But things have been going well. This week, FRIDAY, is the BIG
DAY!!! It is going to be a marathon day, where Nora and Jose are going
to get married and afterwards are going to get baptized. We are all
crazy excited. Also this Sunday we finally got around to giving Wilmer
is hymn book and scriptures. We wrote in one of the pages his
confirmation blessing. Afterwards he told me "Hermana! Do you know what
is my favorite part of my blessing? This part!" I looked over and it was
where it talked about him going on a mission. Basically this kid is
sooo awesome! And I can´t wait for him to have a year as a member so
that he can serve the Lord. Fabiola also promised us she was going to
visit with us this week, and she wants to go to the temple super
badly... which is great.
Also, every day we are finding MORE and MORE less actives. It is
crazy. When I came here we had a list of about 5 families. The other
week I decided to make a list of the less actives that we have found and
are working with, and we had over 20 individuals/families. It is easy
here to lose people... and even harder to find them... but luckily the
Savior knows his sheeps and send his missionaries out to find them. It
is good to talk to them, because many times people fall away for small
reasons... seeds of doubt that have never been resolved. Often times all
they need is help to clear up their doubt, and an invitation to come
back. Here it is a little harder because there are not really home
teachers or visiting teachers, which leaves us trying to make up the
difference. So this is my call to all to do your home teaching and
visiting teaching! And if you have not been doing it, repent, and start
today! Because truly God needs us to help feed his sheep, and to teach
them.
For other exciting news, Yisenia (a member) had her baby this
week!!! A beautiful baby boy! So here things are a lot different, you
are expected to visit someone soon after having their baby. So we went
and got to see him when he was three days old, and he is the most
precious thing in the entire world. Yisenia wanted me to do some
Catholic things with him, and I was a little confused, but I think it
was to rub off some of my gringa ness onto him haha. I am a little sad,
because if it was going to be a girl, she was going to name her Katie
after me... but it is alright because God is perfect and knew she needed
another little boy. Also, Yisenia is the sister in law of Jose; they
live two houses away from each other.
This week we were contacting people, and I realized that we had
contacted almost all of this street, and the other street... and almost
all of the areas. I was feeling a little disheartened, but I decided,
hey, God is always helping us find more so it is alright. Then, the next
day a member went out with us to teach us where one of his friends
live, and he taught us an area that we had never been to before! Boom!
Blessings! So now we have a new area to contact and to find more people.
We have also started a goal, where if one of our lessons fall through
we contact at least two of their neighbors. So we have been getting to
find a lot of new people because almost every day our lessons fall
through-- since most people here do not really plan their days. So at
least we are getting to know lots and lots of people :)
Also, I want to share a few things I learned this week.
1.
"si poco logramos, es porque poco hicimos" which is "If we only gain a
little, it is becuase we only did a little." Yesterday there was a
conference for the Relief Society, and the Relief society president of
the district said this. It definately struck me that I need to work
harder, because I do not want to leave one area feeling like I did not
work hard... I do not want to have any regrets for my service. It is the
same in our lives as well. When we die, we do not want to look back and
think, darn it! I could have done all of these things but I never put
in the effort to do it.
2. Lost sheep need the opportunity to share. I was reading an
article by Elder Packer the other day, and he was talking about one time
when he was in a stake conference. He talked about how the Stake
President wanted to put the best people to speak that day.. the members
who had strong testimonies, who were leaders. Elder Packer said he
wanted to keep some time for testimonies out of the congregation. Elder
Packer called a few people out as he felt prompted by the Spirit. One
was a member who had been active, then less active, then active.. but
had always had a hard time with his testimony. He called him up to
speak, and at first as he was speaking he was very bitter... and then by
the end he was crying and testifying that he knew the church was true.
Elder Packer explained that many times in church we invite the people to
speak and to pray that are strong, that have strong testimonies, when
we should really be inviting the people who are struggling-- because in
the end it will be more of a benefit for them.
3. The atonement of Jesus Christ is perfect, and only through him can we be change and be saved.
Well I love you all and hope you have a great week!
