The Drugs Here, Though

Hola, mi familia!
So pretty much...don't pray for patience. Haha.
I began working this week to develop the attributes in 'More Holiness Give Me'--I finished the first verse today (although this will probably end up being a project I'll work on in a continuous loop the rest of my mission), but last Thursday was "more patience in suffering," and you'd best believe it wasn't long after I prayed for an experience that would help me develop patience that I came down with a TERRIBLE cold. It's still got its claws in my nose and throat, but I'm doing my best to be positive, even when I struggle to feel well enough to work hard. I'm grateful for my Heavenly Father for answering my prayers and helping me to gain the appreciation for uninhibited breathing and study time uninterrupted by trips to the garbage can that will surely come when this bug has run its course.

This week has been an eventful one here in the CCM--there are three illnesses spreading like wildfire through our campus: diarrhea, the flu, and this nasty, nasty cold. Pray for the missionaries here to return to health; 3 of the 4 missionaries in our room are sick with different things, and it is just a glorious time to be a missionary. Haha, I mean that with all the sincerity of my heart, though; this really is a marvelous, incredible work, and I am so grateful to be here.

Other than Hna. Coray and I being sick, this week was absolutely wonderful, and time is finally starting to speed up! It's hard to believe that in only two weeks, we'll finally be in Viña. I can hardly wait. We've been able to improve in each of our lessons this week, and although we're an eternity away from being perfect teachers, we are getting so much better at asking inspired questions, helping our investigators find answers in the Book of Mormon, and teaching the doctrine according to their needs. Both Carlos and Teresa have committed to be baptized, and we are so excited for them. I'm grateful for good teachers who have helped us so much to improve every single day and to better prepare for the field. 

It's been pretty cold here in Mexico this week, which is crazy, and the rain...ha. Two quick stories. Hna. Coray and I both forgot our umbrellas last Wednesday night, and the torrential downpour commenced not long before it was time to go home. Running back to the casa (literally 3 minutes, tops) in the flood coming down from the sky was SO much fun, and when we got inside, we were completely SOAKED. I looked like I'd just gotten out of the shower.:) (I'll attach a few pictures) A similar storm blew through on Sunday night and completely flooded all the roads--we took off our shoes and ran to the casa through water that went all the way up to our ankles. It was the best! I love Mexico.:)

Speaking of Sunday, it was incredible--most of our meetings ended up being about the Atonement, and then we watched an incredible devotional by David A. Bednar about the Character of Christ. (If you can track it down somewhere, I'd definitely suggest reading it; it's AMAZING.) I love my Savior so much, and I am so excited to devote the rest of my life to learning more about Him so that I can become more like Him. I know without a doubt that this is His church and His gospel, and I am so excited to wear His name over my heart the next 18 months. 

Okay, so I completely forgot to mention it until after I'd gotten off the computer last Tuesday and felt SO bad, but MY TENA IS HERE! She walked into the comedor after an incredibly rough afternoon and snuck up behind me... Man. I gave that girl the biggest hug of her life and started bawling into her shoulder. I never could have imagined just how great it would be to see a face from home, especially the face of one of my very, very best friends, and it was so wonderful knowing that she brought hugs from home with her, too. I love that girl so much, and we always remind each other of that whenever we see each other. I'll try to get a picture with her sometime before I leave.

Other neat experiences...hmm. Oh yeah. On Saturday night, our elders were talking about how badly they just wanted to listen to music, so we went over to a piano room, and I just played and played and played for a half an hour while the rain poured down outside. I love my district so much--we're all so close, and the Spirit was so strong that night. It was neat. Other than that, this week has been pretty straightforward and pretty wonderful! I love this gospel, I know this church is true, and I am so blessed to have the opportunity to share that with other people. This truly is the Lord's work. And what an incredible work it is.:)

I also just feel impressed to let you know how much I love the Book of Mormon. I LOVE the Book of Mormon. It IS the word of God, it is true, and studying it everyday will bring the Spirit into your life in a way you couldn't have even imagined. I know this is true because I've experienced it in my own life, especially here in the mission field. We watched a video on Sunday night (a true story) of a young Italian preacher in NYC who stumbled across a Book of Mormon one day with the title worn off its cover and its title page missing. He read it, prayed about it, and received the undeniable witness of its truth--so much so that he was excommunicated from his own church and stripped of his title as pastor because he continued to preach its doctrines over the pulpit and would neither burn it nor deny its truthfulness. This man spent his ENTIRE life searching for the identity of this book and the church to which it belonged, and he finally found the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was able to be baptized and receive his endowments a few years before his death. That is the power of the Book of Mormon. I know it is true, and I am so grateful for the knowledge we have that God still speaks to His children today.

I love you all so much! I hope you can always feel of that love--I pray for you in every prayer, and you are always in my thoughts. Thank you for your love and support! I know this work is our Savior's, and I am so thrilled to be a part of it. A month's worth of hugs and kisses!

Con Todo Mi Amor,
Hermana Sanford

We took a picture of this sign today because it cracked us up.

Because This is Not a Game.