So the newbies arrived on Wednesday!!! There were 16 Elders and only 4 Hermanas. 2 Latinas and 2 Americanas. During the conference, President asked me to be his translator to help the people understand, as I was the only American girl training HA - my companion is Hermana Child and she is fabulous. She also has a great sense of humor and she is 19 and is from Farmington, Utah - like just about everyone on the mission, Utah, Utah, Utah... :) She can't speak hardly anything and we are starting from the basics from the color blue...poor thing, but has the biggest heart and is ready to learn!! I've learned so much about her in only three days and it feels like I've known her FOREVER! She has the best attitude and a huge smile, I'm super excited for this transfer!!
So this week, God threw miracle after miracle at us. On Saturday, we searched and searched for all of our investigators to remind and invite them to come to church, well...no one was home :(. We offered prayer after prayer and we ended up having 1 hour left of our day. I decided to give my companion 3 cards to give away and to contact the rest of the night. That whole day we practiced "somos misionarias de la iglesia de Jesucristo" (We are missionaries of the church of Jesus Christ). She knew she sounded like a Gringa (American) but smiled and was confident and took the lead. Our first contact she found was a family that was ahead of us and she said, "alright we are going to run and catch-up to that family", so we did. Unfortunately, they weren't interested, but we went for her second contact and my companion said her thing and then the mom say, "Hola Hermanas", she was a member with her daughter who is 10 years old and still hasn't been baptized! She said she is in-active but is thinking about going back to church. I shared with her that we had 30 minutes left of our day to find investigators to come to church and God put her in our path. We shared a message with her and her little girl and got them both excited abou church! That night my companion was talking to me about how we really do just about anything we can to talk to people, don't we!! "Running up to people to give just a little card, whipping out the scriptures when you have 3 minutes to talk before the bus/collectivo arrives to take your investigator away, squatting down to teach someone through their window practically with your head upside down, praying and singing in the streets - and it doesn't matter about the dogs and cockroaches, etc." I just laughed and said, "welcome to the mission, it will be one you will never forget!!"
That same Saturday, we found a family. Our second visit, we came to invite them to come to church with us. She has 4 kids, super young, all of them under the age of 11. She and her husband, which btw are MARRIED!! Who Hoo!!! When we came to visit, her kids ran up and gave us a huge, "Welcome". We shared a message with the family but the mom is super scared because she is comfortable at the church she goes to and has church the same time we do. Well, I decided to ask if we could offer a prayer together as a family. So I whispered in one of the kid's ears to go get her other brothers and sisters to join us. I said to them that with my family at home, we kneel on our knees as a family and so we did - right on the dirt!! Haha. We had all the kids put their hands in the middle, "spirit fingers", and then folded our arms, bowed our heads, and closed our eyes. As we offered the prayer, the atmosphere was super peaceful and reverent. We talked to the mom a little bit more and committed to listed to the lessons with her kids and her husband which we still haven't met. Right as we were about to leave the littlest girl whispers in the mom's ear and says, " Mom, I want to go to that church". As we left, I asked for a kiss on the cheek "their culture greeting and goodbye" and instead, she threw her arms out wide and gave me a huge kiss on the cheek and a great big hug at the same time.
I will never forget this moment I had with this family. I know that in my heart, this family has been waiting for the gospel and as we work with them more, they will find answers and become an eternal family. I know that God puts people in our path to help others. There are people waiting, even if I have to get my skirt all dirty and kneel on the dirt floor. I'll do it! or Throw myself out of my comfort zone to share the gospel. I'll do it! Because I love them and I'll do it because I love this work that I was called to do. I know this gospel is true with all my heart, might, mind and strength. It is the only way to our Father in Heaven and I'm willing to give up all that I have to be faithful members in HIS church and do what HE asks me to do. I know that He lives and loves us and He wants to bring us nothing but eternal happiness.
Homework: Acts 9:6
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
So this week, God threw miracle after miracle at us. On Saturday, we searched and searched for all of our investigators to remind and invite them to come to church, well...no one was home :(. We offered prayer after prayer and we ended up having 1 hour left of our day. I decided to give my companion 3 cards to give away and to contact the rest of the night. That whole day we practiced "somos misionarias de la iglesia de Jesucristo" (We are missionaries of the church of Jesus Christ). She knew she sounded like a Gringa (American) but smiled and was confident and took the lead. Our first contact she found was a family that was ahead of us and she said, "alright we are going to run and catch-up to that family", so we did. Unfortunately, they weren't interested, but we went for her second contact and my companion said her thing and then the mom say, "Hola Hermanas", she was a member with her daughter who is 10 years old and still hasn't been baptized! She said she is in-active but is thinking about going back to church. I shared with her that we had 30 minutes left of our day to find investigators to come to church and God put her in our path. We shared a message with her and her little girl and got them both excited abou church! That night my companion was talking to me about how we really do just about anything we can to talk to people, don't we!! "Running up to people to give just a little card, whipping out the scriptures when you have 3 minutes to talk before the bus/collectivo arrives to take your investigator away, squatting down to teach someone through their window practically with your head upside down, praying and singing in the streets - and it doesn't matter about the dogs and cockroaches, etc." I just laughed and said, "welcome to the mission, it will be one you will never forget!!"
That same Saturday, we found a family. Our second visit, we came to invite them to come to church with us. She has 4 kids, super young, all of them under the age of 11. She and her husband, which btw are MARRIED!! Who Hoo!!! When we came to visit, her kids ran up and gave us a huge, "Welcome". We shared a message with the family but the mom is super scared because she is comfortable at the church she goes to and has church the same time we do. Well, I decided to ask if we could offer a prayer together as a family. So I whispered in one of the kid's ears to go get her other brothers and sisters to join us. I said to them that with my family at home, we kneel on our knees as a family and so we did - right on the dirt!! Haha. We had all the kids put their hands in the middle, "spirit fingers", and then folded our arms, bowed our heads, and closed our eyes. As we offered the prayer, the atmosphere was super peaceful and reverent. We talked to the mom a little bit more and committed to listed to the lessons with her kids and her husband which we still haven't met. Right as we were about to leave the littlest girl whispers in the mom's ear and says, " Mom, I want to go to that church". As we left, I asked for a kiss on the cheek "their culture greeting and goodbye" and instead, she threw her arms out wide and gave me a huge kiss on the cheek and a great big hug at the same time.
I will never forget this moment I had with this family. I know that in my heart, this family has been waiting for the gospel and as we work with them more, they will find answers and become an eternal family. I know that God puts people in our path to help others. There are people waiting, even if I have to get my skirt all dirty and kneel on the dirt floor. I'll do it! or Throw myself out of my comfort zone to share the gospel. I'll do it! Because I love them and I'll do it because I love this work that I was called to do. I know this gospel is true with all my heart, might, mind and strength. It is the only way to our Father in Heaven and I'm willing to give up all that I have to be faithful members in HIS church and do what HE asks me to do. I know that He lives and loves us and He wants to bring us nothing but eternal happiness.
Homework: Acts 9:6
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
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