Wow, this week went so fast!  Doesn't it feel like I just sent an email yesterday?

 I fasted for a couple things yesterday but I especially fasted for a miracle that I might be able to understand the Honduran people, and seriously the miracle that I begged for HAPPENED. I am still not perfect but I am understanding so much more. Before, I couldn't understand anything a Honduran person said.

We had the coolest storm this week and the lights went out of course. It was SO HOT for 24 hours straight because we didn't have power for our little fans. We couldn't buy cold water or Topogigos either. It was a super cool storm because it made me think of 3 Nephi 11 when there was 3 days of darkness and the storms. I am actually living where the Book of Mormon was written and I just could imagine what that was like! The lighting was so cool. We had to plan with candles so there are cool pictures from planning in the dark on dropbox.

Sometimes our water turns off while we are taking our bucket showers. This week it turned off when I had soap in my hair....that was a bummer. Ah, Honduras. Why do I love you so much?

When this storm came in, it came in fast. We only ever teach outside because it's too hot and too small to teach inside. Anyway, we were in the poorest part of our area when this storm came in and their tin roof was flapping around. I was like, "Wow, this roof is going to fly off and decapitate me." Then this big gust of wind came and the roof flew off and BARELY missed me. Prayers answered. 

After planning in the dark we just sat and listened to the rain. (There is a video of the sound of the rain.) So here we are... no power, no phone, no lighs...nada. We were laying in bed and we had our window open because it was so dang hot. Hna O moved the curtain and slid the screen over so we wouldn't get eaten alive while we slept. Then I SAW TWO PEOPLE RIGHT OUTSIDE OUR WINDOW staring in and not moving. It was so creepy and I told Hermana O to look, but she just screamed and dropped the curtain so she didn't see. Finally, I got her to open the window and look but they were gone. However, her umbrella had been moved to halfway inside the window instead of outside. I stayed calm and shut the window while the Hnas cuddled together creeped out. Then someone banged on our window in the other room. I got up, locked all the windows, and bolted shut the doors with all the locks, but we couldn't see anything at all. We couldn't call anyone because we didn't have power for our phone either. Then someone banged on the window again. I just said Hola? Nobody answered. Seriously, so creepy. We gathered in our room and offered a prayer. I didn't like that since we had a candle  and they could see into us, but it was so dark outside we couldn't see them. It was this super eerie feeling here in the murder capital of the world. Then someone knocked on the door. I was the only one brave enough to walk over and say Hola? The other hermanas from our district answered back. We opened the door and told them to come in quickly and then they busted up laughing. It was them the whole time. They were just bored because when the power is out we have to come home extra early! hahahha. We had a good laugh about it and sat outside on our porch and watched the rain and talked until it was time to go to bed. TOO FUNNY.

We are teaching the best lady ever. When we were going to teach the Bautista family they ended up not being home. However, the lady that lives right next door to them was outside and we asked if we could share a message. She said yes. She is Catholic. Mas o menos. Anyway, we taught this super awesome restoration lesson and when we taught about the Book Of Mormon she ran into her house and got this super old crumpled copy of the BOM. We were so suprised. The missionaries taught her once a while ago. We think she just wasn't prepared then, but now she SO IS. We can just feel it. The best part is that she's not living with a man. That never happens. That makes this so much easier. She has a teenage daughter. Anyway...she's so prepared. That was Saturday so we invited her to church and she came with the Bautista family and sat by us! We were so happy. Pray for her. Se llama Maria Joquina. She's literally so sweet. She is a lot like Grandma Rose. I love her! 

Someone in the Elders area got a washing machine (no dryer) and all the members were walking over to their house just to look at it! HAHAHA. 

There is this family with 4 kids. The oldest is 16 and the youngest is like 8? Anyway, they got baptized a little bit ago but now they are inactive. We go visit them a lot. They don't have parents. Their dad left forever ago and their mom is living in the states somewhere. They just take care of eachother. Can you even imagine?? They're never home all together. What a life. 

So everyone here has clothes that are used and sent over from the states. They have shirts that say Houston Basketball game 2008 or what not. Super funny. The worst is that they don't know what their shirts say because nobody speaks English so everyone is always asking me to translate it. This girl brought me a deep conditioner bottle and asked me to translate it. haha. So the branch president's wife is the best . She looks exactly like Lucrecia. I love her. Anyway, she was wearing this shirt that was pink with a bow. It said something SUPER inappropriate in English but nobody knows because nobody can understand English. Well, nobody can really even read Spanish let alone English. Hna O and I got a good laugh out of it. It happens a lot around here. We even saw this boy on the bus this week on our way to El Progresso for a meeting that had a mormon boys shirt. So funny.

Okay, at church we have this little branch of about 50 people including the 7 missionaries. The first two hours were awesome. I even got to teach the second hour about prayer. I was so nervous because I can't speak that much Spanish but it kind of rocked and I loved it. During the third hour it was POURING rain so the branch president said we all needed to meet together. Normally YW, RS, and Priesthood meet outside but since it was raining, we all got to meet together inside. 

Alex y Catia are about 18 years old and they are about to have a baby in June. They're adorable but SO YOUNG. We are trying to get them married and baptized before the baby comes, but they won't come to church! Catia says it's too hot for her to sit in church without AC and it's too far to walk because she is SO pregnant. Alex is always working on Sundays. He is afraid to ask for Sundays off because he can't lose his job before the baby comes. I really like them. Alex told us last night that he prayed about the BOM and the church and he knows they're both real and true. We just need to get them to commit to getting married. Catia is more hesitant but she's adorable. Their cousin Miley is a less active and they're always with eachother. It makes it hard because she isn't a very good example to them. I really love them. Their young cousins are about Sophie's age and they always sit in our lessons and go buy us cold coke and stuff. They won't come to church because Miley and Catia and Alex won't...UGGHHH. We fasted for them last Sunday though so hopefully things will start looking up. 

We taught the Familia Bautista last night. They have a little more money than most people in Mezapa but still not much money. They're backyard is HUGE though and full of huge palm trees, horses, chickens, turkeys, etc. Anyway, last night we all sat outside and the weather was perfect. For once we were not sweating our guts out. We taught about heaven and the plan of salvation. They had a lot of questions even though they are already members. Anyway, when it got dark enough the fireflies came out and they were swarming all around us while we were teaching in their perfect backyard. They have hammocks and literally it's beautiful. Green everywhere. The fireflies here are about the size of a nickel. HUGE. So while we taught about heaven, we had a little bit of heaven on earth. I couldn't be more thankful to be here in this beautiful country among some of Gods most humble people. I never want to go home! I feel like my life is the music video for George Strait's song "I Saw God Today."

I forgot to tell you how we ran out of food!! We don't have a super market or an ATM in Mezapa, though. We couldn't get real food even if there was a store because we didn't even have money to buy something--not even at the little pulperia that we call Walmart, but it's just the size of a closet. We lived off my bland corn flakes with water poured in it for like 3 days!!!! hahah. It was quite the adventure. Then we ran out of clean water so then we just had cornflakes with nothing. We just had to laugh about it. Finally, we got to go to El Progresso for a secratary meeting because we are the secretaries for the zone and our whole district gave us their cards to get money at the ATM there. We were all practically starving to death haha. Gotta love this mission!

 

Constantly the hand of God is in His work of salvation. I know that this is the only church with the full priesthood of God. I know that only through baptism and other ordinances performed with the authority of God can we return to the highest kingdom of glory in Heaven. There are scriptures that say we will sit down with those that are the fruit of our labors in Heaven. I just hope one day I can be as humble and as close to God as these people of Honduras are so that I can be worthy enough to sit with them in the kindom of God. The work of salvation is easily the hardest thing I've ever loved to do. I absolutely love every moment here and I couldn't be more thankful for this oppertunity to serve among some of God's best people. CATRACHO LYFE PARA SIEMPRE!

Love you guys to Honduras and Back! 

San Pedro Sula! I am here!

Wow I feel like I have so much to say and no time to say it!

My comps are awesome. I actually can understand them really well, even Hermana Rosales who is from Nicaragua. She is so funny. Last night we were finally climbing in bed and there was this gecko on the ceiling. Hna Rosales sleeps on the top bunk and so it was right in front of her face. She HATES geckos so she was screaming for me to get it but those little suckers are FAST. So then we were moving the beds to try to at least get him out of the room we were sleeping in...all the while Hna Orgill was in the bathroom. Well, then the gecko ran over to Hna O's side of the room under her bed. When she came in and we were in bed with the lights off Hna Rosales said in a sing song voice, "Hermana Orgill, Feliz Noches con su gecko!!" Hna O was so confused. It was SOOOOO FUNNY. I died laughing.

Oh man-- the mornings here when we are in our casa are so hot. Nobody stays inside here because the homes are like ovens. It's fun though because everyone stays outside and it's very social here, but when we study it is just like sitting in an oven. You are just drenched in sweat. At night when we are asleep I always wake up so so so so ho, especially when we don't have power and can't use our little fans...it's so hot. Could you look up how hot it has been lately? I can't figure it out because with the humidity it is hard to know.

Our power goes out whenever it rains and this morning we didn't have water. That was a bummer because I spent the whole morning outside washing my clothes by hand for about 1.5 hours so i was itchy from the bugs and grass and so, so sweaty from the heat. All I wanted was a shower! I prayed that the water would come back on...and it did! I have never loved a bucket shower so much!

It really is so fun and so different here. Every time I think I can't take cold bucket showers and not have AC for 16 months then I just think wait, NO. I totally can do this! I have always said there is nothing I can't do for the Lord! Then i just love it here. I just love my cold bucket showers and my using hands as a washing machine. It is so great.

Our bucket we use to shower is kind of like what you buy cookie dough in but it's cracked on both sides so you have to pour fast! It takes your breath away it's so cold.

There is this family that I LOVE. We see them almost every day because they just barely joined the church. They have 3 little kids. Erick is 9, Jamie is 7 and about to be baptized, and Mari is 3. Oh, Mari. We are the bestest friends. She sat by me in church on Sunday and used all my hand sanitizer. The people here always ask me what I am putting on my hands. I guess this isn't a thing here?? Anyway, the first night we went to have FHE with the Bautista family and Mari ran right to me squealing and giggling. At the end of the lesson she looked at me and said, " Te quiero muchucho!" Everyone laughed. My heart melted. She is actually the cutest little girl I know. Jamie always wants to braid my hair. Yesterday night we sat with them and taught them the importance of family prayer and I was able to share my experiences with all of our years of family prayer. I literally couldn't be more thankful for those memories! So when you guys are on your knees as a family just know it is going to bless families in different parts of the world wherever we all serve!

We play this game called La Bomba with them. It's he kids favorite. It's like "Don't eat Pete" but you play with random items around the house and you have 2 teams. It was hard to understand at first because it was my first night and I didn't understand anything they were saying, but they are my favorite people here.

We only have one paved road here! Crazy.

I taught the first vision to this girl one night. It was late and the sun was almost gone. Here is this moment that I have dreamed of all my life. Sitting in my mission teaching someone the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and then.... well okay. In Texas whenever we would teach about the first vision the phone would ring, the dog would bark, the baby would cry...etc. So I was prepared for something to happen right before I taught it. When I started to say, " Vi una columna de luz... "the biggest beetle thing flew smack into my left eye. I am not kidding it was in there good, but the spirit was so strong and I just couldn't stop teaching, so I taught the first vision with a beetle in my eye-- one eye open, one eye closed and watering. It was really...spiritual. Oh well. Nothing ever goes the way we plan. I am literally walking truth of that!

We are teaching this man named Wilmer. He has a little girl who is about 4. He lives with this lady that he calls his wife, but they aren't married. He wants to get baptized but his wife says she will never marry a man like him. He doesn't want to leave because he believes it will be bad for his daughter. It is so hard to know what to say in a situation like this. We just keep saying God knows your heart, and He knows your trials, and He knows what you need but it is a hard situation.
Everyone we invite to be baptized says yes. Everyone we ask if we can come in and share says yes. This culture. I love it. My heart...i just love it.

 BALEADAS and Topogigos! I am in love. It is all so good. Topoigos, or however you spell it, is just milk, corn flakes and sugar in a bag and is frozen. They only cost about 2 Limperas and they are the best when we are dying of thirst. Everyone sells them from their houses. We also don't have a supermarket anywhere close by so when we went to El Progresso by bus, we just bought food from there. Never again will I complain about grocery shopping in America. Here you can't bring your purse in the store because they are afraid you will steal. So you leave your purse with this army guy with a huge gun and go shop and then you pay. Then you walk a mile to the bus stop with all 50 pounds of your groceries. Then you get on a bus with about 400 people per seat with all of your groceries. Then you ride in the bus for 45 minutes with people trying to sell you stuff on the bus. Then you get off the bus and walk a half a mile to your house with all your groceries. Then you carry them inside and put them away. All the while it is 100 degrees and humid! Quite the adventure. I love it. I am learning so much.

We go on splits a ton because the YW always want to go out with us. It ends up just being Hermana Rosales and me. We have so much fun. I love all of her stories. She wants to get married in the SLC Temple. It feels so much more real and I feel like more of a missionary when it's just the two of us. But I do LOVE Hna O as well.

The members don't feed us here so that's kind of a bummer.

I will never forget Rosalita Cruz because she is the first Honduran person I could actually understand and talk to! I really like her but sometimes she says she can't understand me! ahahah. She is 18 and a member here.

Hna R's favorite food is green mangos with LOTS of salt and pepper. She eats them all the time since everyone grows mangos in their yards. Anyway...I think it's nasty. I almost died when I tried it.

Everyone says,  "Da me sus ojos!" here and everyone stares. It's especially bad when Hermana O isn't with us when we are on splits. The men are kinda nasty. They say "ay mami" and whistle and cat call. But I never feel unsafe. This is one of the safest places in the mission! We are really lucky. Anyway, people say they are jealous of my boyfriend all the time. It's like they have never seen a white girl before.

I can kind of snap like a Latino! All the missionaries do that here.

Church was awesome. I love our branch and the little house we meet in. There are 2 Elders and 5 Sisters in just one little branch! It's fun because Elder Bray and I were good friends in the CCM and now we are in the same district. He has been really sick lately and he is so skinny... uh oh.

I am teaching Hna R some English but she always says to Hna O, "You have food in your face." It's super funny. Hna O always has food on her face.

I cried when I saw Hna Odekirk at zone meeting Tuesday. I can't believe I finally made it. It is literally driving me NUTTY that I haven't been out six months like I should have. Like literally anxiety. I am praying that the Lord will help me not feel so anxious about it.

I wish people would just get married here. People live together for 50 years and never get married. It's because it's expensive and you have to have a birth certificate to do it. Birth certificates cost money and you have to go to the city you were born in to get one. So if you were born in Tegucigalpa you have to leave your job, risk getting fired and also don't get paid for the days you're gone, find money to get on a bus and go to Tegucigalpa, pay for your birth certificate and then come home and get married. It's just too much for these poor people.

My throat and cold sores and better! My knee...its doing okay!

We taught this family that had a bunch of kids. They live in a concrete shack that is half the size of our family room. They had 2 twin beds for everyone. They were pushed up against one wall together. They didn't have chairs for us so we sat on the beds and I realized they were only cardboard with holy sheets over them. Their roof fell off a little while we were teaching. I can't believe how people live but they are actually THE HAPPIEST people I know. It just goes to show you it's not what you have, it's who you have. And they have family, and Jesus and that's enough for them.

Nobody here pronounces their S's. So its SO HARD to understand them. I can understand my comps easy. No problem. I am actually suprised at how much I understand especially from Hna R. They say An Pedro Ula instead of San Pedro Sula. And Entonce instead of Entonces. So it wasn't until Saturday that I could even kinda understand a word they were saying. I am praying and working so hard for the gift of tounges. Sometimes it is so frustrating not being able to express myself... but speaking Spanish is kind of addicting and I love it.

I am happy, sweaty, and loving it here. I miss America a little but I am a disciple of Jesus Christ and there is nothing that He can't ask me to do. I keep telling myself that when the moments get hard. Mostly the only thing that I have a hard time with is that I should be going home in March and I'm not. I'm going home in August. It shouldn't bother me. I should be not even focused on that part. But really, it's hard.

We have interviews with Pres. this week in El Progresso!

Will you send me pics of our whole family?? I don't know what happened to mine. If you could send them through the mail that would be awesome.

No piano here in Mezapa ):

Well, my fingers are tired from all this typing so fast! I am trying to think what else to say.
Look at my dropbox. This is my vaca friend. He's a cow. He was eating garbage just like all the other crazy animals here.

I have so many bug bites. ugghh

And my tan lines!! Wowwowowowww.

I love you guys so so so much!
Loves and loves from Central America!!
Hermana Saylin

These are the four sisters in my MTC dristrict in Mexico City.

This is the MTC doctor and his wife.....I didn't know at this point that my torn ACL would allow me to get so close to them!

I have arrived and been here 1/2 a day!

If you knew what I just went through to be able to write you this email! We just went to 3 different internet cafes to finally find one that works!! I am using all my strength to push down this space bar. hahahh. Oh my HECK. I love this country. There are chickens eating garbage and cows that just come walk right next to you. I just want to catch the chickens but I think I will get a disease. I am in this city called Mezapa. There are kids everywhere--little Sammys running around in diapers and no shoes. I have the cutest little house you've ever seen. It has10 foot walls around it with a lock so we are super safe. It looks like Jurassic Park everywhere you look. All anyone talks about is how it's the dry season but it is literally raining right now. Anyway, it's actually beautifully ugly and I LOVE IT, but I don't understand anyone. Actually that isn't true. I understand my companions because one of them speaks English and one of them speaks slowly for me. Yes! I have 2 moms (trainers)! I want to send you pictures but these computers won't let us. Next week we will beat the elders to the nice computers so I can send you these AWESOME pictures. I am not in Kansas anymore.

So after i turned the corner after saying bye to yall i just was like.. Wait! I did it!!! I just did it. I just passed that test. The last part of my mountain was almost the hardest to climb but i got to the top. I did it!!
So i didnt even realize this... until i was writing it down in my journal. Saying goodbye to scott pot i was kinda stern. Haha no but seriously. I hugged him and told him i loved him etc. And then i put my hands on his shoulders and looked him so deep in the eye. I told him ¨I dont want to see you until you are an RM. I told him he was ready and that he needed to go. Have christmas at home and then go. I dont want to only serve with you one month!
I honestly did not plan to say anything to him.  I didnt even realize what had come out of my mouth until i sat down and wrote in my journal waiting for the plane. But i am a full time missionary. That means i have the power to speak Gods actual words. I am not saying i can recieve revelation for scott but I can speak the words that HF and the spirit give to me. And i just wonder if that wasnt just the answer to Dads blessing he gave me last night but also if it was an answer for Scott Pott.

So I got on the plane to Atlanta and they changed up all the seats. Luckily I still got an isle but I ended up sitting next to these 2 boys (sitting on either side of me) that were high as a kite, and drunk. The kid almost knocked me out with his bag trying to put it over head. Everyone on the plane was shaking their heads. It was actually pretty hilarious. I didn't really sleep that much. I had the longest layover EVER in Atlanta. But I was so excited to step onto that plane to San Pedro Sula. I didn't cry when I landed because I was surrounded by a bunch of buinessmen traveling together and I just felt like I had to keep it together. There has never been a sweeter sign then the "Bienvenidos A Honduras" sign.

 Customs was nerve racking cause I didn't have a return ticket or a visa (which I didn't need but was still nervous about) but the guy asked no questions and shoved me right through! Prayers answered. The Kliens were there to pick me up. They took me to a Honduran restaurant called Power Chicken. I ate a chicken spine-- like it was a rib cage. That was... cool!  Then they bought me a cold soda and we drove an hour and a half to my area. I met my two mommas. I wish I could send pictures today! That drive was gorgeous. The Kleins say this is their favorite area. There are 2 Elders and 5 sisters that live on the same dirt road. We all share one branch. The church is a rented house! It's actually the safest area of the mission and my house is so cute. You should see where they baptize. I have pictures.

I was surprised how much I could understand. They all say I am from the factory which is what the local Mormons call Utah but in Spanish. Anyway, there's a really pretty rainbow over the mountain right now. Everything is wet and I am so STICKY!

I saw Elder Bray. He's in this district.  He passed out when he saw me. We were good buddies in the CCM and he said if he were me he wouldn't have come back.  Are you kidding?  This is heaven.
I wish I could send pictures this week!! Maybe Google map it??

I shower in a shower, but it doesn't work. So we just use a bucket. We do our laundry outside with this tub. It's super cool. Yeah...this is not Utah. I feel like I am dreaming! Is this really real?
I saw this little boy Chloe's age on a horse out by himself. The horse probably weighed as much as Sam.

I think Coke  owns this country. 

Write me letters at
Mision Honduras San Pedro Sula Este
12 Calle, Ave Circunvalacion
3er, Nivel, Oficina #4
San Pedro Sula, Cortes, Honduras C.A.

Miss you! Love you!
Hermana Saylin

The Long Haul

Since December 10, 2013 I have refused to write a thing down about how i feel, or about what is going on in my little life. I have been stubborn and a little bit mad. I have bawled my eyes out. I have nearly punched walls. But I have learned incredible amounts about the atonement of Jesus Christ.

We have this belief that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the reason that we can overcome and be forgiven for our sins. The Atonement of Jesus Christ can help us better ourselves because of the sins we made and the atonement we used to overcome it. It's one big eternal round of the Atonement making us better. Ain't that the truth! But that's not the full truth. Well...not everyone understands one part of the Atonement that I have learned so much about since being home from my mission. Christ doesn't just have the power to forgive you of your sins...He has the power to understand how you felt when your brother got in that car accident, your disbelief when your mom was diagnosed with end stage cancer. He knows the grief you felt when you didn't get into the program at your dream college. He knows how it felt to sit at home when all your other friends were out on dates. He knows what it was like when you joyfully found out you finally were pregnant. He knows your giddiness when the man of your dreams finally asked you out. He knows your victories, your embarrassments, your grief, your joy, your pain.

And He doesn't just know it because He's always watching. He knows because of the Atonement he gave. He literally knows EXACTLY how you feel because of that moment that forever changed eternity. 

So when Dr. Edwards told me I needed to wait 4 more weeks before he could approve me to return to the mission, Jesus Christ actually knew what that moment felt like to me. He knew how badly it hurt to try to get my knee to lay straight and He knew how badly I wanted it to lay straight because it meant I was that much closer to returning to Honduras. He knew my prideful rage when someone would say, "You're still limping." He knew how hard I had to bite my tongue to not bark back, "And you're still overweight." He knows the pain of physical therapy, and the emotional pain of not being in the mission field when you feel you should be. He understood what it was like when the mission department told me they had changed the policy and every international serving missionary that comes home for ACL reconstruction surgery now has to wait 6 months from the date of surgery to return to the mission. Christ knew. He knew what i was feeling, the thoughts that were dancing around my mind non-stop as I had to choose to wait 3 more months or choose to be reassigned stateside. He knew how alone I felt. He knew how scared I was to make a decision. He knew. And that was enough.

I believe the Atonement of Jesus Christ isn't just for the forgiveness of sins and the salvation for eternity. I believe that the Atonement of Jesus Christ allows the most unusual kind of comfort and empathy. I know that Christ completely and perfectly understands my heart and my mind because of the Atonement. Because of the Atonement I can be forgiven for my sins and released from my sorrows. Because no matter how bad something hurts, it always helps to know that theres one who perfectly understands you. 

This is my journal entry from 4.13.14
"I'm so stubborn. I've refused to write in my journal because I just want to get past this and pretend it never happened. Well at least that's what i thought. Now i worry I won't be able to remember all the really hard, miserable, yet life-building moments of these past 4 months. Let me just say I seriously believe in the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the peace and comfort it brings. But I also refuse to lie to my journal and say that the atonement has fixed everything and this time has been nothing but rainbows and butterflies with a herd of unicorns. Because it hasn't been. It's been crap. Its been so hard. Sometimes i want to punch walls. But the atonement has helped me learn from it and get stronger from it. The worst part is that when i think i can see the end of this marathon, its actually just a deceitful corner to turn and 5 more miles to sprint. I'm tired of it. And sometimes i have to bite my tongue to keep from questioning and whining to God. I really believe that He's designed this trial for me and that I already have learned so much. Like patience, and faith in God's timing, and meekness in trial, and the power of the atonement in a totally different way than i understood it before. I only ever used it for my sins but now I have used it for comfort and for understanding and growth and learning. But it still STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN! God's got something super awesome planned. Something totally worth waiting for."

Well... now I have a plane ticket to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. I didn't give up, rest up, slow up, or pass up on anything and I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER.
This trial is not over yet. I still have miles to walk and pain to endure. But i have climbed the mountains, crossed the rivers, and passed over something that has made me better than I was.

Popcorn Poppin on the ACL Knee

I´ll be home for Christmas You can count of me. Ill be home for Christmas If only because of my knee! 

Wooh! What. A. Week. Can you believe it? I cant. Clearly God has something awesome in store for me in Salt Lake!

In this week alone i have...played futbol with latinos, torn my ACL on a mexican Futbol field, been pushed in a wheel chair on uneven sidewalks, been thrown from my wheelchair on uneven streets, gone to a small Mexican hospital, gotten a strange MRI in a mexican hospital, slept on a bottom bunk, ridden the sketchiest 50 year old Mexican elevator, and also seen Cory Gerrard as a missionary. Can you get any more firsts than that??? 

Needless to say...its been quite the week. Last week my biggest news was that i was called as sister training leader. Hahahahaha.

For all your prayers, i am seriously grateful because my pain level is at a solid 0 when i am sitting and not moving my knee! It only kind of hurst when i am trying to bend it or straighten it. Your prayers are working!! I laughed out loud though when i heard you got the call about my knee while you were sitting in the ER with Sammy. Gotta love the Saylin family. Someone is (or multiple people are) always injured in our home! 

So last night we taught latino members and i was so scared because theyre naturally less forgiving of the language as the teachers here are! But then i had one of those moments like the Elder Calhoon in the Best Two Years had where all the sudden like these words started coming out of your mouth and they understood and you mostly understood them and then its not until after where you look at your companion like :O that just happened. Anyway, i just felt inspired to read Moroni 10:4 and 5 to them. And i kinda was like why? Theyre already members. And Hermana Babb said she thought the same thing but i just shared it anyway. Turns out, one of the women hadnt prayed about the book of mormon and we committed all of them to pray with real intent and ask if the book of mormon was true. So that was super cool. Inspiration!!!!

Also, i taught with Hermana Odekirk last night and we were just teaching and Hermano Hernandez came past and said ¨no! ensenan en ingles!¨and we were like ¨what??? Teach in english??¨ so we did. and it was so weird. and spanish phrases kept slipping out. and it was hilarious. Seriously the wierdest teaching experience yet. And thats saying something. 

Paul Hilbigs letter got to me today! It made my whole day. Hes a fantastic uncle! *hint hint*

Oh while i was at the hospital the doctor was speaking like at least 156 mph to me in spanish and seriously the only thing i could say was Duele! and Dolor! But anyway. He asked me how much i weighed and i just told him in pounds. and he looked at me and said ¨you dont weigh that much¨ in spanish. And i was like...wow.... thats...flattering, but i am not lying! Thats how much i weigh! But then i figured out that they dont weigh things in pounds here but that he wanted my weight in Kgs! Well.. i have no idea what i weigh in Kgs. And then he asked my height and i told him and he looked at me like i was crazy again. Well... he needed it in meters. Yet another adventure. So advice for all: ¨When you go to a mexican hospital for an MRI, dont tell them your weight in pounds or your height in feet or theyll think you are crazy.¨ Youre welcome. That will be useful one day.

Alma 26:27 is the scripture of the week!

I know that this trial is hand crafted by the Lord for Hermana Saylin. He knows me better than i do and he knows what i need more than i do!

I. Saw. Elder. Gerrard. can you believe it?? I couldnt eat breakfast because i was so nervous about seeing him. But when i was walking out of the comedor for breakfast this morning i basically fell down the stairs with my crutches and made this whole scene but who was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs? Elder Gerrard. So that was cool. 

Oh i also got to go to a Mexican gas station after the hospital. They measure gas in leiters and pesos. And they have people that pump your gas! And the man that took Hermana babb and me to the hospital wouldnt let us role down our windows in the city. He just kept saying ¨too dangerous¨ hahahaahah. it was so stuffy in that car!

I am so exicted that it is thanksgiving! I miss you guys but i also think this might be one of my favorite thanksgivings! They switched our tuesday devotional for thursday so that we could have a special thanksgiving devotional! I am so excited. That is at 8 tonight.

Wierd to think we only have one more p day left!! 

Have you ever showered with crutches in Mexico?

I have.

Love,

Hermana Saylin