Hey
friends! Thanks for your emails, I love hearing from all of you. Letters are
super fun to write as well....just food for thought haha.
Sooo
this week was both good and bad. Kind of like every week on the mission. But it
was such a good week with some less actives!
Wednesday,
we had a lesson with Elehem and Daniel Alavarez. They are the less actives with
the 2 year old adorable piece of heaven, Franco. They have such a strong desire
to get sealed, but always worked during church. But guess what? More
people can go to church in the afternoon, so President Figares changed the
hours to 2-5! Which back at home or in any other area would probably be awful,
but already this last Sunday like 10 more people were there that can't normally
go. And now, the family Alvarez can get sealed! They are so excited. They just
need to go a few more weeks and finish the temple prep classes. Gahhh I'm so
excited for them! And Daniel gets the Melchizedek Priesthood this Tuesday. I
love them so much.
On
Monday we had had a great lesson with Veronica Cassaravilla. She has two little
girls, Mia and Jasmine, and her husband right now is in Guatemala for a year
for police training. She has a truly sincere desire to change, and already has
been going back to church. The 4 of us had given her a bible, and she told us
she just eats it up! She reads 3 or 4 chapters a night, and told us she can't
sleep if she hasn't read before going to bed. We were talking about the temple
with her, and she said "I know I'm not ready yet. I know that the temple
is a very pure place, and I can't in good conscience walk into the presence of
the Lord knowing that I'm not doing all that I should be doing." You guys,
people here just teach themselves. They teach me so much more than I could ever
teach them! She had also asked us a lot of really profound questions about the
Plan of Salvation. She just wasn't sure why it was actually really necessary
for us to come to Earth. WE gave her Alma 42 to read and said we would come
back. We returned a few days letter, prepared with the answers we had studied
and found, ready for more deep questions. But when we asked her if she had
read, she said "yes, but I got a different answer. I got the answer that
we don't have to have concrete answers to everything. If we think we do, then
we don't have faith. We just need to have faith in the plan and in God. That's
what's important." SHE IS INCREDIBLE. All of these members are progressing
so much, and like I said, they seriously teach themselves! She also confessed
to us that she smokes, but that she's trying really hard to quit. We talked to
her a little bit about fasting, and said we would talk more about it this week
and also do a fast with her. But seriously, she is amazing! She is teaching me
so much! we really hope by the time her husband gets back, she can be his
example to return to church so that they can get sealed.
Another
menos active is Marita. She has a little girl named Aitana. It's complicated
with them because her and her husband (who is also a member but has no interest
in quitting smoking and drinking or coming back to church) is also not
technically her husband....they had gotten divorced, but got back together, but
are just living together. But she also has a desire to change. Seriously you
guys, I feel like we just show up, ask them one question, and then they sit
there and just teach themselves. It's amazing to watch people's thought
processes and how the Spirit slowly gives them answers. Marita is going through
some really hard thigns right now and calls us all the time, so we're working a
lot with her.
Guadalupe
broke my heart this week. She kept having things to do and we could never have
a lesson with her. THis week when we could chat we had asked her how she feels
when she prays. It's the same question we asked her before her vacation, and
she had said that she knows God listens to her and that He's there. This time,
she said "I don't know. I haven't thought about it." Then, we had set
up an appointment to do the lesson of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the church
on SAturday. But she didn't show up. WE called her, and she made some excuse
about how she had to be with her friend. I was already worried about her going
away for two weeks, and now I can see Satan attacking her hard. She also told
her she would be coming to church. We even called her ten minutes before and
she said she would come. But she didn't come. It broke my heart. Now we have to
push her date back. I did figure out thought that maybe just patience and space
this week is going to be good for her. Whether it's that she feels like she's
not ready or whether she doesn't understand the significance of the commitment
of baptism, either way she needs more time. I just started crying when she
canceled on us for the 4th time on Saturday with that lesson. When we went to
the Figares house, I still had tears in my eyes. They asked what happened and
we told them, and sweet Sister Figares said "all we can do is offer. We'll
pray for her, but you need to know you're doing everything you can. If she
doesn't accept it, that's in her and the Lord's hands." I'm thankful for
these challenges that help me get to know my Savior. It makes me think of the
suffering I put Him through when I don't do what I know to be right. The people
here push me to be better, and so does the Lord. Please pray for Guadalupe. She
is too incredible to let the adversary win. She is so close!
Luckily,
the Lord never gives us a bad day without at least one miracle. That same
Saturday, we had a few. We had a lesson with Brian and Angela again. Brian said
he doesn't believe, which uhhhh is so not true! As I testified to Him of the
truthfulness of the existence of Christ and God, I could see that he felt it.
I've never seen it so evident in someone's eyes, and then have them reject it.
But we will continue to be patient. Adan, his cousin, went with us and he is
going to be a big help. Angela is AWESOME and is progressing perfectly!
Leaving
that lesson, we were already late for another one on the other side of our area
with the cousin of a recent R.M. We're walking by a bunch of people, running
practically, and we go by this cute little old lady. The Spirit told me
"talk to her." I told to the Spirit "well, we're late." And
then the Spirit was all "homegirl, you talk to that little old lady right
this second." And I was all "okay, okay." And turned around and
asked this sweet woman how she was doing. She is TINY. Her name is.....and my
family is going to find this absolutely hilar (especially my sister and Dad)....ChiChi.
Haha okay so that's her nickname, but she said "they call me Chichi! Call
me that, chicas." So we talked to her for a couple minutes, got her
address and a return appointment. Our little miracle!
The
lesson we had immediately after that with this cousin, Guillermo, was awesome.
He is really quiet and timid, but when he does talk it's really great things.
He's 21 and the only thing is he is a little scared of what his mom will say,
but he's trying to find a house in a different area to live alone. So we can
teach him the lessons, and then when he moves out of her house he can get
baptized. He is really great, and it was super effective to have his cousin,
Leandro there.
Lots
of other little miracles that happened this week, but alas I have already taken
a gazillion years. I will end with the best district meeting of my mission:
Elder
Trucolo (the Elder who is working in my branch as well; he was with Elder
Espinoza last change) is my District Leader this change. We started out talking
about the normal stuff, but then Elder Trucolo started talking about making
sure we are being true disciples of Christ. He talked about the significance of
Christ's washing of the disciples feet in John 13. He told us all to open our
Bibles and read John 13:4-17, imagining that the Savior were here and we were
his apostles. In silence, we did so. As we read, Elder Trucolo quietly took a
towel and shoe cleaner and went from person to person, cleaning our shoes. The
point was to make us think of how we would feel if the Savior were washing our
feet. The Spirit was one of the strongest I've ever felt in my life. It was
almost like I could hear the water. I could feel the Savior very close. As I shared
in district meeting after the experience, it amazes me that in verses 2 and 3,
it says:
2 And
supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot,
Simon’s son, to betray him;
3 Jesus knowing that the
Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and
went to God;
The
Savior already knew who would betray Him. And you know what He did, in spite of
that?
He
washed his feet.
I make
mistakes every day. I've made a lot of mistakes on my mission, just as every
missionary. The Savior knew every mistake I would make. He knew when I would
let Him down. And what does He do for me, every day?
He
washes my feet.
He
washes yours too. It's never too late to accept it. He is always there.
Funny
story for the week:
We're
at a little birthday party, and Elder T. and I are sitting next to each other.
He keeps drinking all of his soda, then switching is empty glass with my full
one. Then I look, get confused, look around, and he switches them back. He does
this literally 3 times until I notice it's him. Then the Hermana comes to fill
our glasses back up, and he goes "careful of the Hermana. She keeps losing
her drink." Well, he says this as I am taking a sip, and I spit out soda
ALL OVER HIM from laughing. Hahaha, sweet revenge.
I love
you, I love you, I love you!
Hermana
Dolan
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