The Holy Week

¡Hola familia!
This week was a good week.  This whole week was the Semana Santa and every day they had either some loud music blasting or some sort of procession through the town.  In fact one night we woke up at 1 and 3 in the morning to a loud band passing by.  The best part about it was how bad the band was and it ended up sounded like a bad funeral march with an over active tuba.  Then for the Semana Santa on friday the decorate the streets with alfombras or with leaves and flowers and designs.  We left our apartment after lunch on friday and the streets were covered.  It was so beautiful and it smelled like fresh herbs.  It was so much fun to see and walk through.

So this week, I talked to some people who know Eli.  We talked to this lady that was selling pastelitos (fried dough around some potato thing) and she said her daughter and son are members in La Magdalena which is in the zone.  She said that that was years ago and then my companion said maybe she knows your cousin.  So I asked and she did!  She said that Eli (or Elder Estevens) baptized her kids and that he was always giving service.  I was so proud of my cousin.  She also said that Eli loved pupusas. Her name was Melisia or Melissa or something.  I wish I new more but she was old so her kids are all grown up and still active in the church. Then later on in the week I met Eli old cook Myra or something.  I was so excited to talk to her and I told her I was Eli´s cousin and she said something and then left.  It was a very short conversation. 

Conference was great!  It is strange how now that I am on a mission I loved conference.  The missionaries here said that conference is like a vacation because you just sit and listen and feel the spirit.  And it was like a vacation!  It was great.  We got to watch all of the Saturday sessions in english in a small room in the church.  On Sunday morning they had to use the tv for a backup room so we could only watch it in spanish but then we got to watch the afternoon session in english again.  I admit it was hard to focus during the spanish session so I didn´t get much out of that session but the other ones were great.  The theme for this conference was definitely the family.  I am so happy to have a great family!  I love you all!

Yesterday when we were passing for our investigators and recent converts we saw a miracle.  The mother of the difficult lady said we had to take them but we told her that we couldn´t take them back.  Then she said to just have a member that lives nearby take them back to the house!  We were stunned.  This is what we have been telling her for a month but she always says that we have to take them to church and bring them back and no one else can do it.  We definitely saw a miracle.  We also learned that the members have brought them clothes this week and so we can see that her heart was truly softened towards the church.
This week one of the wards went on a trip to the beach.  We were so jealous.  I am not going to lie.  It is hot here.  Every time we walk outside I start sweating like a pig and I have sweat marks all over my back and my armpits.  Luckily there is no one to impress here.  But two nights this week it has actually rained.  We had to walk through the rain and all the El Salvadorians tell us we are crazy and they want us to go to our house.  But I enjoy the rain and then no one can tell that I was sweaty because my whole shirt is wet.

So just some quick answers: I like to talk to the Elders.  I always forget that they are younger than me because they have leadership positions.  Also, it is hot when we play soccer but the fun of playing soccer over weighs the heat.  I would rather play especially because as sisters we don´t get to play all that often.
Today the zone is going to San Salvador again because each companionship had a baptism is the month of march so we get to go to that Chinese Restaurant again and eat with other missionaries and President Lopez!
Well I hope that everyone had a wonderful Easter!  I can´t imagine the feeling of spring.  It must be beautiful in the states with the buds and the flowers coming up.   I love you all.  The work keeps progressing.  We have transfers next week so we will see what will happen.  Everyone thinks that I will stay and Hermana Cash is leaving.  That is the most probable thing since she has only been in this area her whole mission.  Happy April.

Love
Hermana Bush

The pictures are of our 4 baptisms last week of the four kids, our zone when we went to play soccer 2 weeks ago, my turf burned leg after my companion ran into me when we played soccer last week, and me walking in the streets with the alfombras.