Yep, you read that right. But wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Monday was great. We went to the best place for shakes on the island with some recent converts and when we were running to the mall to look for a new watch for Hna Santiago we even ran into a less active that we didn't know existed. He was baptized in the north of the island. I love little miracles:)
Then Tuesday came... I don't know what it is, but for some reason every blood sucking creature on this island finds its way to me. I don't think I have ever had so many bug bites in my life. But I've gotten used to it, but Sunday/Mondayish I had a really painful head. Like my head had a rash...or bites... But we put off calling Hna Pack (Mission Presidents's wife) cause we wanted to enjoy our PDay without having to go to the doctor or something. So Monday passes and Tuesday we had
just came out of a lesson and Hna Pack calls me back.
(Quick aside) THE SECRET'S OUT! I connected to our investigator's wifi (Tuesday, right before Hna Pack called back) to show a video when we were at her house and got an email. Opened it up later to read my 5 month email. Nothing too crazy right? Just the typical "Hey this is your release date, let's figure out your flight plans" email, right? NO! Apparently the church has a black out period for a certain part of December on flights. So what should be MY release date, December 21, the end of the 6 week transfer period, is changed. My new release date is December 8. They're cutting my last transfer short 2 weeks and tacking on the two last weeks of what would be my last transfer on the
next transfer. So they'll be having an 8 week transfer. It's real. I called the office and everything, thinking they got something wrong. It's a little raw that my 5 month email really became my 4 month
email, but I'm excited to work to death these next months. Viva España. Viva la misión.
Anyways we pick up. I describe my symptoms to Hna Pack and then "You have lice." My companion starts itching her head. "Oh my gosh, my head itches! I think I have lice too!" Hahaha (she didn't). We were commanded to go to the store, start lice treatments immediately and deep clean our piso.
Sooo our week basically consisted of us picking through each other's hair, cleaning our piso, and LIVING in the shower, I'm not even kidding. My hair is shot. We had to leave the lice shampoo in our hair for 15 minutes, the lice conditioner in our hair for 15 minutes, and sleep in Listerine with a shower cap on our head. Thank goodness for piso finds because we're not allowed to use our clothes for two weeks. Also thank heavens that our piso had a ridiculous amount of extra sheets cause we've been changing those about nightly as well. We've now learned a few very important things:
-DON'T let your hair touch anybody's hair in the islands! (Apparently lice is going around out here. Hna Marsh (my old companion) and her companion are on a different island, but they got lice as well this
week!)
-Choose your poison. Keep your nasty lice hair in the shower drain or clean it and let the cockroaches in. (Cause every time we do clean out the drain, cockroaches come up from the drain! Our nasty hair is the only thing keeping that drain clogged and those nasty suckers down there.
-Lice like clean heads! At least that's what Hna Pack told me. She may have just been trying to make the blow easier.
-Remember when you were little and your mom would yank out your hair to do it? Yeah, that's what lice picking is like...except with more hair.
-Nit picky. I know we're that word come from now. So glad my comp is so nit picky!
-No matter how many times I watch the district movies I still love them. Not my fault they always make me cry. That's right Jynx! That's why you gotta read the Book of Mormon!!!
-Nothing strengthens companionships like 4 hours with one comp's head between the other's knees. Every day.
-Oh! Oh! I'm learning Italian! There's so many Italians in this area, I figured if some people can learn dialects plus a language on their mission I can learn Italian! This one's for you Dad! Sono una ragazza. Una mela.
Despite everything, this week was actually really great! We were still able to get work done and since it did effect the time we were able to leave the piso we ensured that every lesson we did go out for we had a member and it was the bombest lesson. We had the highest number of member lessons this week than I've ever had in this area and we also had the most people to church this week than I've ever had in this area before! FIVE! Haha maybe it's silly, but we were so excited to so many of the people we've been working so hard to get to church come! And so many come for all three hours of church! I never realized how important it is to stay for all three hours, until my mission. I mean
yeah we can all agree that it's probably important, but I've seen the difference of the progression of the testimony of those who attend all 3 hours versus those that just come for 1 or 2. The investigators that come for all 3 hours grow and progress so much more! And if that's true for investigators, who haven't even made the same covenants that we've made, how much more of a need is it for us to go to all three hours of church. No skipping. No coming late or leaving early.
"M." (our English class lady) is doing great. She loooves church so much and loves learning about the gospel. Please keep her in your prayers that she'll be able to pick a baptismal date and feel prepared for it!
"P." finally came to church! With his brother in law, "V." (The Cubans) we were so happy to finally have them to church for the first time!
One of our recent converts "D." (age 15) brought her friend to church. He seemed to really enjoy and the ward did great at making him feel at home.
We've had some troubles with a few of our recent converts coming to church, but yesterday everyone was there! "C.", "C." and "C.", and "M."! So good to see how loving the ward is to them!
Next up, our ward is incredible. I can't even begin to describe the changes I have seen take place here. They have such a desire to do missionary work. Last week, I was sitting by an investigator and a
member made me move so she could sit by him instead of sitting with her family. The members of the bishopric are so willing and eager to help with lessons. And last night we even got a text from the bishop thanking us for our work and inviting us to go with him to visit a less active and her non member husband this week. Member reference from the bishop! There's a ton of reasons the ward is changing, the stake presidency, seeing us bring investigators to church, trusting us, but I honestly
feel like one of the biggest is "M.". We've had the strongest members of the ward accompanying us in her visits and since she is so golden and earnest in her desires to learn I think that the leaders are
reminded of when they were learning the gospel and the feelings they felt. Then they want to share those feelings. I'm so grateful for them. I love my ward.
I love all of you back at supporting me. I know I really don't say it often enough, but thank you so much for all of you who keep reading my emails ;) (even though I know this one's really long) and for the work you are all doing in your own lives to be disciples of Christ. I love you all so much. I love my Savior and am so grateful to be about doing His work.
Con cariño,
Hna Finch
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