The gift of doing hair

Hola Everyone!

Life in the MTC basically rocks!  Last Tuesday, I made an appointment with the barbershop to learn how to do my hair.  Elders are allowed to get their hair cut whenever they need it.  Sisters are allowed one haircut, but we are told that if you don't need a haircut, to make an appointment anyways, and they will teach you some easy ways to do your hair on your mission.  Since I got my hair cut just before I left for the MTC, I don't need a haircut, but learning how to do my hair cute-like sounded great!

They gave me all sorts of cute ideas:

• twist a tiny bit of hair and pin it
• braid a tiny bit of hair and pin it
• braid a tiny bit on both sides and pin it
• part it in different places
• buns, anywhere
• side ponytails
• double braids
• side braids
• fish tail braid
• french braid
• french braid only a little bit and pin it

I also learned this cool new braid called a rope braid.  You take hair and divide it into 4.  Put all 4 strands in the 4 spots between your fingers and thumb in one hand.  Label the spots 1, 2, 3, 4.  and do the same on the other hand, so that they are the same.  You weave hair back and forth among bother hands:

• 2 -> 1
• 4 -> 2
• 1 -> 3
• 3 -> 4

It creates the cutest braid ever!

I decided that one of the spiritual figts I have been blessed with as a missionary is the gift of being able to do my hair.  after my hair appointment, I braid my own hair.  It was the first time that I have really done it before, and it rocked to have my hair do what I wanted it do to, without fighting with it.  (OK, so I have pulled off a braid a few times, but that has only been after hours of fighting with it, before it looked like some semblance of cute. )

On Tuesday night Robert K. Dellenbach spoke for la reunion.  He said, "You will be that light that will pierce the darkness.  Your spirit will be able to open the windows of heaven.  They will see and feel the light that you radiate through heaven.  You are that voice in the wilderness.  That light in the darkness.  that testimony."

When we taught Joty again, we found that he hadn't been reading.  So we abandoned our lession plan and just read to him from the Libro de Mormon.  We made it through most of the introduction with him.  It was very cool to feel the espiritu talk through me as we were reading and commenting about what we were reading.  We challenged him to read for 10 minutes every day with Gaby (su novia).  We told him that they can both help each other with the reading.  And we gave him is every own book of mormon. 

We also put Joty up to the "wall of faith".  We told him that if he prays, God will answer his prayer.  We told him that if God tells him that our mensaje is flaso, entonces we will leave, and he can keep doing what he is doing.  But, if Dios tells him that it is true, then he has to get baptized, and follow christ and keep the commandments.  At this point, as long as Joty prays, then it is out of our hands.  It is just between God and Joty, and that is a very comfortable place to be.

Saturday was my halfway mark at the MTC.  it was very exciting!  I cant wait to get out into the field and teach people the gospel.  :D 

My sister sent me half chocolate half vanilla oreos to celebrate.  all over teh package was written "don't open until august 11th."  I got it on Saturday, so I didn't have to wait! :D  But I saw it and I was like "August 11th, that is a weird date", and it was my companion who had to remind me that 11 is my number!  It is strange how easy it has been to leave much of my past life behind, and that my companion had to remind me of teh significance of the number 11!

One of the Elder's in our district, just turned 19 on Sunday.  So on Saturday, our teacher had a party for him.  She brought in Balloons and cake and decorations.  She took him to coaching missionary study, while we decorated the room for him.  Then we yelled "Suprise" and it was super fun!  We didn't have a knife, so we just ate pieces of cake with spoons straight out of the cake, community style!  I don't think that birthday cake has ever tasted so good!  It was really fun to have a celebration in the MTC!  I am really grateful that Elder Miles had a cumpleanos here, because even though it was his cumpeanos and his day, we all got to share in his joy. 

When we taught Mari on Saturday, we asked her how things were going, and she said "mas o menos" .  We of course asked, "Porque mas o menos?" and she said that when she was reading el libro de mormon, Marcos saw her doing it, and didn't like it, and left her.  My heart started to break for her.  Even though it means that Marcos can't steal her book of mormons now, and the law of chastity may be easier when we come to it, I am still very sad for Mari.  I can't even imagine what she is going through right now. 

We weren't sure of where to go from there, so we just paused and thought for a few seconds. And I felt like I should read the scripture that talked about the trial of your fe, and tell mari that she will receive a witness from God.  And if she acts in faith and does the things that Dios wants her to do right now, she will get a testimonio of its truthfulness.

We invited Mari to go to church and to pray and read el libro de mormon dairiamente.  then we backed her up to the wall of fe, and told her that if Dios tells her it is true, then she has to get baptized.  I can't wait to see how things are going for her when we visit her next. 

On Sunday, the Primary General President, Hermana Rosemary Wixom, talked to us in Relief Society.  We sang a lot of primary songs, and it was a lot of fun.  Here are the new and revised lyrics to a populuar primary song:

I'm glad they called me on mission. 

Look at me, I've grown a foot or two.

Now I can be ready

to teach and preach

and work as missionaries do.

She told us that when you feel your love dwindling, to pray with all energy of heart that you can have His love, and then watch for the miracle.  She told us that Nothing will startle us more when we go through the veil to the other side, then when we realize how well we know the Saviour. 

On Monday, we taught Joty again, and he has started to read his Book of Mormon!  We asked him if he had prayed about the book of mormon y Jose Smith and he said no.  sin embargo Joty has prayed about his car.  They needed to go to a wedding, and the car wouldn't start, so they prayed, and then the car started. 

We connected that with tender mercies and milagros.  We talked about how if God would answer a pray about a car, how much more would he answer a pray about his church, his book, and his profet?  I think that he really will pray to know the truth. 

On Sunday, I got released from my coordinating sister duties.  It is only a 3 week assignment.  Now my companion will be coordinating sister for the next three weeks.

I love you all!

Best Wishes,

Hermana Julie Anna Sanchez