EWWWWWWW!!!!!!!! COCKROACH!!!!!

Hey everyone!! How's the weather over there? I can tell you how it is here....HOT HOT HOTTTTTT!!

Remember how I had previously written that the normal fall, winter, spring, summer don't exist here? Well that's still true. However, normally here it is hot one day and there is rain the next. Sadly, there has been absolutely no rain! Everyday the sun has been incredibly hot and without mercy. This isn't normal. We all started to become a little worried, and still are worried. Then we found that at certain times of the day, we don't get water in the house. They are rationing out the water here because there is so little of it. It's strange knowing that in California, we didn't have rain for a long time but we always had water in the house!

I have to say, it was a tough week in general, long and so hard. Migraines, lots of sweat and hundreds of doors that people didn't want to open to us. The motivation to find someone to teach was that much more when we just wanted to get out of the sun! I kinda felt like a missionary failure because our numbers were awful, but it's OK. Stress in the mission is different. If I fail, I don't just fail myself like in the real world, I'm failing The Lord! Today I look back and think, yeah it was hard but every week can't be easy. I will never learn anything. President Hayes taught me in the beginning of my mission something that has stuck with me. When I was worried and felt like I couldn't handle the challenges of the mission he told me that Heavenly Father was challenging me for a reason. I had had things easy until that point and I needed to go through something hard so that he could bless me. Week by week I have moments when I think of that. If I want to grow as a person and a missionary, I need to stretch and be challenged. I'm so grateful for an amazing companion like Hermana Velez who I can laugh with when things get hard!! When faced with difficult things we can shake off the bad, smile and get back to work.

Helaman 15:6

"Yea, I say unto you, that the more part of them are doing this, and they are striving with unwearied diligence that they may bring the remainder of their brethren to the knowledge of the truth; therefore there are many who do add to their numbers daily."

Well, as always there was a miracle! Yesterday, Steven's whole family came to church. His mom and her boyfriend, and his 3 brothers and sisters. I have been trying ever since Steven was baptized to get them to come to church and FINALLY they committed and they came! What was even better, THEY LOVED it! The kids loved primary and the parents said that they had been to other churches before but had never felt like they did in our church. I loved seeing how happy Steven was to see his family with him at church!! I know without a doubt that God blessed us.

Sorry, that's all I have for this week!! Please keep doing what you know is right! Read the scriptures, say your prayers, and go to church!! Remember Christ in your lives, He will never forget you!

Love you so much! Pura vida

Hermana Zerilli

NOW I TOLD YOU IT WAS A TOUGH WEEK. I JUST WANTED TO BRUSH MY TEETH AND GO TO BED. EWWWWWWW!!!!!!!! COCKROACH!!!!! I COULD GO MY WHOLE LIFE WITHOUT EVER SEEING ONE, LET ALONE HAVING ONE CRAWL AROUND ON MY TOOTHBRUSH!!

THANK YOU MOM FOR SENDING A BACK UP TOOTHBRUSH HEAD!!!!