Izcalli - What up fam?

Querido familia! I am so glad you guys are all doing so good and enjoying life! Mexico is GREAT! We had transfers yesterday and GUESS WHAT! .......................

  

    I am still here in Izcalli with mi hija Hna Woodford! WE are so happy and were pretty sure that we would stay but with this Presidente anything is possible so yeah we are way happy! They changed the Elders in our ward so that will be a bit different and hopefully they are hard workers! Everything is so so good! This last week and a half was great... so much happened. First of all we are happy because we have so many people progressing right now here in Izcalli and we are starting to see the fruits of our hard work! Not gonna lie, opening an area is not the easiest especially because it takes a bit of time to see progress with everything but yeah 6 weeks later and everything is GOLDEN! Carlos is getting ready to be baptized the 8th of Nov and is doing really well... he's just a bit slow and we teach him like I would teach Seth but hey he gets it and has a testimony; so snaps to him! Then there is Magali... she needs to get married and guess what last night we talked to her and she and her husband are DOWN! Yes my second marriage in the mish so we are gonna plan that and it will be before the 22nd of Nov because that is her baptism date! She is awesome and so excited and we love her and her cute little girl! Then there is Isabel and Augustine and they need to get married and we are gonna talk to them about it tonight but I think they would be down for it... I hope .... pray for them haha! But Isabel is a solid she is ready the book of Mormon everyday for an half and hour to an hour.. she started last week and I think is almost in Mosiah... we love her! And then Iztel needs to get married but we are working with them and then we have Luz and Odylis... I don't think I can even explain how much I love them.  

Activita de barrio

Isabel & Augustine & us

We were not ready for this pic; with Magali

  I am gonna tell you a little story about her. So her husband has been in prison for 2 years and has 6 more to go... we don't know why... I think something with swindling money or algo... but when he got arrested she had a 8 month old baby and had just gotten pregnant again... they were living 2 hours away from her family in Teluca or how ever you spell it and they had a good life... she was a stay at home mom and everything was good. And then their whole world flipped up side down because he was accused of doing something.  They think one of his business  partners set him up and so she had to move her 3 kids, all their stuff, pregnant back to Ecatepec.  She had to  move in with her parents and start working  nights in her dad's store and wash peoples clothes in the mornings when her kids are at school... Luz is only 28! Her life is so hard right now and we just love her ... and she has accepted the gospel and is so excited to get baptized... but she would never pray at our citas always her daughter or yeah but last week we were like NO LUZ YOU NEED TO ! and we wouldn't take no for an answer because she has been doing her personal prayers but would never pray with us... so after some stubbornness on both parts she started to pray and ..... she ended just bawling and we were all just ahhh and it was so strong and the spirit was just ahhh... as missionaries you live for moments like that when the spirit is just so strong and your investigadores are so in tune and it was so great... highlight of the week.  Man I love them. 

   We also had a fecha with the butcher that works by one of our investigadores and he is a bible basher and he was a reference from one of the hnas in our ward... but she wanted us to bring the elders because they can actually speak Spanish ... but we were like ... NO. haha it doesn't need to be a debate we just need to teach simply to make him feel the spirit and yeah! FECHA! We are pumped because he has a family and he goes to a church that still believes keeping the Sabbath day holy is Saturday... but once we explained, the priesthood and authority and revelation he was like WOW and yeah I think he will be pretty cool! We are trying to meet with his family too! 

 But yeah as you can tell I am VERY HAPPY! The other week I was just thinking about how I was before the mish and I think I am gonna be weird like (one of her brothers who will not be named) when I get home but it's just because being a missionary, well I have never ever been happier in my life! And I just know it's because I am in the service of the Lord and helping people find the hope in their lives to keep on going and putting their faith in Christ.  Man oh man I just love it here! Our ward is great... at first they were all kinda cold but now that we are bring a lot of investigators to things they have really embraced the investigators and are more willing to help us... especially the Bishop... but he still will not let the missionaries go to ward council ... but we are working on it!  

Selfie before Divisions
with Hna Chavez and  Houghton

Yesterday, there was a ward activity to make pan de muertos ( popular bread because dia de los muertos is this Sunday and Monday) and all the lights went out because there was a big thunder storm so we went and bought candles from Luzs tienda and took them to the capilla and yeah we kept on going with the ward activity! It was fun and hna woodford has pics of it and I will send them when she sends them to me... and the pics I forwarded are from the ward activity the other week... that is the family Pena in the pictures they live above us and we LOVE THEM! Its the best living with members because when we have problems they are so willing to help us and she makes the BEST FOOD! also this last week we had divisiones and I went to a different area and on the way home we got lost but we taught our car driver the Restoration but we were really lost hahah! That's okay we made it back 3 hours later and everything was all GUCCI but Presidente was laughing at us! Today we did go to the temple but didn't go in because I guess in our mission we can only go every 4 months... lame but hey we get to go during the mish so it is all good! We went because hna woodford needed to buy things from the distribution center!

Dia de los muertos pan making

So yeah that is our week and a half for ya! I am happy Res came over and got to hold Cole before me... love his nickname!  I love you all and I will send pics in a little bit.. Chris, good luck with football! Love you all and gracias for the pics eh!

Driver that we got lost with & taught the restoration

My fav little girls in the ward

con muchísimo amor,

Dana

Izcalli - GUESS WHAT?

So this week was interesting.... 

Our whole 100 lessons goal... our district leaders were like... hna´s you need to be focusing on other things besides # and he told us we were not allowed to do it... and then hna woodford got sick from fish we ate... so dang we didn't quit make it ... but this week and are determined to get at least 80 and then our district leader can't get mad because it isn't 100 haha! But all is well here in Izcalli... this last week was kinda weird.

Eating street tacos!

Hmmm, not sure what all is in these...

   First of all, one day I wore my shirt inside out for like over half the day and we were laughing so hard... yes of course that would happen to me! And then one day, Hna. Woodfords contact broke in half while still in her eyeball so we were home forever trying to get all of it out because we didn't want to go to the Dr., whose office is by all the other offices because that is 1.5 hrs away and we didn't want to spend our money! But you know when weird things happen its not that weird because we are living in México and everything is a little bit diffrente! 

 But as for our investigadores they are all doing goodish... well a problem right now is getting them to church... dang people just don't understand día de reposo!  That's alright we are working on it! For starters; Magali, we found out isn't married... yes sadness because she was preparing to be baptized this Sunday! The thing about Mexico when you call some one your esposo... husband that doesn't mean you are really married it just means you are living together. Anyways a while back we were not sure if she and her "esposo" where married so I asked her .. oh how long do you guys have together... and how long do you have casados and she said 8 years together and 4 casados... well news flash I guess casados also doesn't really mean married it means living together... because this week I asked her where they were married and she was like no HNA we are not married... and I was like NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  It's okay we are working with her and she just introduced us to two of her friends and they all came to the ward activity on Friday and they all loved it and then we put a fecha with her two friends (they are a couple) but they also are not married but want to be... so yeah looks like we have got some marriages to do! 

Then there is Beto who we have been teaching since we got here... we were gonna drop him because he hasn't been going to church but then this Sunday he went and he also said the reason he isn't baptized is also because his wife won't marry him because she doesn't want to get married just so he can be a Mormon...... and then we have Itzel, who is doing so great right now she is preparing to be baptized the 15th of November but also is not married and we are trying to work with her and her husband so yeah we need to get 4 marriages under our  belt in order to help all these people make covenants with God! IT IS WORTH IT! I really do love all these people and I know they will all get there is will just take a little bit of time and money! But Carlos is doing really well and is preparing for the 1st of november for his baptism.. he just is slow with learning and everything so we are trying to help him understand more about the restoration. Also we are trying to start teaching his Dad. But as for now we are just struggling a little bit finding new people because last week we had pure appts all day everyday and so we didn't have a whole lot of time to look for new people but this week YEAH we are gonna find a ton of new people to teach and to put fechas with them... my goal is to have a family be baptized on my birthday because it is a Sunday... so we are gonna find them and DO IT! Also Luz and her family are doing so good...

Oh and the story about my hair... I was like one day man my hair is kinda dead and I haven't had it cut since I left and then hna woodford was like well I have hair cutting scissors and I have cut my little sisters hair once... so I was like OKAY HERMANA I TRUST YOU and so yup she cut my hair. But dang woman is very stubborn in her ways and I was like OKay hna only 1.5" 2 max but she thought 3.5 was better so yeah my hair is SHORT! But that is okay because in 6 months it will be way long again! hah but she cut my hair on Friday night because we have to get home so early and we were fasting so we had lots of time on our hands to cut my hair... she did a good job but when we have more time she is gonna try to thin out the ends because they are a little thick!

OH and also to answer your question hna chavez was here because we had divisions and then this week I will leave for divisiones and she will come here with HNA WOODFORD and I will go to her area for a solid 24 hours! So yes, all is well here in Mexico just pray we can find a family to teach this week and I will be so grateful! 

OH also this week we had a ward activity and it was really fun we played a game called canasta de frutas and its like do you love your neighbor but different, more intense and it was really fun and all our investigators had a super good time... and then after everyone was dancing and it was killing me not to dance and learn how to do the bachata (type of salsa dance) with them buts is all good I pulled through and was able to withstand the temptation haha!  All is well and I am glad everyone had a good fall break and that you guys are all happy!

Have a good one! oh and next week we go to the temple and I will not write till Wednesday because we have transfers! But love you all BESOS

con amor, Dana

Izcalli - Hola

Dear Fam Bam.... 

  

   Well this week was crazy, there was so mucho going on and so many different things we had to do but it was great. We had divisions this week and Hna. Chavez came to Izcalli, it was fun to get to know her better and I think if we are ever gonna be comps that would be a blast... she is super funny and she would help me with my Spanish a lot! haha We also had interviews with presidente this week and they were really good. I asked him about the extension thing and he just laughed at me and told me what the processes is... and if i really want to extend to talk about it in the summer with him. But he was happy to see that mi hija hna woodford is happy because I guess  a lot of the new girls that have come to the mish, a lot of them are struggling with the whole adjustment and all and are not very happy. So yay I must be doing something right! We also had zone class this week and right now the baptism numbers are kinda down in the mish and so there is a lot of incentive to get a lot of baptisms and whatever zone that gets the most baptisms this month gets a banner thing and says best Zone en the mision Este.... anyways are zone doesn't like to lose so we are all working super hard to get our numbers up... we are suppose to baptise two this month... Magali and Carlos! So hopefully we can win and also being more souls unto Christ... and win haha because I like winning! But yeah things here in Izcalli are just great. This week yo y hna woodford we have a goal to teach 100 lessons this week!!!!! its gonna be hard but we are DETERMINED and if you reach our goal our district leader is gonna buy us Tortas like really good ones so that is also nice to have some kind of incentive! But yes we are determined and we also need to find more investigators... so having a lot of lessons should help us find more investigators! 

  Speaking of investigators... Luz and her family are doing awesome.. but were not able to go to church because they don't live in our zone or even our mission.... so we need to find a chapel of where they live and get in contact with the missionaries by her house so we can help her and family get baptized and stay strong in the church. They all have a baptismal date for the 4th of November and they are all so good. They were telling us that the other night this men had robbed a bunch of people right out side their store and they were about to come into the store but then they didn't... they just left.... and then the same thing happened the next night and again they didn't get bothered (they said it was like 10 after we left) but they were just like Hna´s its because we are praying and doing the right things and god is watching out for us... and we were just like YES! So they are doing really good and notice a difference in their lives with the gospel! Also Itzel is doing good but we need to get her husband to church, we made a calender for them because they are not doing the little things in their lives... like pray in the night and morning and FHE and things like that so we made them a calender and drew symbols for each thing they are suppose to do and that way they can see their progress and if they start doing the little things every day they will notice a difference and so will her husband and a miracle will happen! Because Itzel really needs a miracle in her life and so we are gonna do everything in our power to help her reach her goal of being baptized and we are gonna try to start working with her husband! 

 But I don't know if i have told or not but here in Izcalli there are like 6 people that have all the lessons, assistance, and everything.. they go to church but they just won't get baptized... because they either haven't gotten an answer, lack the faith or are scared... so we are trying to help them because they know its true they just need to get baptized... but it is hard knowing what to do so we have been studying and praying a lot and just trying to be obedient and have the spirit to know what to do because if you think about it... two 19 year old girls really cant do anything, but with the spirit and LOTS OF FAITH WE CAN DO ANYTHING! So that is what we have been working on and I believe are going to start seeing a lot of miracles here in our little pueblo! But yes this week was great... I learned a lot and guess what today for p day we actually had time to take a nap.... this is the 1st time EVER that I have had a power nap on a p-day or even in the mish 6 months... haha it was great! But next week we will try to do something exciting for p-day ... or take a power nap because we will be tired from our 100 lesson week haha! 

Story of the week... there are two particular barachos (drunks) that hang out side of Luzs store... they were the ones that gave us the candle but anyways the other night they were there and just wasted and wanted to talk about God with us and everything and then one of them was getting mad because we wouldn't let him buy us anything and so we finally gave in and let him buy us Juice and they were so happy... it was ridiculous and Luz was like ahh hermanas I am sorry they are crazy and we were all just laughing because these two men were so wasted... and they keep on rejecting our invitation to the capilla... but soon we are gonna get them there haha! OH also today we contacted this old man that was selling newspapers on the side of the street and he was like Hna uno besito de dios? because he wanted to hug and kiss us and it was just funny and i told him maybe after i finish my mission ... but yes idk these freaking men here and white girls; too funny! But sorry we didn't really take pictures this week either... we will be better about it this week but we did take a selfie of the juice our baracho friend bought us! I hope you all enjoy your fall break stay safe!!!!!

Juice!

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Dana Heywood

Izcalli - Hola Fam Bam

Querido Familia... este semana fue MUY BIEN!

LAUREN IS HAVING A CHILD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAYYYYYYYYYY 

I am very very very happy that the fam is growing and that when I get home I will have two new sobrinos... so crazy. 

 Ah conference was so so so good! But first I will answer your questions madre... first, yes we have sufficente funds here in Mexico, we are able to buy our fruits and veggies here and there is a Walmart that is a 15 minute walk from our apt! Two, we watched conference in the stake center and it was cool because most of the people from the stake were there because they don't really have WIFI in their houses and it is just more fun to be all together. Way cool about the new apostales! Three, idk about the whole hiking thing but we got permission from Presidente so yeah! And Luke...yes, rules do apply in Mexico.  I am very obedient! My comp tells me sometimes I am too obedient which is not okay we are working on here to believe there is no such thing as too much obedience!!!!  Four, my favorite talks included... Elder Utchdorf, Holland, Pres Nelson (loved that one) and Bednar. I really loved his talk a lot. Yes, it was my first conference in Spanish and it was really good.  I understood almost everything... sometimes the story's were harder to understand! But I loved it as always! 

Everything is good here in Izcalli... we have been working on finding neuvos this week because we don't have a ton of investigadores and we found 8ish so yay!!!!!!!! One is named Carlos, we found him on the street and I think at the time he was a little drunk but we went to a cita with him and found out he has a problem with the word of wisdom and it trying to work on it and wants to change his life so yay! He went to the priesthood session because he had work on Sunday and wasn't able to go to the others but he is a good guy and he has a baptismal date for the 1st of Nov. We also had a really cool experience this week. We were walking to the chapel because we had to give the elders our receipts to get reimbursed and on our way we ran into a menos activo member and she was like hnas I need your help this store needs to be dedicated and we were like um okay idk if we can do that we will go ask the elders and come back and anyways they didnt really think we could dedicate a tinda so we just went and prayed with the store owner named Luz, the menos activa, and luz´s daughters! After we were talking to her and poor thing... she has 4 kids... the oldest daughter is 10 her husband is in prison and she is pregnant! We were talking to her about trials and she was crying and it was just really good... so we went on Sunday and they are awesome and so receptive and Luz just needs the gospel in her life right now and she knows it. Her cute two daughters that are 8 and 10 also are really loving it and we are gonna try to take them tomorrow to the primary activity and all that jazz! But we love them and they are doing great. Also Magali one of our other investigators is awesome she is progressing really well and we just love her and her daughter... we are gonna try to see if her husband wants to learn more because he doesn't really listen to our lessons but we are gonna try to help him feel the spirit and have the desire to learn more. 

Oh, also funny story this week... we were talking to Luz outside her tinda on Saturday to confirm our cita and there were these two drunk men standing outside with us two trying to talk to us about the "word of God" jaja any ways they were great drunks and we taught them how to pray and in return they gave us this candle they were carrying with them and it is the candle of st. Judas and they made me translate the prayer on the back into English and I was trying so hard to leave their candle but they would not let us leave without the our St. Judas prayer candle so of course we took a pic with it haha! oh also this week haha this old couple in our ward gave us some candies when we left their house they were like ohhh its chocolate and vanilla... so we popped them into our mouths as we were walking home and I was like umm this is not vanilla and hna. woodford was like yeah this chocolate is not chocolate... so we looked at the wrappers haha it was rum and coffe flavored! haha we were dying laughing! This old couple are the funniest people I think we have ever met... they just remind me of a movie or something! The work is good here, we are just working really hard to have more new people and help out those menos activos. I am just so happy we had conference and I feel spiritually recharged to go out and baptize the world. One of our investigators right now Itzel, poor thing, she has been investigating the church for almost 2 years and wants to get baptized but her husband won't get married so she can't and so this week we are gonna do a big fast with her to help her husband have a change of heart and we want to start teaching him... so if you would all like please fast of the husband of Itzel to have a change of heart... because poor thing she was saying how she feels like she doesn't belong anywhere because her family judges her when she goes to the catholic church and then in the ward she feels like she doesn't belong because she has been an investigator forever and feels like people don't understand why she isn't baptized! Ahh I feel for her. 

Everything is really good here and I am happy andI love the people here they really all have good hearts! Sorry I don't have very many pictures this week but love you all Lauren and  Katie take care of my sobrinos till I meet them in a year.... oh yeah guess what I HIT MY SIX MONTH MARK THIS WEEK! I only have a year left... but I think I am going to extend so yay I still have more than a year... but yes I want to extend and I need to pray about it and talk to pres about it but yes just to give you a year warning mom haha!  Love you all!!!!

con amor, Hermana Heywood

Here is our Candle haha!

Izcalli II

Well hello there fam and amigos y yeah! 

  This week was just GREAT! Our ward isn't all that massive but because we have the hills in the area there is four missionaries in the ward... we share the ward with the zone leaders.  Izcalli really is a super cool area and the members here are SO GIVING and so nice and they just love to help us and I am so grateful for them and their charity to us! But this week was actually really funny too! Ah man i don't know were to begin... well first of all Hna Woodard is super cool and we laugh WAY TO MUCH! Like really we laugh way too much and sometimes the Elders are like sisters what the heck why is everything so funny to you... but I think its just because a lot of weird things happen to us and we laugh it off. For example, the other day we were walking to the stake center for district class and as we were walking (on the side of the highway because that is normal here in Mexico) and then suddenly we heard someone yell at us (which is really really normal) and then we felt something and a freaking man threw Valentina (the hot sauce here everyone eats) all over us from his car and it got all over Hna. Woodford and it was so sad and we were mad and then we just started laughing and we were like welp.... only in Mexico does someone threw their hot sauce on you on the side of the highway! Another funny moment from this week, we were waiting for a menos activa to answer her door and there was a dog just walking on the roof (again normal here in Mexico) and then the next thing I know the dang dog is peeing and it fell all over my hand and arm... and then the lady answered her door and I was just looking at my hand and the old lady had no idea what had just happened and it would have taken to much work to explain what just went down so I wiped my hand on the side of her house and acted like nothing happened and hna. Woodford was dying and trying so hard not to laugh and the lady was so confused by us haha but when she closed the door we just started dying laughing because a dogs pee was all over my hand and arm as I was talking to this lady! But yes these are just some of the random things we do here in Izcalli... haha Mexico! 

  But the work here really is a lot of reactivation and there are so many people here whose families are members and they go to church every week but don't want to get baptized... no joke there are like 4 just in our part of the ward... so we are trying to work a lot with them. One of them is named Gloria and she is an older lady that cracks me up and she is so frustrating... AH GLORIA! She goes to everything, she pays her tithing and fast offerings, she arrives to sacrament before her family, she participates in EVERYTHING! haha but she just will not get baptized... she says its because she promised her mom she wouldn't change religions when her mom died... but we have taught her the plan of salvation and everything but I honestly think she really just doesn't understand... it hasn't clicked with her yet... so we are starting her teaching from the beginning and making sure that everything is simple and understandable! oh but Gloria she is a handful that one... and whispers in all of our lessons so hna woodford cant really hear or understand her! WE also are teaching this golden investigator Magali... she is 24 and has a daughter and is married (I think) and we have taught her 3 times ans she went to church this week and loved it and she is just super cool and super relaxed and funny and we love her! She is progressing really well and we want to start teaching her husband with her so we will talk about that with her tomorrow!  That is just a little bit about the work here! 

Now for our jungle exploration today... last night our district leader called us and asked if we wanted to go hike the mountain in our area and we were down because we don't have any money and didn't have anything to do... so we woke up this morning and went with them... it was really cool and really rainy and smoggy for most of the part so when we got to the top sadly we couldn't see the valley but it was still really cool... so green and just refreshing to do that!

Today we felt like we were in Jurassic park it was so cool!

It was really cool and sketchy!

There was an ALTAR.... hahah so we had to take a picture... don't worry I  would not really sacrifice mi hija.... I LOVE MEXICO 

When we got to the top one of the elders we were with wanted to read a scripture because we hiked the mountain... or something like that... 

Oh also this week we ate stringray... yes string ray chimichangas or however you spell that! And we also ate cows feet so yeah we had some great comida appts this week but its nice to have two latino elders at all of our food appts to eat our food when we just can't haha! Also I don't know if I have told you that we live beneath members the familia Pena but they are awesome and so kind and we LOVE THEM! We are so blessed here in Izcalli its INSANE!!!! 

Our freaking fresa house!!!!  (fresa means posh)

Also Katie HAPPY BIRTHDAY... to be honest I don't know how old you are turning but I love you and I wish you the happiest birthday. Oh also everyone have fun in General Conference and enjoy it ... I will be here in Mexico in the stake center with my people watching the prophet and I am way excited to find out who is gonna be the new apostales! I love you all... Luke your limo is pretty chafa haha.  Love you all have a good week! 

Con amor, Hermana Heywood