Many Letters & Inkspots!!!

So today has been a most eventful day.  We received multiple emails from both Christopher and Isabella.  I think they are learning to work the system just a little bit!!! :)  So I will post them in the order we received them!  Enjoy.........

Hola!

I just got back from the temple, and wanted to say hello for a second.  I hope all is well at home. I'm sure that you're all very busy working and doing what you need to.

Also, my Spanish is improving. I had a really amazing experience this last week. I needed to somehow obtain more socks. So, long story short I found my way to what's called Missionary Services,
which is where you can order socks over the phone (at Mr Macs for instance), and there my companion and I were (my compa also happened to know the grandson of the lady that was helping us; so he also had the opportunity to do some missionary work. awesome).

Anyway, this elder walks in and stood very close to me as I was sitting down, and I instinctively responded,"Oh... hola."  And he responded back in Spanish, but I didn't think a whole lot about it.

He handed the lady a letter and I could tell they weren't quite communicating.  She took his letter and wondered off into another room. I asked him where, he was from, what he needed here, and where he was going -- in Spanish.

Anyway, the lady returned and I could again cleary see that they couldn't communicate. And all of the sudden, I spoke perfect Spanish and translated everything this Elder needed for this lady. It was amazing.

And then, yesterday, my companion and I were in this room of people who were playing violin, piano and cello. And my companion and another sister were singing misc. hymns which brought an amazing spirit into the room.

For an hour, I listened to the music and studied reading in Spanish out of Preach My Gospel, which I've found to be my favorite resource for studying Spanish (of which I've learned all of the tenses, grammar and what not --I'm now studying vocabulary a lot and learning preisthood ordinances and the like).

Towards the end of the hour there, this same Elder that I translated for walked in. He's from Colombia, which I forgot to mention. He's serving in Salt Lake City Utah, and I'm serving in Honduras. He said that Utah is where everyone in Sur America quieren estar! Que chevre! Yo le dije que yo pienso que estaba muy
chistoso porque estaba fascinado con Sur America, con Cacao, y muchas cosas en Sur America y las personas de Sur America estaban interesado con Salt Lake City. Las decia,"Oh, la profeta esta alli y el templo original esta alli y los doce apostales estan aqui. Los mormones!"

It's funny. And I love him. His name is Elder Edau or Egau. He looks strangely a lot like Isabel's dad, but with less hair; however, they talk the same and have the same accent. And it was a wonderful and spiritual experience because I had kind of been searching for him all week. Nonetheless, I was blessed with the gift
of tongues that day. Ironically, I told him, that same night we had an asigancio para clase en lo qual yo necesitaba ensenar sobre la palabra de sabiduria, pero para alguno razzon, no puedo hablar en espanol. Haha. Bueno. Pues.

Escribire mas en un poco mas horas. Gracis for su amor! Ciao!

Then came this.......

Hi Janice thanks for writing me you my brother joeson and crystal and of course chris are the only ones that have written me. so thank you. i have been doing well. i love my companion we get along great she says that im a beast at door aproches but really white people scare me when we are at the door, they are the meanest. other than that i teach in a very poor area of like 9 members of a family living in a two bedroom. and lots of people live in garages. any alot of young adults are gang or former gang members and i just pretend to be this 16 year old thespian that has no social sensitivity and i just reach out to people with my had extended for a handshake and say im a missionary to the church of Jesus Christ of later day saints have you heard of us before? (i have also had drunk men think that i am hitting on them but whatever gets them to hear the word of God right?) well we are also known as mormons do you know why they call us mormon? bc we believe in the book of mormon being a set of sacread scripute like the bible and we belive that the old and new testament coupled with the book of mormon which is another testament of Christ is the complete and everlasting gospel did you know that God spoke to the people here in America? they usually say no and by this time they are either interested or trying to flee. and you say with the biggest smile you have now why do you think our Father in heaven would speak to people here too and not just in europe? then thy pause they dont know oddly enough so we say bc he loves us and he knew that precious parts of the Bible where going to be lost and mistranslated to he prepared his word for us here so that none of his simple teaching would be lost. this book we testify is another testament of jesus and since not everyone knows we have left loved ones behind to share this with you this day could we come over to share more of his message for you. if they say no and they start walking away we can feel the hardness of their hearts but sis crossley still says is there anything that we can do for you? they start walking further and say no thank i have a bible so they i say okay well here is a number you can call if you ever do want to listen to more of his word for you and our number is in the back God Bless you. but the people that are of his fold dont say oh im already catholic no thanks they say wow more word of God YES PLEASE!!! they ask for a copy right then and there its awesome. please do something for me get a copy of the book of mormon and read it and in the front write your short but sweet testimony and then a favorite scripture and then find someone who you might strike conversation with and tell them you have a book like unto the bible that speaks of Christ here in the amreicas too and then tell them you would like to give them a copy then take down their first name and address and then call your missionaries in your wards and give them the information and they can go teach that person with the book of mormon you have put your testimony into and that way more of our brothers and sisters who are searching or who dont even know that they are searching will find their way to Heavenly Father i hope that you all will i hope that you are all reading your scriptures praying daily and attending church on sunday and keeping his day holy if you do these things you will find that Heavenly father will guide people to you and you will also answer the fervent prayer of a missionary that so badly wants to find people to teach. I love you i am doing well i hope i dont grow allergic to tortillas while i am here. :) again my address is 3975 Mclaughlin Ave Ste A San Jose CA 95121. Crystal please read the book of mormon and tell all your friends to give missionaries the time of day we are set apart by God and if we stop you by its for a reason we love everyone. Janice i told my companion i pray for my potential investigators all the time like i wake up and think of them and pray for them and we leave their house in prayer for them and when i go to bed i pray for them let alone when we plan for them its crazy all the love a human being can have for strangers and my companion looks at me as says yep we're creepy like that. ha ha anyway love you all please forward thi9s to chris.

Hermana Florido

Shortly after we received these:

pics of my comp and me i know i look a bit tired cuz i am!‏

Then a while later we got this email......

You guys need to get better at writing back sooner. Let me tell you a secret.  I will write you once at 11 am on P-Days, but you have to write me back by 5:00 no exeptions. Otherwise this won't work, but it's cool because we can communicate in a day. Yay! Also, I saw pictures of Isabel. Send her treats.

If I could have one thing for my birthday, it would be to send her something sweet. Raw Chocolates and flowers and something cute a fluffy, like a tabby cat stuffed animal with blue eyes or something. That's what I want.

Oh- And coconuts and durian. I will eat the whole Durian in one day. No joke.  Plus, I won't be able to have one for a whole two years! Which is fine. I don't get to have any kisses for two years. But durian has sounded so good since I've been here! SO GOOD. ANd I leave really soon and I have one minute to
finish this. Also, raw chocolates galor y mas peanuts de jungla.

I love you so much mom and dad. You have NO idea how much I appreciate what you're doing for Us. <3 Codo todo mi corazon. Buenas noches!

 And......a little to a mother's dismay and maybe the pocketbook....tonight we received this from Chris.....
 
Also! Guess what?! I just took my clothes out of the dryer (whites) and I found} a pen in the dryer. And! All of my whites have inkblotches. Everything! No joke.

I might need money for them. I'm going to go see what I can find at the store.  But I might be calling you!

Hearing his voice....just might be worth every penny....no call yet though!  I love these two missionaries...their strength, love, commitment, and growth most often leave me without words and lots of tears.