Week 39: HALFWAY WHAT??

It has been 9 months since I got on the plane to the Mexico City CCM and wow has that been the single best decision of my life. The days feel like weeks, the weeks feel like days, and in the end it's all just turning into a blur! I have learned so many lessons, met so many people, had so many touching experiences. So I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for these next nine months! 'Cause as we all know from watching sports, the second half is way more intense than the first :)

Some highlights of the week:

--Yohanna, Angel, and Melissa were confirmed yesterday! They are now the newest members of the Pasadena ward :)

--I have become an expert at showering cats and picking out all their fleas.

--Adriana, the only member in the Tapia family who isn't baptized now, just quit her job! She has the strongest testimony of them all, but hasn't been able to come to church because she worked every Sunday. She came with us Saturday to the General Women's Session of conference, and I don't know what it was (jk I do, it was the spirit) but yesterday was her last day of work at that taqueria. She told her boss she was quitting! So stay tuned these next upcoming weeks to hear about her baptism!!

--Yesterday we had such a tender experience. We are teaching a man who lives right across the street from the Tapia's, so last night we stopped by the Tapia's to see if anyone could come with us. Miguel was home and willing, and 10 year old Angel said he wanted to come to, so vamonos! The man we went to visit is named Manuel, and he has had such a hard time accepting the Book of Mormon. We seemed to be just going in circles because everything comes back to knowing if the Book of Mormon is true. He just didn't see the need for another book if we already have the Bible. We tried everything possible to help him understand, but we weren't getting anywhere, so we finally just had to tell him to start reading in the book, and then call us when he wants to learn more. By the end of the lesson me, Hna Sahagún, and Miguel were all disappointed and frustrated, but Angel asked if he can say something. He then shared with Manuel such a simple and beautiful testimony of how Joseph Smith went into the woods to pray, and how Jesus told him that none of the churches were true, but how the true church is now here and you can know through the Book of Mormon. His testimony brought the spirit so strong. It made me start to tear up to see a ten year old, who had just been confirmed a member that morning, share his testimony. Unfortunately, Manuel was "past feeling" as the Book of Mormon would describe it (1 Ne. 17:45). But it definitely strengthened my own personal testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and the simpleness of the gospel.

--Tuesday was exchanges with Sister Smith.  She is a really good missionary! But not very helpful here in Spanish land because she's English... So basically the exchange was me teaching all the lessons, and then telling her at the end what happened. We had fun though :)

You would think that for Easter everyone would be willing to listen to a message about Jesus Christ, but that wasn't the case this week. One blessing of being in the Bible Belt is that everybody already knows about and loves Jesus. Unfortunately, this is also a downside, because everybody thinks they're "saved" or that they know enough about Jesus and therefore don't want to listen. That being said, I am really grateful to be on a mission during this Easter season, and to be able to teach people about its true meaning. About how we all too will one day be resurrected. About how we will see our loved ones again. And more than anything about the great and profound love that Jesus Christ has for each one us.

Love always,
Hermana Baker

Happy Easter!!