Aug. 26, 2013

Let me tell you guys about my amazing week that I had!

Ok, so Tuesday we had a training meeting, and Sister Adorable and I had to give a training because we're sister training leaders. We taught 100 missionaries about how to have effective comp study, and why it is important, it was so scary! But everyone said we did a good job, so I guess it was alright. Anyway, there were several other really good trainings, so we went to lunch when it was done, and had a great companion inventory. we decided that there were a few things that we could do better, and some different things that we could try to be more effective with our time and find new people. And this week we were so blessed because of it.

Miracle one: On  Wednesday we went  to one of the trailer parks  in our area to visit all of the former investigators. No one answered, so  we decided to try Janeth. Janeth is an eterigator (we think Emily means she is an eternal investigator),  she's had all the lessons several times, but  never went to church, and eventually told the missionaries to stop coming. I'd never met her because she wouldn't answer the door. Well we knocked, not expecting anything, and she answered! Then she invited us in, and we found out that she had been praying to know what God wanted her  to do, then we came.  She's been reading the BoM for the whole time, and is in Alma. She says her prayers everyday alone and with her husband and sons. After the lesson, she told us she wants to be baptized, but she wants to wait until her husband is ready because she wants to do it together. 

Miracle Two: On Thursday we had three set lessons, but they all fell through. When we went to go visit a couple they were on their way out, so we were a little sad, but in the yard of the next trailer, there was a Hispanic man, and sister Adorable was trying to figure out how go get his attention, when the phone fell out of her hand! It fell under the car, and none of us could reach it. So this man, Guiermo, came over and helped us. We started talking to him, and he said that he used to have the missionaries over all the time, but when they went home no one came back. He has a 12 year old daughter and an 8 year old son! He said he'd love to have us come over and teach him more! So exciting.

Miracle Three: When we did weekly planning we decided to try something another sister had told us about. We chose a color, and prayed that every person wearing that color on Friday would know someone new who would come to church on Sunday. We went the whole day and no one was wearing orange. Then we picked up a member to go meet her friend that we've been trying to get a hold of for a while, and she and her son were both wearing orange, but we didn't think anything of it. We went and visited Karen, and she was super nice and said she wants to learn more. We invited her to come to church on Sunday and she said yes! Then I leaned over to my companions and said "do you see what color they're wearing?" they hadn't even noticed haha.

Miracle Four: We are teaching the daughter of a recent convert, and she is super nice. We taught her the plan of Salvation, and she loved it. The spirit was really strong, and we invited her to be baptized on the 14th of September and she said yes!

Miracle Five: We had another lesson with Janeth on Saturday, and her husband was there, we taught Plan of Salvation, and they were so excited about it. He is nervous because he knows that there is a lot to change in his life, but they both committed to being baptized on the 21st, and they came to church on Sunday and loved it! This was their first time, they were so nervous, but they came!

So... that was my amazing week. 

Emily's Week, Aug. 12, 2013

Here is my week: on thursday we had dinner planning on teaching a 21 yr old man who is living with him member father and step mom. He wasn't there, but we were talking to her about a sister in the ward who she is good friends with who is having a hard time. This sister's 18 yr old daughter died in a horrible car crash in February the day after she got engaged to a wonderful young man in our ward. They were supposed to get married this last Saturday. The mom has been having such a hard time with it, but she still comes to church for her kids. After dinner I asked if we could go visit her, and so we did. When we got there she was so happy to see us, and we talked for a while. It turns out that the night before she had been talking to her husband who is in the bishopbric, and he told her to just have faith, and she said it was too hard. Then, the day we came over, he and the boys were out working, her daughters left to play with friends, and she was praying so hard because she didn't want to be alone, she didn't think she could handle it. Less than 5 minutes after she finished the prayer, we knocked on her door. She started to cry and said we were her angels that God sent to help her. I felt so humbled and thankful that we were able to listen to the spirit and help her when she was at her worst moment.

Next, on Friday we were teaching a family, and a young man named Manuel lives with them, so he joined us. The mom shut down as soon as we brought out the BoM, and wouldn't listen anymore. But Manuel loved what we talked about, he committed to be baptized! but he's not on date yet. He came to church on Sunday and really liked it! We're going to go see him again on Wednesday, so that will be great!

Sunday night we had a lesson with Rudolfo (the 21 yr old who didn't show for dinner) finally. We've been waiting on that one for a month. We did a small FHE with the whole family, and we taught the restoration. The spirit was so strong! He was interested in hearing more, so we're going back there this week too. Right before we left, his step-mom came and thanked us, she said it was good for Rudolfo, and for her husband, who is less-active. She almost cried. It was such a great week!

Transfers!

Here is Emily's news for this week.

The work is great, there is a family of 5 we are teaching, and we're going to commit them to be baptized this weekend, I know that they will say yes, and I'm so excited! We have dinner every single night, and it's great authentic Hispanic food (aka rice, beans, avocado, tomatoes etc with every meal) But it really is good. I quickly learned to eat everything put in front of me, but slowly so I don't have to eat thirds (because you always have to eat seconds). I'm not actually driving, so it's not bad at all ha ha. But I appreciate having a car for sure.

So, transfers were last week, and my trainer and I were both really nervous because the MP(Mission President) sent everyone an email saying things were going to be different, and we wouldn't be able to predict it. So on Monday we got a call, and we both thought we were getting transferred. But it turns out that we were called to be Sister Training Leaders instead! I don't understand, I'm only on my second transfer, and now it's my job to help sisters learn more about being a missionary! Why would they listen to little old me?

Then Tuesday night we got another call, saying that we [were] to co-train a sister who was coming to wait for her visa. I'M NOT DONE BEING TRAINED YET!!! How can I train someone else? But at the same time, I know that President Hansen prayed long and hard about all of these things, plus 1 Nephi 3:7 and all that, so I've been super humbled, and I hope that I can be a good example to this new sister while I continue to learn.

Speaking of new sister, she's Hermana Carter, just got here on Wednesday, she's waiting to go to Argentina, but she's happy to be here, which is so nice. Some times "visa waiters" are angry to be in the states, but she is such a good sport, and so nice, I love her already. So that was my crazy transfer week, crazy, humbling, scary... you name it. But I love it, and I'm just really happy to be here, and to still have Hermana Adorable here to help me out.