familia gaboa

pizza dinner with our zone leaders — one of our church meetings got canceled, so a member took us out to eat (it's called super pizza, and it happens to be super, super good)

hola familia,

The days are passing even faster here in the Yucatan, and I can hardly believe that half of my small time here has been spent in the same little town in this corner of the world. We have cambios again the following Sunday, except this time instead of hoping for another city and new people, I find myself hoping for one more round of six weeks here in Mulsay. I like how familiar the bus route has become that passes right outside of our four-room house; my ears have grown so accustomed to the sound of an oncoming bus that I can now successfully gauge the exact time we need to leave our house in order to catch the first route in the early light. I like how familiar the streets have become, how I have memorized the numbers and houses and colors of each one. I like how familiar the people have become to me here — the worker in Crunch that gives us bread every time we pass by; the seventy year old man that always rides his bike with his broken sandals and white plastic bag hanging from the handles. I think my heart will miss it — I think I will miss it a lot —  because I  am already beginning to hide away all of these streets and conversations within the corners of my heart.

Not much has happened within the past seven days. We had training meeting with four zones every single morning for four hours the past week, and it was just as enriching as it was tiring. I had to teach one of the principles along with a demonstration, which might have included blind folds and baby food — one of the elders that volunteered to participate now refuses to talk to me. How was I supposed to know that he doesn't like vegetable flavored baby food? Along with the excitement of our meetings, Hna  Guerra and I have become pros at killing cockroaches and tarantulas. We don't know why our home has become the gathering places of all the worst types of insects, but have quickly learned that insect spray, a broom, and a brick are all the essentials we need. We have also learned that it is a lot easier to kill the insects than it is to stop feeling guilty about their deaths after.

We have had really good lessons lately with the Familia Gaboa. Have I ever told you about them before? The four people that have changed my life and expanded my heart and added to my eternal happiness? We passed by their house four weeks ago after eating lunch with a member. The member had given us a reference of her friend, Ana, about three months ago but for some reason we had never been able to find the time or feel the need to contact her. Then one Wednesday while walking in a street where we had always walked, we felt that we should stop by and contact this reference named Ana. Her husband answered the door and we ended up giving him a Book of Mormon and setting an appointment for the following Sunday when he and his family would be all together. He had a lot of questions. We could tell he was a good person, and for some reason we felt an instant happiness in knowing that in four short days we would be able to teach his family the glorious truths of the Gospel. And well, ever since those five minutes standing outside of their black gate talking about the Book of Mormon and the importance of families and the joy of the Gospel, Ana and Moises and Alejandro and Allison have listened and questioned and accepted every single thing we have taught them. We taught them the Plan of Salvation first and they listened as if they already knew that it was true, as if we were simply reminding them of what they had already known and experienced. They pray every day as a family: morning, afternoon, night. They read the Book of Mormon together and they know that it is true. I don't think there is anything more happy or glorious on a mission than seeing God's children starting to live His Gospel and hearing that they know what you know is true. I love them — would it be horrible to say that they are my favorites? They are so good and to be in their home is literally like living in light. The thing that I love most about them is that they were happy before we ever met them and talked to them. They try to do the right thing and think the family is the most important. They want to teach their children to do good things. It made me realize that the Gospel of Christ really is for everyone, not only the ones that are broken or sad or lost. The Gospel is for those who are happy and whole, too, because their joy and fullness that they had as a family has only been added upon as they began build their home more on God. And that's what God does, I think; He adds to what is already there or fills what has been missing. He makes good things better and lighter things brighter. I love that I believe in a God who likes to feel and be happy and give of His light and mercy and love. 

Wishing you a week of light — miss you and love you more.

love love,

Hermana Rhondeau

walking through Centro with the Familia Gamboa. It started pouring pouring rain and we had no umbrella. But because Hna Ana is the best, she bought us trash bags and we ripped a hole in it and walked around town looking like some form of monks or death eaters. 

Familia Gamboa (minus her husband, who was working) outside of the temple. Their children are the cutest (Alejandro y Allison)

taken minutes before Hna Guerra killed a tarantula (is that how you spell it?) with a brick. It was huge and we were scared and also we felt so sad after we killed it