Hola familia!!

Let me tell you more about this week. The other day I had an experience that was really touching. Hermana Paz and I went and bought some bread, she bought 2 pieces and I bought one. We walked out and next to the panería lives an investigator who is an old man and has nothing, literally. It was so hard to talk with him in his house the first time we were there because he does not really have water or a bathroom, so you can imagine what it smelled like. There were flies everywhere and the conditions are just really awful. Well we were leaving the panería and Hermana Paz stopped and all the sudden turned and walked in the opposite direction. She went to the house of this investigator and started yelling for him. He finally came out after a long wait and without thinking twice she gave him both of her pieces of bread. In the moment I was so selfish thinking no this is my bread I want it, I´m so hungry.  And she just acted and gave it to him. When we started walking away I felt so awful that I had such a selfish thought because I really didn’t need the bread, he did and I just sat there and did nothing. But I learned so much from Hermana Paz and her willingness to just serve people.

Last night when we went to eat with this family, they are not members and we are working really hard with them, we walked to the door and yelled "Ahlo" and they came out and the boys (3 of them, 5, 8 and 12) came out and were so excited to see us. They love when we come over and they invited us in and we just sat there talking for a while and having such a fun time together. Hermana Andrea (the mother) loves when we come over because she said her home becomes a place of peace and calm. This family was taught by other missionaries about 2 years ago and one of the missionaries left for the states about... December I believe. They still have contact with him and love him a lot. Well, the missionaries that came after he had taught them, she said they didn’t have the same spirit as him and so she would not listen to them. This was 2 years that she just did not like the other missionaries that came to see them so she would not ever listen or invite them to come back.  Well after the first time we taught them she invited us back and told us that we have the same spirit as this elder that taught her 2 years ago. So we have become really close with their family. They are so great and really love the peace that comes with the things we teach them. The only problem is she does not know how to receive answers and we have been trying to explain the spirit to her and that when we feel the spirit, that´s our answer to our questions. So we still have work to do with them. But it was just a really nice way to end the night especially since it was Easter. I didn’t know it was Easter until after Church. 

Oh, when we were trying to prepare our postre for the noche de postres, we were trying to make brownies from scratch and it was a bit of a problem. We ended up buying a mix and it actually turned out really well, but the problem was that we didn’t have a pan that was really good, so one side was more thick than the other and the side that was not as thick ended up burning a lot and was not very good, but the thick side was really good. We also made jello stuff which was interesting because all the peach powder we poured in was mixed in, but somehow something peach-like settled at the bottom of the jello. It´s hard to explain but we ended up winning an award for the most natural dish and we were laughing really hard about that because it was a last minute decision to make it.

The nights here are getting colder and colder. It´s fall right now and I can really feel it. Sometimes the day is really hot and then the nights are so cold I have to put my gloves on.

OH! Yesterday we were walking and saw a member of the church so we stopped to talk to him for a little bit. And while we were talking to him we heard a lot of cars honking so we looked over to the road and saw that this van was stopped and a guy was trying to push the van by himself while trying to steer it through the window. So we ran over and asked him if he needed help and he said yes so we ended up running behind the van and pushing.  We were all laughing so hard because it was 2 girls and a 18 year old boy pushing this really big 15 passenger van. We were running down the road and people were staring at us. Finally the guy got the van started and said thanks and sped off. We didn’t even have a chance to teach him the gospel or get his contact information so we were a bit bummed about that. But we hope that he will be placed in our path again sometime in the near future.

Yesterday was a success. We had 5 investigators come to church!! It was really great, one of the families that came has 5 kids all under 6 years old. So it´s a bit crazy, they don’t have work or a house right now so the church has been giving them a lot of help. They are living with a friend of theirs until they can figure things out. We are a bit worried about them that they are more interested in the help they are receiving than the gospel. So we are really trying to make sure that they understand the gospel.

At the end of church we were with a bunch of kids at the piano playing and I never thought how much I would miss playing the piano. I was sitting there playing himnos and really missed playing the piano. It makes me so grateful I had the opportunity to learn to play an instrument because the people here don’t have that opportunity because no one has access to a piano or another instrument. So lissa make sure that you really practice hard with your violin because it´s a skill that a lot of people never get the opportunity to learn.

Well family my time is up. I love you and pray for you all each day. Let me know how baby Michael is doing as well as Bre. I hope they are adjusting well. I´m doing really well here! I´m working hard and making each day count. We need miracles here in Casablanca so keep us in your prayers! I love you all so much!  I´m glad to hear you´re all happy and well. Until next week!

Love

Hermana Tycksen