Sister Colina: 1 Month Out!!

Alright so this week has been fun and full of a lot of adventures. Starting off with the elders placing a dead snake at our doorstep. We almost died. Payback is coming though hahaha!

I've definitely learned to appreciate community service....we do ALOT on the mission, but it's the funnest time b/c you get to bond with all the missionaries in your zone. So far we've weeded yards, cleaned countless houses, chopped wood, mucked horse stalls (clean the poop out), moved furniture, set up endless birthday parties, made fry bread, and sang endless thankyou for dinner hymns using the same tune on the ukelele for everone….. Elder Lakatani is working on learning another.

Our branch isn't strong enough yet so we have to pretty much do everything lol. Opening and closing prayer, teach Young women, relief society, give the talks, but it's been so much fun. The apache is different depending on what part of town you’re from so learning it is tough!

but I got huge compliments this week so I’m feeling like a million bucks. They get a kick out of me giving them the head nod and saying "Shickneh!" (whats up) lol. My favorite line to give them however is Shee bequeodawn hedanh be-gon-seh! ( I know that Jesus lives).

We've had endless roadtrips b/c everything is atleast 1 hr away but this week I’ll get to go to the Mesa temple for the endowment and sealing of one of my comp's converts, so I’m practically beaming from ear to ear! I’m so excited!

The most valuable thing I learned was from the children. Their parents are alcoholics, drug addicts, in and out of rehab, some are orphans, etc. And still they are the happiest children you will ever meet! so full of life, laughter, loving sport!. So it made me wonder if they even knew what was going on. Then my question was answered. The children's faces would completely change when the topic would be brought up by their grandparents. They would look down all sad and stare at the ground and say things like " she went to jail again". Yet they would talk about their parents with the outmost love and respect. As if they actually believed they could turn their lives around. It was then that i realized the children view their parents the way Heavenly Father sees them. With the most loving and supportive eyes, knowing that they could at any moment turn their life around. It was then that i realized that's how i should view their parents. I love these kids.

Mosiah 3:19

19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has beenfrom the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever,unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, andputteth off the natural man and becometh a saint throughthe atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child,submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing tosubmit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict uponhim, even as a child doth submit to his father.

*** I had a really great email planned but i'm out of time...I'll finish it next week. sending pics took too long. :( ***

JILLIANA'S QUESTIONNAIRE FOR JESSICA

Where's your companion from?
South Jordan- aka salt lake. Lol

How many months does she have left?

She leaves July 18TH

Are you staying in Apache land forever?

No, I’ll more then likely spend a long time here but then they'll either send me to the PIMA reservation which has a lot of Othem Indians and Navajos and Cherokees or I’ll go to a Spanish ward

what do you do on Pdays?
Today we're in "Show low" (It's so beautiful here, look it up! it snowed yesterday) 1 1/2 hrs from "White River" aka the RES. we take turns on who does the grocery shopping out here (Walmart). It was my companionships turn today so i took full advantage! Haircut, shopping for clothes at members resale shops (Got 2 free skirts today!), Ross, Payless, lds bookstore, Panda Express!! ...now we're emailing then Walmart. Then road trip back home.

ps. 1 ½ hour is nowhere enough time for emailing ;((((((((

Any adventures?
LOL YES, I’ll send pics and stories in a diff email.

If you don't shop at the only store bc it's expensive where do yall shop??

We wait till pday for someone to drive to Showlow for the grocery shopping

Do yall really have to combine money to afford food?
Yes -_-...we have to pay for some of the elder’s food today b/c their cards only have $15 left with all of them combined. So we felt bad lol...b/c we take a lot of food from them.

What do the members feed you??

Fry bread, ash bread, tortillas 24/7 ugh! Delicious but heavy!

And interesting fact, they don't season there food.....at all... I’ve learned to love salt and siracha. I never thought mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and chicken would all taste the same. I was like "I mean I know there’s cheese in there I see it!" lol

What's the weather like?

Snow once a week, cool weather 40's and 50's and lately a lot of rain. I need rain boots ASAP! ;(

How many missionaries are on the reservation?

It’s 9 of us, 5 elders and 4 sisters.

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I've fallen in LOVE (Sorry Pompo) lol jk... This little girl is "Winter". she has been adopted from the Supai tribe in the grand canyon. I'm told lit looks like paradise there. Blue waterfalls and all so it's becaome one of my must see roadtrip locations. Only way down is by hiking or by helicopter. She came up by helicopter. She's been here 2 wks and has been the best example of how to have joy in life. She's adjusted so well, speaks her native language and english perfectly. Her mom is the "Baddest cop in town" aviaters and all.She also used to be "Miss Apache". She's a single mom so props to her! Anyways, everytime i see winter (Which is often b/c we're close to her fam) she lights up my world. She is happy 24/7 and even sneaks in some hugs to me b/c she knows we're not allowed to "Hug children" lol. I Love her so much, but they don't know if she'll have to go back to the Supai tribe yet. Crossing our fingers.