New People, New Experiences

 Kaitlin is doing well and enjoying her new area. She has introduced us to Yolanda, a sweet 17-year old girl who is scheduled for baptism this week. Miguel, age 12, who is determined not to follow the same path his older brothers have followed, has become a great example for them and is even getting them to read and pray together and attend church. Osmar, a wild and crazy guy who is enthusiastic about everything, has a pure heart and is eager to learn.

Kaitlin was thrilled to report that 7 of their investigators attended church. She teaches an English class once a week as well as a piano class.

(One of the church members), Hna. Segovia, is hilarious.  I don't know her too well yet, but I know her well enough to know that I really like her.  She's feisty!  Her son just left on his mission this past week, and we asked her how he was doing, and she said, "Juan?  Oh, I don't know.  We haven't heard from him.  I don't think about him."  I was a little shocked, as you may imagine, and then she continued and explained that with every child who has left on a mission, she just has to pretend like they don't exist or else she misses them too much.  So she doesn't talk about them to anyone, and she tries not to think about them.  An interesting way to deal with a child being on a mission, but to each his own, I suppose.  And it was funny...she asked me how long I had been here, and I told her, and then I said, "I don't want to leave!"  And she got all mad and said, "I don't ever want to hear anyone say that they don't want to leave their missions!  You people don't know what we mothers go through!"  So then I had to explain to her that of course I want to return to my family, but the mission experience is so life-changing, so beautiful, and so short.  It will just hurt to leave it.

(I, Kaitlin's mother, had to throw that last paragraph in, as I have said good-bye to two children. I know just how Hna. Segovia feels!)

Here are a couple of funny (are scorpions funny?) things Kaitlin shared:

"We have found 5 scorpions in our apartment in the past couple of days.  Yep.  Oh, let me tell you, it was not a joy.  They're a lot smaller than I had pictured them, which is nice because they're easy to kill but not so nice because they hide easily as well.  Hna. Paipa is soooo funny.  Every time I found one, she screamed and jumped on a chair and had this seriously terrified look on her face, as though it were an anaconda or something.  I try not to laugh at her because she's not the kind that likes to be laughed at.  But I've slipped a couple times. 

This morning was also funny.  The alarm went off and I woke up, and as you may know, I'm not always 100% with it right after waking up.  I looked at the phone and saw that we had missed five calls from a member the night before, and I said, "Hey, Hno. Bordón called us five times yesterday."  "¿Cómo?" said Hna. Paipa.  "I said Hno. Bordón called us five times yesterday."  "¿Cómo, Hermana?"  Then I answered rather loudly, "HNO. BORDÓN CALLED US FIVE TIMES YESTERDAY."  Only then did I realize I was speaking in English, and poor Hna. Paipa had no idea what I was saying!  We had a good laugh about that."