A bit of frustration, A LOT of personal growth

  We are just so thankful for all your prayers, letters, and support for Emma while she's been on her mission.

Hey guys!

Okay, so this next Sunday we have three baptism dates! They're not for-sure for-sure for-sure, but we're going to work so hard this week to make sure that they happen. They're for Estefania, Ernesto, and the daughter of Maria Guadelupe. What we're praying for is that Maria Guadelupe will want to get baptized WITH her daughter. Please pray for these four people! We've had a frustrating cycle, six weeks of trying desperately to find, sun-up to sun-down. Not going to lie, I'm pretty tired! But we hope we're going to see the fruits of our struggles this week! If not, we can say that we gave it our all, and my next six weeks here I will have lots of people to work with for all the finding we did. We found a guy last Monday when we went out to work at night that will for sure get baptized! Antonio. Already has 2 lessons and came to church yesterday. He just needs to come to church a few more weeks and he can get baptized! We found yet another golden family who is SO willing, but isn't married. We have three families who want to get baptized but can't for that reason, so it's sad. We're working on it! We had probably our record for the most lessons IN-HOUSE this week, so that's a super good sign because once we meet with people in their house it's an almost-sure sign they'll progress, so we have lots of possibles for the future! Honestly I'm happy to say we have lots of people who are progressing, and for that I am so grateful. I sure hope I get to stay in Palmas my next change! We've tried to stay balanced this change, too, and complete EVERY goal - sufficient lessons taught to recent converts, less-actives, members, and lessons with member present. I've definitely seen lots of blessings from this, a lot of members becoming stronger. All in all, a cambio of a bit of frustration, but a LOT of personal growth. I'm so happy that I've had all the experiences I've had here, and thank you all so much for your encouraging emails - they help so much! Thank you all for your prayers, I can't wait to tell you all next week what happens with TRANSFERS! 

Love you!

Hermana LeSueur

A part of Emma's letter to me this week, sounds like she's been a little homesick again lately:

I've starting printing off your emails in the morning and so I don't take time reading them later! Oh momma, I miss ya. P-day is the best but it's also a little hard to "leave home" again, haha. Sister Judd is American, from Virginia, has to live here for her husband's work like a lot of people in the ward. It's a little crazy because there are a lot of families that are just living here for some reason or another, like in the English ward that has their service right after ours. I guess it would seem like that would make me feel better, but it's actually a little difficult because it IS similar to home sometimes at church (besides the fact that it's Spanish), it's actually easier for me when everything's completely different and not even comparable to home, ya know? But yeah, the bishop and the bishop's wife both served in the US and can speak English, also our ward mission leader is from Idaho and has been here a year and a half with his cute family for his work. Being in their house to eat the other day was fun, but also hard because for a second it was like I stepped into Utah! Suddenly a normal, Utah-like house and little kids playing and it was a little crazy, and I admit I got a little sad. Also we ate with some of the senior missionaries yesterday, and the sister is JUST like grandma. She has 15 grandkids, her oldest is her 19-year-old granddaughter who's engaged. Sister Cathy Tobler. She's been here in Mexico the same amount of time as me. She talks and acts just like Grandma Pam! She doesn't know Spanish so I spoke English with her and it was fun. Where we actually live and work is nothing like home, though, so that's good. We work solely in this little tiny town that is straight-up MEXICO. It's just these random times when I'm eating with members and such that it's a little hard! Haha,

And a sweet note to her brother after he broke his ankle mid-basketball season: 

Hello Brother! I just want you to know that I miss you a lot. I feel super sad that your b-ball season had to end so fast! Buddy, I know we both struggle with worrying about things. I remember being in New York as a family and you and I were both going through some hard times. I actually had a really hard week with worries here in Mexico - I'm 19 and it's still hard! I don't know if you had a hard week too, but regardless I wanted to send you a little not to remind you I'm always thinking about and praying for my Sammy Boy. Sometimes we worry about the littlest things and things that seem to be so easy for other people just aren't for us. I've felt so many times like no one understands how I feel. I'm especially feeling that here with my companion from Guatemala who has a very different way of looking at the world and simply will never understand how I feel trying to speak a language that's not mine. What I need to remind myself is that JESUS KNOWS. He's felt it. And because of this - and the fact that He's perfect - He'll let us know EXACTLY how we can feel better, if we just ask Him to sit with us for a second to talk it out. I hope your week was good, my boy. I hope you're happy and still reading the scriptures. I've never been a hugger and you're not either, but I can't WAIT to hug my tall Sammy in just 11 months! I love you more than you know, brother.

Hermana Emmie 

Emma and her companion Sis Bravo

Hermanas LeSueur and Bravo with ward member Sis Judd