I´ve Got A Few Stories For Y´all This Week

Week 17

 Hola friends and family! I´ve got a few stories for y´all this week. But first.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS PAST WEEK 

Primero. There is ash EVERYWHERE from the volcano which is about 2 hours away from my area. There was ash in all the houses and in the streets and I found it pretty horrible that I was breathing the stuff in all day! haha. Ive seen a bunch of people with those face masks on and I havent gone a day without ash all over my legs and feet. Its pretty great. 

Second. A family we visit all the time just realized they all have lice... So thats fun. Pray it didnt spread 

Third. I walked into our bedroom to find my companion sitting crossed legged with a little campfire going on the floor... inside the house..... yep that was fun. She´s an interesting human being. 

Fourth. An old man came up to me and said I was going to marry him.... I politely said no and he got angry, and as he walked away yelled, ''¨WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT''  hahahahah I have no words for that experience 

Fifth. A member invited us missionaries over for lunch and we were helping her cook the food... She was super excited about this salsa stuff made from basil in her garden. Right before she blended it all together I saw a gigantic spider in the blender... But before I could say anything she blended it. And folks... ahhhh... she was so excited about this salsa that I just couldnt say anything hahhahaha. So yeah I ate spider for the first time.... as well as all of the missionaries 

And you should know... this week was probably the hardest week of my mission so far! But its amazing to me how close you get to God in the difficult times! I just hope we all remember that he wants to be a part of our lives in the good moments too! And even though this week was hard, I had so many moments where I was reminded of God´s love and tender mercies! 

The first was a few nights ago. It was dark out and you couldn´t see because it was raining so hard. We went to cross the street and this man came up and held his umbrella over us as we crossed the street. When we got to the other side, he held out his umbrella for me to take. I hesitantly said, ''Sir, you need this umbrella more than we do.'' But he shook his head and put the umbrella in my hand, saying ''No. You are angels sent from God, and I know if I give you this umbrella He will bless me and help me. Please pray that I can stop drinking''   We prayed for Edgar that night and I was reminded that God puts people in our path for a reason. 

I was also reminded of how there are so many good people in the world. We were riding the bus and there were a million people! Every seat was filled and there was hardly any space in the aisle. We shuffled on and a man, noticing all of the things I was carrying, instantly got up and gave me his seat. It was something so small and insignificant, but it meant the world to me! It was just a reminder that there may be hard moments... but there is always a silver lining! 

Another experience on the bus (#ILoveTheBus) taught me that sometimes the best solution to a problem is to forget about yourself. A few days ago I was sitting next to an older man who was holding flowers. I asked him who the flowers were for and he told me he was on his way to the cemetary and the flowers were for his wife who passed away a few months ealier. I told him we were missionaries and that it wasnt a coincidence that we were sitting next to each other. And as I listened to his story and his life, my own problems and concerns seemed to melt away. Sometimes to find yourself, you have to lose yourself. Lose yourself in the service of others! For when you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the service of your God! 

Love you all so much! Keep me and the people here in your prayers! 

Hermana Bass 

Also.. I dont have pics this week because Elder Dunyon has my SD card for another hour.... Sorry mom!