The end of the "Dynamic Duo" and becoming a "Mom"



Buenaaaas!!!!

SO I'm going to explain a little bit about changes. We have changes every 6 weeks. The last day of the transfer, Sunday, our leaders tell us our changes. We literally have no idea if we stay or if we go until 10 Sunday night. And then we have to be in the offices in the morning! SO last night we were waiting for the call and it never came. SO we called our leaders and they hung up on us like a bazillion times. We were so frustrated because we wanted to know if we needed to pack our stuff or not. We may or may not have hit the walls in frustrated anticipation (I realized that cinder blocks are really hard haha) But waaaay too late we finally recieved the news that Hermana Tenorio was going AGAIN to Ticul! Her 3rd change in a chan pueblito. 

We were very sad to hear that the dynamic duo would be seperated. I love Hermana Tenorio!  She taught me so much. She got baptized just two years ago, but literally knows everything about the gospel. She has the book of St Matthew practically memorized and can directly quote like every chapter. She truly is a scriptorian. She taught me the power of the scriptures and their role in conversion! But I think the most important lesson she taught me is that of gratitude. She always saw the blessings that we recieved, even when I didn't see any. She gave thanks to our Heavenly Father for things that I would not have ever thought to thank!   I give thanks to my God that I had the opportunity to be with her for 4 months. 

But I'm training this change. That means that I'm going to be with a greenie, fresh out of the MTC, and that I'm going to show her the ropes of the mission!!! AHHHH...NOW IM A MOM.. I feel like I literally don't know anything. I feel like I just got here yesterday. I feel like I still don't know Spanish. I feel like everyone knows more than me. 

But I've learned something here in the mission.  It doesn't matter what I think I can or can't do, it matters what He thinks that I can do! And he's called me to "raise" one of his cherished daughters! I'm grateful for this opportunity to help Hermana Sanchez learn to be a missionay. I hope that I can teach her what that really means!  

I read a talk in the Liahona magazine this week about imperfections. God gave us imperfections so that he can work with us. Without our faults there is no progression. 

I love this scripture in the Old Testament Isaiah 64:8
But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. 

I can testify that we truly are all the work of His hand. But the thing is that we are all unfinished. Maybe we're a little lumpy and need a bit of smoothing. With the master's help, we can become his work of art. 

Let God create you into what HE wants you to be! 
I love you all!!!!!! 

Hermana Keeler

  Some favorite pictures of the "Dynamic Duo"














A glimpse into the life of Hermana Keeler


A DAY IN MY LIFE:
 
6:30 Alarm goes off 

6:35 I roll out of my hammock onto my knees, pray for a long time with many sleepy pauses 

6.45 Exercise a little bit, shower, pick which skirt i want to wear with my black t shirt hahah, and eat breakfast

8:30 Planning. We decide who we need to visit and what we need to teach them. Hna Tenorio and I have been together for a long time so we're pros

9:00-11:00 Studying. Pretty much the best part of the day. Hna tenorio and I share all the funny things that we read in the scriptures, like when Ammon fainted when he was so happy to see his pal Alma

11:30 We leave to teach for the day 

11:40-2:00 We go try to find people to teach. No one is outside unless they are walking to or from school. It's just too hot. I feel like I'm going to die from heat stroke. Sometimes people let us in but usually we spend the mornings contacting and finding! Most of the moms are at home at this hour 

2:00 FOOD. Lunch is really the only meal we eat. We stuff ourselves until we literally cant hold any more. Usually we eat with the elders so its always a good time and all the members are chill so its way fun

3:00-9:00 Usually we have appointments starting from 3 or 4. We try to have an appointment for every hour. Usually 1 or 2 (or sometimes all) of the appointments fall through, but we end up finding someone else way cool to teach. We usually meet someone that has some kind of connection with the church or the missionaries and we always get way excited. Around 6:00 it's not so hot and people start to leave their houses and sit outside or watch their kids play in the street. Prime contacting and finding time. Usually we have our appointments with our investigators with a lot of potential at 7 or 8. and the time goes by way fast. 

9:30 we come home and pray and write in our journals! Sometimes we eat something. We always put on hymns to try to block out the music they play at the place where they sell beer!

10:30 we pray again and my companion always falls asleep and gets mad at me when I wake her up and tell her to finish her prayer.  Then we fall asleep to the sound of dogs barking and roosters cock a doddle dooing 
BUT WE FALL ASLEEP HAPPY 

MY AREA: 

SigloXXI is a small neighborhood that’s set apart from the city. It's pretty poor in comparison to the rest of the city of Campeche. Most of the houses are just big enough to fit two hammocks, sometimes a bed, a tiny bathroom, a sink, table, and sometimes a stove. Lots of people have added front rooms themselves, all cinder block and concrete. 

Everyone has pitbulls or other big dogs and their dogs have puppies that rule the streets. They’re a real danger. 

Our area has one real store but the rest are just normal houses that sell things. It's like a little pueblo that's a 45 minute bus ride from the city center.  It's almost impossible to leave Siglo in the morning, the busses are full of students and people going to work.  Usually we have to stand in the stairs or sometimes I have to sit on the dashboard!  I've stopped fearing for my life every time I get on.  You just have to try not to smell all of the bodies packed in there or think about whose sweat is falling on you.  In the afternoon the buses aren’t so full. 

To get to our area you have to drive through a little bit of jungle... and that’s why it feels so seperated from the city!  We’re our own little colony. 
When it rains the street fills with water so high!  We jump from curb to curb trying to find a dry place to step.  But its worth a break from the heat. 

Every Saturday and Sunday there’s like swap meets in the park and literally all of Siglo leaves their houses to go!  It's the thing to do on the weekend!   People sell food and their kids play on the new jungle gym :)  We always have to walk through it to get to our house!  Sometimes we see someone we know and they buy us food!!! 

I dont know what more to say, but here's my life folks!  I LOVE IT!!!! 

Love, Hermana Keeler


She is so small she makes these tiny hermanas look tall! 


 
The biggest moon she's ever seen. 


 Their way of letting me know they got the Valentines' Day package (with stickers)


 Lonely lunch!  They are missing their regular dining partners the Elders.


Abi did her nails!!! 

Feeling rejected by the whole world...except the Archeologist


Buenas!  This week was way hard.  We felt like the whole world rejected us.  Two of our investigators’ moms told us not to come back.  It was very sad.  Various other investigators told us that they’re not really interested anymore.  It was actually quite depressing.  Many times we found ourselves walking through empty streets with locked doors thinking, “Now what?”  It felt pretty awful.  At one point, my companion threw her hands up to the sky in frustration and asked “What do we need to learn, Father?”

We’ve felt a bit frustrated for the last three weeks.  Rejection is tiring and frankly, has gotten old.  But we keep telling ourselves that none of our efforts are in vain.  Who knows what will come of all the seeds we’ve planted here in Siglo XXI.  

This week we started teaching English to a woman that works at one of the Mayan ruins as an archeologist (way cool right??).  Apparently she and her husband saw me (better said - saw my whiteness) and asked their neighbor, who is member of the Church, if I could help her learn English.  We’ve been to her house a few times.  She’s really sweet and her family is super nice.  Her mom cooked us breakfast once (fried fish, whole - with the head and fins and everything - but it was actually so delicious) and then invited us to stay at her house all day.  We had to decline the offer, but it was a nice thought :)

It feels good to help someone without wanting anything in return.  This family hasn’t shown much interest in the gospel - but we hope that we can start to share a little bit more with them.  And as representatives of Jesus Christ, we can never pass up an opportunity to serve our fellow men.

Other service story... Two days after we met the archeologist and her husband, we were walking in the street when we saw two women carrying groceries.  We offered to help carry them and they politely declined.  We said goodbye and kept on walking.   We walked about 10 meters (I use the metric system now! :) and the woman called out to us “chicas!” and motioned for us to go back.  We thought, “Ummm, ok? Do they need help now?”  We turned back and they invited us to have dinner with them the next night!  Literally without knowing our names or anything!  We didn’t even carry their groceries!  Legit we just offered!  We started talking and found out they are both the sisters of the archeologist we are teaching English!  They live a street away from her!  We know that coincidences don’t exist and that we’ve met this family for a reason!  We’re going to see what happens.

There are always little miracles during the hard times!  I’ve gotten a bit better at recognizing the little details here in the mission.  Our Heavenly Father really is everywhere.  And His love is INFINITE!  IF we look for the hand of the Lord in our lives we’ll recognize Him more.  Our faith will grow and our love for Him will increase exponentially.  We’ll be happier too.  I can testify that this is true because I have experienced it.  Look for the Lord in all the details of your life and you’ll be surprised at what you can find :)

I love you all!!!!!

Love, Lindsay ... oops Hermana Keeler (this is how she actually signed her letter) 








This is their cat Peter named after their favorite apostle. 



 Fancy restaurants on Pday - not bad!!