterday! Score! Really, our numbers are soaring. Take that, Satan! 

Yesterday was a really beautiful day at church. I never used to like fasting before the mission, but it is actually something that I have really come to enjoy. I am more prone to feel the Spirit and the effects of a true fast keep going for much longer than the actual 24 hours without food. Yesterday, I could feel the Spirit very strongly at church, especially when one of our investigators got up to bear her testimony! When Abi bore her testimony it was one of the most beautiful moments of my mission. Both of her parents are pastors of another church and she has faced a lot of persecution especially from her dad, but she is valiant and strong. She is truly converted to this gospel and has a firm testimony of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and the Savior Jesus Christ. She is waiting with great anticipation the day of her baptism on the 14th. She is going to be a great leader in the church (I have received clear spiritual promptings of it)! She is 20 years old and has a lifetime of discipleship ahead of her.To have been able to witness this conversion has changed my life. 

Also at church was a new investigator, Maria. We found her on the street one day, sang a hymn, and she promised to go to church. Later in the week, we taught the Resoration, and on Sunday, she came to church with her cute little skirt looking beautiful as ever! She is a mom of 6, a grandmother of many, and she is ready for the gospel. I know she is going to be baptized.

Other people to pray for: Paola (baptism this Saturday!!!), Karen and Damaris, Victor, Juan, Yuli, the parents of Pamela and Lupita... and more to come in the future. :)

As for our companionship, I am so happy to be with Hna. Z. I feel like our relationship as a companionship has taken on a new level recently. I love her with all of my heart and think that she is probably one of the best missionaries on the planet, not joking even a little bit. Together, I feel like we are unstoppable. We have the same vision and the same faith that literally anything is possible. We know that we cannot have any success without the Spirit, and so we teach by his power every lesson. I feel so blessed to have had her as my trainer - President is truly inspired! I have learned so many things with her and am so glad that I am learning them now rather than having to wait longer in my mission.

That's about it for this week! It has been really great. We are working hard and I am loving being a missionary. Help the missionaries!!! Go with them to their lessons! Give them references! Help them keep all of the mission rules! You all are my favorite people on the planet. Love you so much!

Love, 

Hna. S

Kelly, thank you for the package!!!

I got a bunch of letters and a package from Denise, Vannie, Kelly, and Megan King! YOU ARE THE BESTTTTT!

Sunnnnnn:

The District:

They say that there are only 2 of these trees in the world... Huauchinango is so exotic haha!

 I BOUGHT ALL THIS FRUIT FOR 40 PESOS, AKA LESS THAN 4 BUCKS!

Rainy Huauchi:

 Battle wound - don't worry, I am still alive!

Tamales are one of my favorite foods ever!

I stick out like a sore thumb here in Mexico!

Sometimes we pack 7 people into a taxi. It's fun!

Kelsey's email today was relating a very personal and powerful experience she went through and, out of respect for her and the sacredness of that experience, I won't be sharing her email.  Just know that she's doing well and is growing so much as a person and as a missionary.  She did send some cute pictures, though, that I would love to share!

Family Home Evening:

My yummy day in Huauchi:

Our investigator wasn't home but his puppies were!:

Merry late Christmas!

Hola familia!!! Another week in beautiful Huauchinango has come and gone and love y'all one week's worth more! 

This week was definitely hard. After a great week like last week, it seemed like everything went wrong this week. Paty and Ignacio were loving the gospel (the taxi couple; Paty is the one who heard in her mind "The true church is La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias" 10 times). Well, we received a text from them completely out of the blue that said that they made a decision to keep going to their old church. We were shocked and confused. So we practically ran to their house to see what had happened. Turns out they had heard some weird things about the reformed church and polygamy, and about baptism for the dead in the temple that freaked them out. So, we taught them with all our hearts the best lesson that we could possibly muster. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best we could do. By the end of the lesson, I felt like my heart was sitting on their coffee table. And before we left, they were nodding their heads in agreement with us. So, we thought all was well.

Unfortunately, the next day we received another text that said they had made up their minds and don't want us to pass by anymore. It was so sad. I love this family so much... I felt like they squished my heart! And to add to the sad news, we had to drop another progressing investigator who we've been teaching for a while, and only 3 of our investigators showed up to church when we should have had more than 10. 

This week was just a lot of hardships. Today, it forced me to think about whether all this is a punishment from something we're doing wrong or a trial of our faith, to refine us and make us stronger for the future. After thinking for a long time about this, I am sure that it is a trial of our faith. We are being obedient with exactness. We are striving to have the Spirit with us at all times. A few weeks ago, we received what we perceived as a witness that we are going to baptize every week, and I think right now the Lord is testing our faith to see just how much we believe in and work according to His power. Even though we don't know who we are going to baptize this week, we have a goal of 1 baptism, because we know it is His will to baptize someone in Huauchinango this week. Faith!!!

But, good news! We had a baptism! E., the wife and mom of 2 recent converts was baptized on Saturday! So wonderful!

So I'm doing good! Life as a missionary is crazy. Sometimes I can't believe how many emotions I feel in one day. But it's the best! I am happy! Also, I GOT YOUR PACKAGES!!! We had a zone conference this week, so I finally received my packages from the zone leaders! One from Mom, Brooke, Grandma, and Aunt Lizard, plus cards from Erica and Hna. Afualo. It was so funny - I traveled the 1.5 hour long journey back to Huauchinango with my arms FULL of boxes! I felt so loved! :) You all are seriously the best!!! I can't tell you how happy it made me. Also, I never wrote this in an email, but I got my package from Kell a few weeks ago. It was SO dang cute! My first package in Mexico. :) I took lots of pictures but they are on Hna. Zenteno's camera and she has forgotten it every week. Haha. One day I'm gonna send the pics of Kelly's package and you'll see how cute it really was. 

Anyway, I love you all so much!!! You're my favorites! The gospel is true! Never forget how important is is. It is the MOST important, literally the only thing that matters.

Con todo mi amor,

Hna. Snyder

Merry late Christmas to me!

THANK YOU, EVERYONE!!!

Sweet baptism!

Thank you, Grandma, for my cute new outfit and bracelet!

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:

Cute little guy with my umbrella:

 My matching botas y sombrilla :)

An example of how crazy my hair is in Huauchi!

Nacho and Paty sent us home with food so we had to take a picture for them:

In the forest. No biggie:)

 

We bought these avocados for 8 pesos. 1 dollar is equivalent to 14 pesos...

Goals for 2015!

Hola!

It has been a great week here in Huauchinango. Seriously, probably the best so far. I have a lot to say but feel like I have so little time, so here's hoping it turns out okay. First, an update on the food. :) It's amazing. On New Year's Eve we had tamales with one of my favorite families... oh my gosh. Better than you can imagine. And here in Huauchi they have the BEST tacos turados, which is basically a homemade taquito, but they do something different here where they are in green salsa with queso and crema on top. Oh my heck. Yep. Mexico is great.

Happy New Year! 2014 was fun and challenging, and I definitely have grown more in this year than in any other before it. For 2015, all of my goals are centered around trying to become more like the Savior. This month I am focusing on faith. 

This week was incredible for the work. Hna. Z. and I had an amazing experience the other day. We found out that we are both staying here for at least another cycle! No transfers! So we were talking about his next cycle. We were thinking of each of our investigators and how it is very possible that we can have a baptism every week this cycle. And then we thought, no - we ARE going to have a baptism every week this cycle! And at that moment both of us received a very strong spiritual confirmation that this is indeed the will of God. I felt the Spirit very strongly tell me that we have found the chosen, the prepared, and are going to baptize every week for the next 6 weeks. 

Conequently, we are willing to do everything and anything we can to carry out God's will. I am learning that there is a certain, undeniable power that is present as you testify and promise when you know the will of God. I can't really describe it, but all I can say is that I felt the Spirit very strongly in almost every single lesson this week. I can make promises like success in one's business or absolute peace in one's heart without a second of hesitation. It's strange and crazy, but it is amazing because I know it's His will. 

So, our investigators are doing great! We have a baptism on Saturday!!! The daughters of Maria., Fernando, and Magally. We are so excited!!! Maria and her husband aren't quite ready, but the girls are. On the 17th we have a baptism scheduled for the wife and mom of two members... And I'll keep updating you as the other dates come closer. :)

And now time for some miracles. Remember the couple we found in the taxi who had been praying for a church to marry in? Well they're doing great. In fact, the other day Paty told us some pretty incredible things that have been happening. #1 is that she had prayed for an answer about which is the true church. About a day later, she was resting, but not to the point of sleeping, when she heard a voice very clearly say to her "The true church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." 

Yeah. I think that might be an answer!!! Oh my gosh! And then she told us another story, of something that happened the night that we met them. Her son woke up from a nap crying right after we left the taxi. When they asked why he wouldn't stop crying, he said that he had seen God. They kind of brushed it off (he's only 3), but little Abraham reached down and picked up the Restoration pamphlet that we had left with them. He pointed to the picture of the Savior on the cover and said that he had seen Him. 

So, yeah. I don't really know what I can add to those stories but all I can do is testify that I know that this is the true church! I see way too many miracles and feel the Spirit way too strongly to have a doubt in my mind. I know that this is God's work and I am so excited to be a part of it. 

Love you all so much!!! Really with all my heart. You are my favorite people on the planet. Read the scriptures, pray, and do what you know you need to. This year, commit to become more like the person that the Lord needs you to be.

Con todo mi corazon,

Hna. Snyder

Happy New Year!