Crazy Dreams

Mi familia linda,

I wrote crazy dreams because for some reasons, I have been having some wild dreams lately. At the beginning of my mission I felt strange because people would talk about mission dreams they'd had (like teaching, contacting, whatever) and I would just have random dreams having absolutely nothing to do with the mission. Now I have dreams where all I'm doing is breaking mission rules. It's not as bad as it sounds. In fact, last night I was talking to Scott* on the phone for hours and hours and just laughing away (I can't remember what we were talking about, Scott, but we were having party over the phone). And then I realized, wait a sec. I'm a missionary. I can't be talking to you--and I think I tried hanging up. You know, it's amazing that they trust us with phones on our missions--we call and text all the time but it's never a temptation to call home.

We don't have a lot of investigators (and zero are really progressing), which is really disappointing. I'm sure there are so many things we could be doing to find new people to teach but I don't know how. I know there are people here who are prepared to hear the gospel and I want to find them so badly but I just don't know what more we can be doing. So for the time being, we're in a slump but I'm still optimistic about it. I've noticed a big change in how I react to situations and I'm trying not to stress so much, but we all know it's the Lord's work and I don't want to disappoint Him! Unfortunately we had to drop our investigator who had a baptismal date. I don't feel like he's truly converted and he doesn't have a testimony that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith is a prophet. The absolutely last thing I'd want to do is baptize someone who wasn't converted and would soon fall away. It's sad having to let go of someone you care about because they're not progressing in the gospel, but I know the Lord will prepare his heart to receive the message again and to accept it. Oh agency. I always tell people that 'la vida es una lucha.' It's a battlefield! Satan is doing a good job, but we'll do better.

We've been getting artsy and thoughtful this week--it's been fun. We've been heart-attacking people's doors (cutting out hearts from construction paper and taping it all over the door). We did it for a member who had a birthday this past week and for another member whose son is leaving on a mission soon. The neat thing about being in a Spanish ward is that most of the members are converts--they're still learning and their children will be the first ones to serve a mission. Not only do we teach investigators but we work hard to keep the recent converts active and participating but also strengthen the members' testimonies and remind them of why they were baptized.

I love you all!! Thanks for the cards and pictures and packages and love.

love,

kates

*Scott is Katy's and my brother. :)