Another even crazier week

Things just keep spinning faster and faster for Hermana Castillo and I down here in Juncos.  So much has happened and I con't even remember where I left off last week.  I think we left off that we had been emergency tranfered to Juncos y Las Piedras.  Well, we got all moved into the elders former apartment when our leader suddenly realized that we could only lived there temporarily.  The reason being that all of our neighbors are single men.  Honestly they are all  very, very nice and on the older side and I feel completely safe living there, but it is against mission rules.  So, the solution, we are moving Friday to a cute little house near the church.

President Zayas picked it out for us and has helped us out a lot, because believe me, we have had problems with that apartment.   Everything looked good at first.  In fact, elders have lived there before a long time ago (before Juncos and Las Piedras combined), so we knew that it had worked in the past. We went and checked out the house with the couple missionaries The Pietz who are now in charge of the mission apartments.  It was fun because I had to be the translator and helped negotiate the water and electricity billings.  But we noticed that there were a few very large cockroaches lurking in various locations.  Sister Pietz noticed and brought it up to Elder Pietz. I loved the different reactions.

"Honey, the sisters can't live here until they fumigate".
"What?  Did you see one tiny spider?"
(There was four inch long cockroach crawling right behind his head on the wall right at that very moment and several scuttling by on the floor).

 

Luckily President Zayas offered to fumigate and clean the apartment thoroughly before we move in.  But it was not that easy.  We got a worried phone call from President Zayas later in that day:
"Hermana Palmer, How afraid are you of bugs?"
"I hate bugs! ""
"We have a problem.   Hermana, I have never seen so many cockroaches in one place in my entire life.  I think we could make a soup of all of the cockraoches in your house and feed all of Puerto Rico.  I need you and Sister Castillo to come and see for yourself right now."

We drove over to the apartment, and President Zayas was right.  We had a problem.  Apparently there is a huge nest behind the all of the kitchen cabinents  and when we walked in the floor was littered with cockroach carcasses.  (In the pictures I attached you can only see the big ones).  President Zayas has really been attentive to us and has helped us so much with that apartment.  He has already fumigated it twice.  Put in caulking in all of the cabinents to seal off the nests, done a thorough cleaning with Clorox, and He is going to fumigate it one more time today and leave plenty of poisons.  I trust President Zayas and I know that he has exhausted all of his efforts to make sure we are comfortable and happy.  However, I know that there will still be a few critters lingering around when we move in on Friday.  The only question is how many?  Any extra prayers would be appreciated.  It is certainly tue that the mission teaches us exactly where our weaknesses are.  I feel like in the past 12 weeks God has done a thorough sweep to make sure he hit each and every one of my weaknesses.  But despite all of the insect woes I am happy.  I love President Zayas and I am grateful for the wonderful care President Alvarado has given us.

Other apartment blues.  Due to the Heavy rains and flash floodings  we went an entire week (Sunday to Sunday) with out running water.  Luckily we have a cistern and we had enough water to shower and bathe and wash the dishes and whatever, but definitely made me grateful for modern conveniences.  Each day as a took a bucket bath I thought about all the experiences dad has shared with me about Africa.  I know they would be so happy to even have water to shower with.  How often do we take for granted that we can just lift a lever and have water pour out of our kitchen sink?  It was a good experience for me.  Although I would be fine it didn't happen again for a few more months.

As for actual missionary work.  We have been working closely with an investigator that the elders found before we got to Juncos.  Lucy and her two sons.  They are so incredible.  Lucy has given up so much and worked so hard to reach her baptism date that was set for last Saturday.  The Elders had told us that she was married to her husband, but unfortunately it was not so.  I felt like I totally relieved the experience I had with Ivelisse and Jose.  Having to look into her eyes and tell her that she could not be baptized, to see the shear devastation in her eyes was tormenting.  Again. Just like with Ivelisse and Jose.  She has taken it very hard.  She is truly saddened.  We cried with her for a good bit of time and have been working so hard to build up optimism again.  She was left depressed.  But we have helped her to set a new date for September and Bishop even promised to talk with her and her husband this Saturday.  These past two weeks we have finally gained the trust of the bishopric and boy what a difference it has made.  (I don't know if I expressed frustrations earlier, but they were making things difficult for us to say the least)

Lucy is amazing and I hope things work out sooner than later.

Hopefully things will go a bit smoother this next week and things will settle down, but I am not going to jinx anything. 

I know this is the true gospel.  I understand and believe completely in the doctrine of Christ.  That through fatih, repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end I can become clean and worthy to live with God again.  I know that God hears and answers prayers and I know that the priesthood is the power of God on the earth.

Love you all
Hermana Palmer

Shout out to the roommates!!!!!!!
Thanks for writing me you guys!  It means so much to me.

Hello from Juncos

July 19, 2010

Dear Family                                                               July 19, 2010

Much has happened since I last wrote.  For one thing, Hermana Castillo and I were emergency transferred to a new area. Things have been absolutely crazy. When we got home one night, there was a man in the neighborhood who was drunker than drunk.   He had basically passed out in front of our apartment.  Naturally we were frightened, so we called President Alvarado.  I was quite impressed with how quickly matters were resolved.  He sent the elders to come and make sure we were ok and they arrived very quickly.  We were also instructed to pack our bags and we got to stay the night in the home of the mission President's first counselor, President Zayas.   It was great to stay the night with their family.  They were more than hospitable and the beds were fantastic.  I haven't touched a bed so soft in my entire mission. The next night we were told to pack all of our possessions and switch apartments and areas with the Zone Leaders.  Everything was very quick and we hardly had time to process all of the changes.  At 8:30 Saturday night we had no idea where we would be sleeping and by 9:30 we were moved into the Juncos apartment.  We will have to move again however in a few weeks to a new apartment that is closer to the chapel.

Pday is Monday this week for whatever reason so I won't be writing again until next Wednesday.  The reason I did not write last week.  When I got to the library last week I had just enough time to read my emails before President Zayas called telling me that we needed to  go immediately to look at a house that he was thinking about renting for us.  We headed on over there to arrive before the owner closed a deal with another client, thinking that we would be able to return and finish email later.  However, on our way over there we got a flat tire.  (By the way, on my first official night in Juncos I ripped off half of the front bumper.  To get to our apartment we have to back in slowly  down a steep hill of the main highway, so we got a flat tire on the spare car that the office had lent us to replace the one I had already damaged)  I have never changed a tire in my life and I know nothing about that process.  Seriously, it was lucky I actually know where to find the spare tire. At home my tactic would have been to stand on the side of the road and look cute and helpless until someone pulled over to help.  But disguised as a frumpy missionary   I hardly thought that would be effective. Fortunately Hermana Castillo knew more than I and we were able to find the jack, lift the car, and remove most of the bolts before someone finally pulled over to help us.  It was really, really hot and we were both streaming sweat by the time we got on the road again.  We spent the rest of the Pday in Pepboys.

I am happy with the change. We are still in the same ward but the other half. There are a lot more families in this half of the ward and a lot more people in Juncos. But  it is great because we can still talk to the members we know in church and when they come out to teach with us.  Honestly I think this switch is a direct answer to prayer.  Hermana Castillo and I are able to start all over in a new area, new people, new attitude and the elders have been more than helpful. Honestly I think that Elder Walker and Johnson are my new missionary heroes,  They have absolutely bent over backwards to help us have success in our area and to help us feel safe. They have left their area in excellent condition with many investigators and some of the best maps I have ever seen.  I really admire them for their work ethic, their kindness, and their devotion to the gospel.  Seriously, there are bad elders, there are good elders, and then there are some that absolutely blow me away. Elder Walker and Johnson amaze me.  

Elder Mason, Johnson, Walker, Snow, with Sister Castillo and I

However, they are still elders.  I am so grateful that by sheer coincidence they had cleaning checks the day before we moved in because I can't imagine what it would have been like otherwise.  At first glance it looked clean, but when I opened the microwave I swear I could have made an entire meal with all of the crumbs I found inside.  Also there is a strange scent which I cannot for the life of me locate.  I think I have to assume that it is just the smell of boy which has permeated the walls of the apartment.  There are also very strange things scattered through out the house that would not be found in the sister;s house.  Spiderman posters, basketball hoops, and names carved into all of the furniture.   

My first impressions of Juncos is that although  it is still a smaller town, it is much bigger that San Lorenzo.  There are people to talk to finally!  And there are actually maps and street signs.   I am so grateful!!!  One thing that I think is funny about Juncos is the street lights for intersections never work.  I think I have seen them working 3 times in the entire week I have been here.

Right now it is raining super, super hard.  All of the highways are completely flooded with inches of rain and all of the streets have been converted into rivers.  I don't know if we will be able to leave Hermana Ilia's house.  We might have to wait until this afternoon because it is showing now sign of stopping.  It has been pouring and thundering since 8:00 this morning.

Well, things are going much better in my new area.  I am still learning a lot.  I will not deny that the mission is hard.  It has been stressful with all of the quick changes, but I think it will be good.  

A tarantula got into our house.  Sister Castillo killed it!

 We had interviews with President Alvarado this week and I think it is funny that he is already giving me the same advice President Dewsnup gave me.  "You need to loosen up!"  It is really really hard for me to relax.  Especially after having entered the Zone Leader's old area.  They are top notch missionaries and I want nothing more to be a good missionary like they are.  But, I need to be patient with myself and my situation.   The mission is either going to push me over the edge or finally soften me into a more relaxed person.  Please pray for me.  

I love you all and want you to know that I am doing well and much happier in Juncos.  Hope all is going well for Markie in BYU!

Love Hermana Palmer

La Mision Nuevo

July 7, 2010

Dear Fam,

Hermana Castillo and I have spent most of our Pday hunting for internet.  All of the libraries across the island are closed for summer vacation. Finally we just got permission from Presidente Alvarado to use a member's computer.  There are a lot of people speaking Spanish around me and I am fighting not to slip into writing Spanish.  It is getting harder and harder every day to speak English.

We are now officially one mission!  We had our first meeting with our new mission president.  Things are definitely, definitely different.  The president is Puerto Rican and he has a totally different approach to the work.  I think it will be good for the island.  The members here for sure have a lot of respect for him.

The highlight of my week is that Presidente Zayas, the mission 1st counselor came to San Lorenzo to teach a family home evening with us.  He and his wife are extremely dynamic.  They live pretty far from us and drove a long way to come and teach with us.  They have been so kind to watch over us and encourage us to keep working hard.  They came over last week talk with us and make sure everything was ok.  I really needed that little booster.

I feel a little frustrated because we still haven't found a way to work effectively in our area.  We are trying to work more closely with the members and find investigators, but things haven't clicked yet. 

I dropped the Old Investigator Records in a puddle of rain

I feel grateful this week because we have received the love and help of Presidente and Hermana Zayas and our leaders are really trying to help us too.  This week I feel like there are people who can help me and that I am not so alone.  I am very grateful.

Our recent convert, Nadia is doing really well and continues to progress.  Our recent convert family is struggling with the effect of drugs, but we are so grateful that we were able to contact them yesterday and that we haven't completely lost them.  They need much love, support, and prayers.  I love them so much and want them to hold to the gospel as much as they can.  The way will be very, very difficult.

I have to go, there are other missionaries waiting for the computer.

Hermana Palmer

Officially one mission!

June 30, 2010

We are now officially one mission!  Although we haven't seen any changes yet.  The only indication of change was a goodbye email from President Dewsnup.  Hopefully we will be able to meet President Alvarado soon.

Some of the highlights of this week include a visit from Hermana Barnhurst.  Hermana Barnhurst finished her mission last week and her family has come to Puerto Rico to tour the areas where Hermana Barnhurst served.  She called us from a less-actives home and we quickly arranged to meet up with her.  It was neat to meet her family, because I have heard so much about them.  Her parents and younger sister were there.  It was fun to chat and reminisce with Hna Barnhusrt.  She is giddy to go home and meet up with her boyfriend who finished his mission about 2 months ago.  It sounds like she had a fantastic time in her last transfer, a trio on the island of Barbados. It was SOOO good to see her.

Presidente Zayas

We also had a visit from Presidente Zayas, the first counselor of the former mission presidency.  He is good friends with Hermana Castillo. It would be the equivalent if President Ostler came and visited me.   He had to come and help us with a small emergency we had in our area. He has a very lively and YELLOW personality.  It was fun to visit with him and his wife for a bit.  He brought pralines and caramel ice-cream--the expensive kind.  It tasted so American I almost wanted to cry when I tried it.  It reminded me so much of eating butter pecan ice-cream with Grandpa. 

One funny incident of the week is that one of the ward members invited us over for a party. Ilian, who I absolutely adore, is a young single adult who is preparing to serve a mission, the only active member of her family.  She is awesome.  I love being with her because she is our age, has the same interests, etc.  I would consider her a good friend.  Anyway, Hermana Ilia invited us over for her nephew's birthday 1st party Sunday afternoon.  She told us we could come over and eat with her family and we happily accepted.  I was picturing a peaceful family gathering with a song and small birthday cake.  Boy was I wrong.  When we arrived we saw that the street was completely PACKED with cars.  There was a bounce house in the street, people everywhere, roaring music, beer, clowns, popcorn machines, tables and benches in the street, a dance floor, balloons, magicians, face painting, and tons and tons of people.  Oh my goodness, what kind of first birthday party is that?  It was enormous!  Ilia spotted us and motioned us in.  We came over to talk to her quickly, but didn't feel it was an appropriate environment for sister missionaries.  It was a hysterical situation.  I have been teasing Ilia about that so much, she deceiving the sister missionaries into such a big and crazy party.  Once again, I find that I have underestimated the Puerto Rican's unparalleled ability to party.

Missionary work front has been difficult and demanding to say the least.  A recent convert family that we are very close to love very much and have worked very closely with now lay in shambles.  Every particle of hope and joy has been utterly destroyed by slavery to drugs.  To say that it has been a painful experience to watch would be a complete understatement.  We have seen the highs, the lows and the irreversible consequences of slavery to Satan.   Unless you were to see it, you could not believe it.  The choices of one person have so gravely affected the lives of her husband and children.  My perspective of life has expanded and my perception of the atonement evolved.  Although I have not been permitted to see the purification and healing power of the atonement in this situation I know that if applied it would miraculously be enough to heal every wound and erase every damage.  I long so much to witness that miracle, but I do not think I will be allowed the chance.

I know that Christ is our Lord and our Redeemer.  I do not doubt the power of His atonement.  I know this gospel is the truth and the way to eternal life and happiness.

Hermana Palmer

San Lorenzo

June 22, 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

Today is the last day of transfers.  Hermana Castillo and I received word that we will both be staying here together for this next transfer.  That means I will be spending my summer here in San Lorenzo.  That is actually great news, because this is the coolest area I have been in.  It rains almost everyday in the morning and that helps keep the temperature down (It is still ridiculously hot though, but better than Carolina and Fajardo).  The past 4 days it has been POURING non-stop.  This is not your ordinary rain shower.  The drops of water are enormous and umbrellas are basically useless.  It has been a great adventure trying to scurry from house to house in an attempt to stay somewhat dry.  It has cooled down to mid 70's.  My companion keeps insisting that it is freezing and that we are going to catch cold.  As she shivers and cuddles in her quilt at night I think it is glorious!  Finally, my body has stopped sweating.

Me eating Parcha or Passion Fruit

Last Friday I had my last interview with President Dewsnup.  It was a bitter sweet moment.  Sweet in that I have actually grow quite close to President Dewsnup, especially in this last transfer.  He has seen me grow and change so much from the beginning of my mission until now.  It was fun to reminisce what we talked about in our first interview and compare it to the last.  I am nervous to start over with a new President.  He won't know all of my quirks and he is Puerto Rican.  I truly relished those moments of speaking English.   But, I do trust in the power of the priesthood.  I know that my leaders are given guidance, wisdom, and words according to the needs of the mission.

We also had a fun little Fathers' Day Activity in the ward.  It was supposed to start at 7, but of course it didn't start until 8:20.  Since we have to be home by 9 we had just enough time to eat and run.  But I am told that the activities and program was very fun.

This weekend was kind of unique due to the fact that Hermana Castillo was sick to her stomach and we were not able to proselyte Saturday or Sunday.  It was strange to stop the rapid and demanding pace of the mission and just study, reflect, and ponder.  I loved it.  I had some beautiful personal study experiences and self-evaluation.

It was also fun to talk and study with Hermana Castillo when she was awake.  I taught her a lot of English this weekend.  Hermana Castillo has a strong desire to learn English but she has little experience or background.  It was funny to watch her realize that the transition between English and Spanish is not linear.  We don't say things in the same order, sometimes words in Spanish don't exist in English and visa versa.  Hermana Castillo has a cute little picture book with words in English I would help explain some of the vocab words.  I had to laugh when I tried to explain the difference between "to spill" and "to pour".  In Spanish there is only one word.  I tried to explain that "to spill is to pour on accident and "to pour" it to do it intentionally.  I also found it funny when I was trying to explain the pronoun "it".  The pronoun "it" is neither masculine nor feminine and we only use it with inanimate objects.  That was a difficult concept for her.

I think my favorite eye opening experience, however, was when I told her that in the United States we don't have Recoa (a very popular spice here).  She stared at me in absolute shock "Then how do you make your sofrito?!?!?" (the salsa and spices Puerto Ricans put in every food).   She could not understand that we don't use sofrito in the States and that we don't eat rice every day.

This week I have dome to realize that I am turning into a real sister missionary (oh, the horror!)  I have officially been here long enough to notice the symptoms.  You know you are a real sister missionary when:

- You wake up with absolutely NO desire to do your hair or make-up

- You have worn every possible combination of clothing in you closet.  Both outfits that match and those that don't.

- All of your dreams have to do with either tracting, contacting, teaching, or studying.

- You actually set weekly goals in your planner for personal improvement.  (Sister Erekson would laugh at that.  For my first two transfers I refused to set goals insisting that my goal that week was to survive.)

Sad, but true.  But, I am happy knowing that this is the best way for me to learn and to grow. And don't worry I force myself to do both my hair and my make-up every morning.  I

I miss you all and love you!  By the way congratulations for Emily on her call to South Carolina!   You will do great! 

Hermana Palmer