Sept. 16, 2013

I Forgot to mention last week that I experienced my first earthquake. We were outside someone's house talking when the children all started looking at the bushes. I realized that they were moving without any wind and only then did I feel the earth quivering under me. My companion panicked a little, but I just couldn't stop thinking 'Huh, that's really interesting!' We were outside and there wasn't anything that could fall on our heads so I was not really worried about it.

In other news: We found some new people that we're going to start teaching. We have some new goals and action plans to change up how we've been working in the area. Still working with love, but just some new ideas to maybe help fulfill some new goals we were giving lately. They're all quite difficult to meet in our area, but...we're going to do our best! Not much else we can do.

We had a reunion de Hermanas this week. It was fun to get to see all the Sisters in the mission together in one place. There are 37 of us! More than I thought! During the reunion we had people give talks and presentations on improving our teaching and other aspects of the work. I had some concerns afterwards and talked to the President's wife, Hna Stay afterwards. My area is special, she told me, and in truth, we get to teach like Christ. Christ, in his ministry, spent a lot of time in the smaller cities and villages, not in cities. He shared his love with people and thus was able to share the gospel! With big cities, the work has adapted for that type of life....but us...us in LAguna Seca get to work as the Savior. I adore this thought and imagine Christ walking the streets talking to my Laguna Secians.

Food from the CCM at the Reunion de Hermanas. I was SO exited!!



 Family Home Evening at Yeimy's house. We made chocolate, banana apple crepes with homemade applesauce. SO TASTY!

 

Now, by popular demand, a little on the culture. Lucky for you all, there was actually something rather bif and culturally important that just happened. This weekend was the Dia de Independencia. Septiembre 15. Saturday there was a thing called Antorche. The people gather and run with a lit torch in memory of their liberty. That night, three groups of youths ran through the village, cheering and whooping, following the person who carried the torch through the town. Afterwards they all gathered in the soccer field where the torch became more of a bonfire event. Earlier in the day, all of the town (practically) gathered for presentations of the students dancing a choregraphed routine. Every grade had a routine and it was a competicion. We only watched a little...we had stuff to do and it made me really miss dancing. There were also parades that took place Saturday and Sunday in Cuilapa. We didn't see any of these because we were up in Laguna Seca, but the village was pretty empty of people.

 

  For Dia de Independencia, the village all got together in the campo because every grade had a choreographed dance routine. We only watched a little from afar. Enough for me to miss dancing, then it was back to work.

 

Alright, that's all I have time for today! Sorry it's such a brief installment. I have one more year to figure out a good balance in information for my letters.

Love you all and take care!

Love,

Hermana Schultz