Making skeleton cookies

I tried to make cookies for my work Christmas party on Sunday. First I cooked them too long and Federica and I wound up scraping them off the pan. Then they fell apart. Sometimes I just can't win... haha.

Serving the people of Bayaguana, Dominican Republic

On Nov. 6, I left for a humanitarian mission organized by the nonprofit Lift A Life with my brother Tyler and Sarah, a family friend. Lift A Life has brought groups of doctors, nurses and dentists to provide free health care for children in Bayaguana about 2-3 times per year for several years. Each trip lasts about 10 days; the volunteers set up a temporary medical clinic and work for five days, followed by a few days of relaxation at a beach resort.

Source: www.weather-forecast.com

Last year, Lift a Life raised money to build a permanent medical clinic. It is spacious, with at least two rooms dedicated as classrooms and about 12 more rooms designated for medical exams and dental care. The clinic also includes a pharmacy and a few rooms for storage.

Nov. 8: Tyler and I stand outside Lift A Life's new medical clinic

When Tyler and I arrived with 50-plus other volunteers (including doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and an optometrist), the outside of the building was done and beautiful. Inside, however, workers had to put in long hours to finish hooking up the plumbing and electricity. Each team also worked hard to prepare their rooms to serve the people from the village Nov. 9-12. Tyler and I worked as Spanish/English translators for the pharmacy and dental teams.

Nataly is from Bayaguana and studies English in school. She came to help me translate on the first day the clinic opened. She was a big help with crowd control!

Today is El Salvador's Independence Day

¡Feliz día de independencia, mi querido país de El Salvador!

I still remember my first Independence Day in El Salvador. I had just arrived in the country and was in my first area in la colonia Santa Lucía, Ilopango. September 15 was a Sunday, and before church started, members of the Relief Society passed out blue and white flowers to all the women. To start off sacrament meeting, the bishopric had everyone stand and sing the national anthem. There was also a parade passing right in front of the chapel. (However, we were too busy having church inside to watch it.)

At the time, all of these events went over my head. I didn't understand much Spanish and was still a little bit in shock, trying to adjust living in a foreign country. I remember thinking, It's cool how patriotic they are here, but funny... I don't remember us singing the national anthem last Sunday. I wonder how often they do that?

It wasn't until the following year, when my second Independence Day rolled around, that I understood what the occasion was. My second Independence Day was a Monday, usually the missionaries' "preparation day" - a day dedicated to cleaning the house, writing our families, going grocery shopping, and running errands so that we could focus 100 percent the rest of the week on the Lord's work. I was excited because I thought my companion and I might be able to watch part of the parade, but then the mission president dictated that p-day would be moved to Tuesday that week, and required all missionaries to stay inside and do extra scripture study during the parade. I was a little disappointed, but we obeyed President. I know the decision was probably made for our own protection.

The light on the hill

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

- Matthew 5:14-16, KJV

I was here today:

This beautiful building in Logan is a temple to God. It's different than a church meetinghouse (most church meetinghouses are called "templos" in El Salvador, leading to some confusion about what "temple" means to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Temples are often built on hills in token of Jesus' teachings, recorded in Matthew chapter 5.

The temple is a place where worthy people complete ordinances. An ordinance is a formal act a person takes to show his/her dedication to God. God has commanded us to complete several ordinances, including baptism, confirmation and marriage. Therefore, the temple is all about bringing us closer to God.

To preserve the sacredness of the temple, each person must have a special recommend to enter. Anyone can qualify to get a recommend. God explained the requirements in a revelation to the prophet Joseph Smith:

And again, by way of commandment to the church concerning the manner of baptism—All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church. (Doctrine and Covenants 20:37)

I was also here on Friday:

The Salt Lake City Temple is one of the most well-known LDS temples.

A connection to the past

As missionaries, we were always excited when local young adults came home from their own missions. These newly returned missionaries were used to walking long hours, striking up conversations with complete strangers and guiding gospel discussions. They also typically didn't have jobs yet and were more than willing to go out visiting with us.

This week, a flashback took me back to the day we went out with a newly returned sister missionary from Apopa. She was the younger sister of Majorit, one of the members of Barrio Refineria (Refineria Ward). She’d arrived home only a day or two before, and from personal experience I now understand how lost she probably still felt.

Hna Infanzon and I arrived at the chapel to meet her prior to beginning the day's work. I will always remember the wide smile that lit up her face when she saw us, and the longing in her eyes because of our missionary nametags - those precious plaquitas that represented countless spiritual struggles and triumphs, total dedication to God and love for those you served.

The longing must have won out, because when she gave me a hug of greeting, she didn't let me go right away. I started to release her after a normal amount of time, but her hold tightened and she started to get choked up, so I gave in and hugged her back.

After a minute or so, she released me and stepped back, wiping her eyes quickly with the back of her hand, and gave Hna Infanzon a regular hug of greeting. She was okay after that, and we had a great afternoon together.

In that moment, I felt my spirit connect with hers and I felt honored to provide a brief connection to her past.

Now that I'm home, my place is reversed, and the sisters that serve near my home now provide my connection to the past.

A perfect day

"Have you ever experienced a perfect moment in time?"

"A perfect moment?"

"When time seemed to stop."

(Pauses) "Seeing my home planet from space for the first time."

"Yes."

- from Star Trek: Insurrection

This weekend, I experienced a perfect moment. It was actually a series of moments that filled an entire day. Honestly, it could not have been better.

My best friend got married in the Oakland California Temple. And I was privileged to be there for every moment of it.

There was a beautiful feeling in the temple that day - even more than usual. As I listened to the temple sealer share very personal insights into the sacredness of the temple and of marriage with Jennifer and her new husband, I was filled with a sense of awe. I am still in awe, of the goodness of God.

The rest of the day proved just as beautiful. It was evident how much the couple adored one another. They glowed with happiness. Their big smiles never left their faces.

Fast forward to this morning. I found myself studying the Christlike attribute of patience, and my thoughts turned immediately to Jennifer's wedding day. Sometimes God doesn't answer our prayers right away because He wants us to learn patience. He wants us to learn to move forward with our lives, meanwhile trusting in His timing in providing the answers we seek.

God is our loving heavenly father, and He has a plan for every one of His children. Sometimes, like on the day Jennifer got married, it's fulfilling to look back and reflect on how He guided us to where we are now.

Earthquake! EARTHQUAKE!

In the Mexico MTC, we had regular earthquake drills, but I never felt any real quakes. On the other hand, in El Salvador, we frequently felt little, not-quite-earthquakes that we called temblores. They were never anything to journal about, except for one time in October:

It was about 10 pm in Cojutepeque. Hna Merrell and I had finished eating and planning and were almost ready for bed. I was standing at the sink washing dishes; my companion was sitting at her desk writing in her journal. Suddenly I became aware that the earth was rocking beneath my feet and called to Hna Merrell, "Hermana, do you feel it temblando...?"

Every other time, the temblores I experienced had only lasted for a second. My pulse quickened when I realized this quake was stronger and longer. I stumbled to the front room, where Hna Merrell was already on her feet with the keys.

"We'd better wait it out outside," Hna Merrell said, and together we walked to the door. Hna Merrell's hands were shaking as she struggled to fit the key in the lock. Less than a minute later, we stepped out into the warm night. Our neighbors, who had done the same thing, called to us to make sure the gringas were okay. The earth stopped shaking less than a minute later, we bade each another good night and disappeared back into our respective homes.

I wrote about it briefly in my journal and prayed fervently that night in my personal prayer that Hna Merrell and I would wake up and be able to get out should a stronger aftershock arrive in the middle of the night. But by the time Monday morning rolled around, I'd forgotten enough about it that I didn't even mention it in my weekly email home.

My journal entry reads:

"We just felt an honest-to-goodness earthquake. It lasted between 10 to 20 seconds (hard to tell when your heart's beating fast) and was the strongest I've ever felt here in El Salvador. We left our house quickly and stood in front while things normalized. Our vecinos had done the same thing." (Journal 3, 13 Oct 2014)

Celebrating a birthday with a prayer

In El Salvador, whenever someone has a birthday, their family always says a prayer for them. As missionaries, we were frequently asked to say the prayer.

The first time I saw it happen, I was puzzled and intrigued by the tradition. It didn't seem to be limited to members of just one church, but everyone of all different faiths (in all four areas where I served) followed it religiously. The words of the prayer varied, depending on who was saying it, but almost always included two key ideas:

1. "Thank you for permitting [insert name here] another year of life."
2. "Wilt Thou grant that [he/she] has many more years ahead."

When I woke up today, on the morning of my twenty-third birthday, my first thought was of my people in El Salvador. Logically, my second thought was that today I turn 23 years old and I incorporated their prayer tradition in my daily morning supplication to God.

Following the "Amen," I had a burst of inspiration. I think I understand now why the Salvadoreños say what they do in every birthday prayer. They are taught, seemingly from the cradle, a lesson that many people do not learn for a lifetime: that they must not take their lives for granted.

I spent 18 months living among them. Those experiences opened my eyes. They are precious and sacred to me. They cemented for me two truths:

1. God lives.
2. In life, it is much better to suffer believing in God than to suffer without any hope of redemption or resurrection. If we don't have hope in our bitter and dark moments that better and happier times will come, what are we living for? God and Jesus Christ are the only perfect Beings who cannot disappoint us. They are the only ones with the power to make us better than we are, and to return life to those who have died.

El Salvador is one of the most dangerous countries in the world because of gang violence. It's also filled with the most humble, faith-filled, resilient people I've ever known. In my life, I hope to value forever the lessons they taught me. One of the most basic lessons being not to take anything for granted, not even our own lives.

Las famosas pupusas

Today I gathered some words of advice from my friends in El Salvador about making pupusas... and drew on the handful of experiences I've had making pupusas... conscripted my mother and the sister missionaries to help me... and attempted to make pupusas!

Someone once told me you could mimic the taste of quesillo by mixing shredded mozzarella cheese with shredded parmesan cheese. I tried that, and I think it did turn out pretty similar. Just without the freshness taste.

The beans turned out great, if I do say so myself.

Next time, I'll add more onions, green pepper and garlic to the salsa.

Making guacamole with Jennifer

Orlando's 180-degree lifestyle change

We first saw Orlando sitting in his doorway with his head in his hands, crying. My companion Hna Infanzon and I approached and asked if we could help him. He replied that he was drunk and had gotten drunk because he was sad and really missed his wife. She had died about three years before.

Hna Infanzon and I felt strongly impressed to talk with him. We bore our testimonies that God had a plan that would allow Orlando to be together with his wife forever. He looked at us with pain in his eyes. Desperate for answers, but at the same time afraid to ask lest it turn out not to be true.

After scheduling a time to return and teach Orlando more when he was sober, Hna Infanzon and I went on our way. We were grateful for the experience and excited to return to visit Orlando. However, when we returned, the house was silent. No one answered the door. We left and returned on a different day. This time, a young neighbor boy announced helpfully that Orlando wasn’t ever home.

We returned a few more times to his house, but we never found him at home. Regretfully, we made plans to visit the house just once more before writing it off as "contacted."

As we approached Orlando's house for what we thought may be the last time, Hna Infanzon and I were overjoyed to see him sitting on the front step - exactly the same place in which we met him. This time, he was sober. He invited us in. Yanet, who was accompanying us that day, followed us into the house.

Orlando turned out to be every bit as prepared an investigator as we'd hoped. The Spirit wasted no time in witnessing to him the truthfulness of Joseph Smith's story. We didn't have to worry about bringing him to church; Orlando brought himself, and he always arrived early.

During the lesson on the Word of Wisdom, as we explained God wants us to keep our bodies clean of drugs and alcohol, Orlando told us that since the day he first met us, he hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol. He got choked up as he continued: "I feel happier now than I've felt in a long time."

We got choked up as we testified: "You will see your wife again."

I was transferred out of Apopa not long after that memorable lesson. Hna Infanzon and her new companion continued working with Orlando. He was baptized in July. The neighbor boy was also baptized, shortly thereafter.

I admire Orlando for his courage and faith. He made many changes in his life in order to align himself more with God. And oh, how God blessed that humble man in return!

The tropical heat of El Salvador

When I stepped off the plane and into the non-air-conditioned airport, my glasses fogged up instantly - my first taste of tropical, humid heat. I was in Apopa during the hottest time of the year (January-May), which is one of the hottest areas for sister missionaries. There were some nights when it was too hot to sleep. I figured out that if we kept all the windows open and I slept with frozen water bottles (like icy teddy bears), I could sleep through the night quite comfortably.

I heard some of the elders talking about what they did when it was too hot to sleep... basically they just exercised and wrestled one another until exhaustion overcame all. Elderes... :)

First attempt at making Salvadorean food

Today I tried making a quick and easy meal that I often ate in El Salvador: a tortilla with beans and avocado. Down there, beans are frequently mixed with cream cheese (queso crema). I personally also like onions, tomato, and cilantro, so I went the easy way out and just mixed the avocado with medium spicy salsa with fresh cilantro on top. Then I thought, all this is going to the same place anyway, and mixed my semi-homemade guacamole with the beans and cream cheese.

After utterly charboiling my first tortilla, the rest of my burritos turned out okay. Next time though, I'll have to be more careful about mixing everything better. The bean mixture came out kinda chunky. :) but delicious!

How my mission changed my life

About this time two years ago, I was waiting anxiously for a white envelope to arrive. My mission call. The letter that would finally tell me where I would be spending the next 18 months of my life.

My mission opened my eyes to many things. I learned to be grateful for things that seemed so natural before- things like air conditioning, having food on the table, and clean water. It taught me how to rely on the Lord, and provided limitless opportunities to practice following the Spirit. I am a much better person now than I was before- or at least, I'm trying to be.

If someone out there is even just half considering serving a mission, I encourage you to take a leap of faith and do it!

Baking in San Miguel

Time in San Miguel: 3 months
There’s something special about San Miguel. Hna Ortega said it reminded her of her home. It reminded me of Apopa. We found many prepared people. All San Migueleños in general were kind and welcoming, even when they weren't interested in hearing us. I loved it there. I even liked the heat (it was the hottest area for sister missionaries in the whole mission).
Companions: Hna Fuentes (1½ months), Hna Ortega (1½ months)

A few stories...

Meeting Joving, and the "Share the Gift" temple activity

"(Last night,) as we walked toward El Tesoro via Colonia San Pablo, I was feeling bad because we had had almost no street contacts still. I saw a young man a little ways in front of us and determined to speak with him.

"This decision was inspired, because the man- his name is Joving (pronounced JO-bing)- es super great. We talked and walked with him for only about five minutes, and in those five minutes he committed to go to the temple with us today.

"Fast-forward to today in the early morning- exactly 5:45 am. Joving arrived by himself at the taxi stop and accompanied us to the temple! He was very interested in everything and asked me before the activity started things like, 'Why can't I enter the temple?' During the classes and virtual tour, he must have been paying close attention, because at the end when we were all getting back on the bus to return to San Miguel, he asked me:

"'So anyone who's been recently baptized has to wait one year to be able to enter the temple? What do I have to do to get baptized? How lucky that I haven't been baptized by any other church, still. How can I become a missionary? Could I be a missionary?'

"WOW. This youth (he's 20) is a MIRACLE. And after all that, he also committed to attend sacrament meeting not only tomorrow, but EVERY Sunday he has off work. (It'll be every other Sunday.)" (Journal 3, 6 December 2014, self-translated)

Every bus is in a hurry in El Salvador...
"I jumped out of a bus last Monday because Hna Ortega had already gotten off but the bus started to leave again without giving me the opportunity to get off. It didn't stop for me, so I jumped." (It wasn't going very fast, maybe two miles per hour.) (Journal 3, 30 December 2014, self-translated)

El volcán Chaparrastique

8 Nov 2014--me, Hna Fuentes, Saraí and Saraí's member boyfriend at her baptism

Oriente super P-day with Presidente! All the zones in the oriente got together for a sports day

Hna Fuentes, Perlita, Hna Lovo, me

Hna Fuentes, Hna Lovo, me, Hazel

There was a bee flying around getting in everyone's hair. Hazel's creativity saved her.

5 Dec 2014--Hno Victor's baptism! He asked E. Acosta to baptize him.
E. Acosta, Hno Victor, and Hno Edgar (ward mission leader)

"Como dos hermanos," Victor said about his pose with E. Acosta :)

13 Dec 2014--A family that came to the "Share the Gift" temple activity

14 Dec 2014--E. Acosta, E. Belk, Kevin, Hna Fuentes, me

Hna Fuentes and I got along really well. I love her!

14 Dec 2014--With the Garcia family: Kevin, Adán, Jose, Flor

Cooking sausages at the Garcia home

15 Dec 2014--Me, Hna Fuentes, Hna Lea, Hna Yancy
Noche de hogar/farewell party for Hna Fuentes

Hna Fuentes with Yancy's cute kids, Jefferson and Joselin

Navidad 2014: To be a missionary is the best gift anyone could ask for

My parents sent me this Christmas tree

Hna Ortega had terrible luck with the mirror at our house. She accidentally broke it over and over again, until we were left with only this small piece. haha

I love Hna Ortega!

Dia de Navidad con Presidente--Hna Hall, me, Hna Ortega, Hna Sagapolu

For the Missionary Talent Show, one zone did a live nativity with a little help from Presidente, his wife, and one of their grandsons

La zona San Miguel with President's family

Group shot at the día de Navidad 2015

24 Dec 2014--Returning from another intercambio with Hna Huamani

Hermana y Hermano Brito invited us to eat panes con pollo for Christmas

By the river in Canton Miraflores (aka "el mongollano")

Hna Alcantara and her daughter

Hna Ortega made baleadas for a noche de hogar.
Hna Ortega con Hna Sonia

Hna Norberta taught us to make budin! A current investigator, Laura, came too :)

17 Jan 2015--One last miracle baptism: Joving!
Hno Edgar, E. Belk, E. Perez, Joving, me, Hna Ortega, Hno Darwin

With my volcano

Last cita with familia Lovo

Saying goodbye to Hna Adela

20 Jan 2015--Hno Edgar organized a surprise farewell party for me, Hna Ortega and Elder Perez

E. Perez, E. Belk, Hno Darwin, Hna Jackelin, Hno Edgar, Hna Ortega, me

The elderes and us both visited the familia Ayala

Joving somehow escaped work and came to our farewell party for a bit!

Con Maria and Kristina

Laura came to our house on our last night to say goodbye

21 Jan 2015--With the "hermano taxista," a recent convert from a different ward who was ON FIRE

(and a friend of ours)

Hna Sagapolu gave Hna Ortega and I each a Samoan lava-lava

Hna Cano and Hna Huamani grabbed us for one last picture

Hna Cano, me, Hna Huamani, Hna Ortega, Hna Herrera

Hna Guerrero and a brand new missionary took over the area when Hna O and I left.

14 Feb 2015--Kevin got baptized on his birthday! (and Valentine's Day)

(In the picture, his member girlfriend Soraya and Soraya's father, who apparently baptized him)