another week gone by

Well, I don't have much time to write my weekly email this week:) Amazing how quickly an hour can go by!!!Ok first things first... we went to a museum last monday and OH MY GOSH!! At first not too exciting. They had computers from the 80s and 90s just to paint a picture... Then we went upstairs and they had dead stuffed animals. One was a Quetzal which is the bird of Guatemala. Then we went into the other room and I stumbled upon a FETUS!!! A HUMAN FETUS! The most amazing part... it was in a JAM JAR!!! Just a regular old jar that they probably found on the side of the road... I couldn't believe it! It was four months along too so all the features were there too. There was also a brain, less surprising for me than the fetus. Ps... I had to pay 6 times what my comp had to pay because I am a foreigner... Ridiculous! Really it was like 70 cents but still!After the museum we were going to go see the Municipal (government building) but the girl that was showing us around told us there was a music store. So I immediately wanted to go there to see if there was possibly a violin. There was and I BOUGHT IT! I was only 60 or 70 I think in dollars (mom please check and make sure they didn't charge me more than that, it was 560 Quetzals... you can figure out the conversion) the bridge wasn't on the instrument so I put it together to try it before buying it. Inside the instrument it said that it was handcrafted... they didn't think so but I am convinced it was. The sound quality is actually really good. It is small... only a 3/4 size but I love it! A great memory and hopefully you got the pic of me with it in the municipal garden. We have played for a few of the members and they love it! I was so excited and played for like an hour when we got home. It is tiny compared to my viola but I am so glad i found it!!After we went to McDonalds... YEAH! We got permission to go and all of you know McDonalds is by far NOT my favorite fast food place, but I got a McFlurry too and that was great. They were supposed to be snickers McFlurries but were butterfingers... those little buggers!! So in case you were wondering... Latins LOVE LOVE LOVE mayonesa!! (I don't know how to spell it in english) IT is SO gross:) Hna Ramos will pile chicken and what ever else with mayonesa!! SO GROSS!! (I just got told I need to finish soon... I need to write this first and then write everyone because some how the time is more organized...)Anyway, we have baptism date with one of our investigators. IT was a bit of a surprise and came out of nowhere but we challenged her with a date. She didn't come to church so we will see what happens. That is exciting though! We are finally making progress with investigators and finding more that are more positive. So that is great! We walk a lot every day, but finally i am getting used to it.So I don't think I have told you before but there is a volcano here. Our leaders are hiking it today so that we can hike it in 2 weeks. It is HUGE and I have heard takes about 5-6 hours... I am already nervous but so excited to see the view up there. So last funny story before I have to go. There are these men that bug us every day that live by us. They wistle at us and it is SO annoying. Well the other day we got a reference from a member and found this kid. We started talking to him and set up a cita. We asked him where he lived and he started describing and then just gave up and said... I live across the street from you. We had nicknamed these men the diablos (devils... just like the dogs) and it was so funny when we realized he was one of them and he realized that we are not dogs... when the men wistle or cat call to women here, they do it in the same way when they are trying to get rid of the dogs. It is really funny sometimes because they will call out to me and I don't understand anything so we just laugh until Hna Ramos can explain to me what they said... for example one man said "una negra y una blanca... no me interesa..." translation... a black and a white... not important to me. It was soo funny! I couldn't believe he said that! But that is the culture here... woman are comparable to the dogs I guess.Humbling experience of the week. We went to visit some members and when we walked into their house there was a miny waterfall in their living room and the floor was destroyed with a huge pile of dirt in their living room. A pipe had broken and they don't have house plans like we do so they had no idea where the broken pipe was. I don't know why but there also wasn't a way to turn the water off. They were destroying all different areas of their house trying to find it. The wife would sweep the water into the holes in the ground every few minutes and it was crazy how much water was coming into the house. Here is this sweet family in their humble home that is currently being destroyed and they sit down and start talking to us about how we are doing and if we need anything. They have smiles on their faces and dont seem stressed or upset one bit. I was so touched by their genuine humility and when we left, they agreed to help us with a member who has a drinking problem. In the midst of their trial they were more than willing to help us. IT was a neat experience for me and I am grateful for their example to me. It was really humbling to see.Anyway, time is up! I am so SO excited for conference! A missionary vacation that is full of great talks! AND i get to watch it in english... don't get me wrong spanish is coming along great but I am so excited to get the words in english! I had to watch the RS session saturday in spanish and didn't get much from it. IT is really hard when it is just being translated because watching lips helps so much understand what they are saying. Anyway I LOVE YOU!! I can't wait to hear that zach and karli are having a boy:) and how everyone is. Happy October this week and just think, we will be watching conference together and doing the exact same thing at the exact same time! I LOVE YOU! Talk to you next week!!Love, Hna Nelson