October 20, 2014

 

In the Sun She Melted

 

Wow first of all I wish I could even begin to tell you how hot it is here! I never imagined heat like this! And its only october! I´m getting really scared for the summer they say it gets up to 55 degrees celcius! Luckily I have extra protection as a missionary so I should make it out alive! But its terrible. I cant sleep....I literally just sweat all day long!  This week they cut the water for 2 days and so we didnt have ANY water to shower. And they cut the power here ALOT....one night the power was out all night and it was bad because our only fan that we have obviously didn´t work. That was probably the worst night of my life haha.

So tuesday we had a conference with some of the hermanas in our mission and the President and his wife. It was  3 hours away and no bus left Aguaray early enough so we got to spend monday night with the sisters in our zone. It was way fun! While we were waiting for a taxi to go to their house, I felt fear for the first time since I got here! This guy walked up to us and stood real close to us and was talking non sense and even my companion couldn´t understand him and he was holding a bible so we asked him if he believed in God and then he goes off saying he is SATANIC! and sooo scary! we didn´t know what to do but finally the taxi came. Stuff like that is proof that God watches out for his missionaries! The next morning we had to get up at 4:30 to head to oran for the conference. Oh guess what? I can now officially say that I got bit by a dog haha while we were waiting for the bus at the terminal there was a dog under our bench and I didn´t know it and I accidently kicked him and he bit my leg! Scariest moment of my life (besides being approached by a satanic person) But I´m fine it didn´t hurt as much as it scared me! 

The conference was really good! Alot of things that had been on my mind were answered and its always good to hear from other sisters who have been or are going through trials as well. 

After the conference we had divisions with the sister training leaders. I went to Colonial with Hermana Astle and my companion went back to Aguaray. I LOVED it! I learned SO much from her. She is a really hard worker and really motivated me to do more. We worked really hard in the 1 1/2 days I was there and ended up setting 3 baptismal dates! It really gave me hope for the future! 

But the funniest thing happened! We were teaching a lady who is sick and at the end of the lesson when we were ending the lesson, I asked if there was something we could do for her and I didn´t fully understand what she was saying but I knew she was talking about her health so I told her I could pray for her. Anyways we were getting up to leave and she says so do you want me to sit here and you can pray? and she puts her hands on her head motioning that she thought I was going to give her a blessing! Oh I felt so bad when I had to explain to her that only the elders can give priesthood blessings. haha but it was so funny. 

So I came back to Aguaray and not much has happened since. Its really hard to teach people when its this hot because all they do is SLEEP! I cant even believe how much the people here sleep! Everything is closed from 1-6 pm! Summer is going to be a little tough, but I am learning the importance of diligence. Its tough having a companion who doesn´t like to work but I am trying really hard to find out what motivates her so we can become better missionaries. 

Yesterday I got called to be the 1st counselor in the relief society! Its a huge stress on my shoulders because we already have so much work to do! Not only do we have to find new people to teach, but we have to run the church too. Right now I´m not really sure how to help the relief society but Im hoping with lots of prayer and fasting I can know what it is that I need to do and why I have been called to this position. 

Also another stress I have is my district and zone leaders told me that I need to learn everything really quick because there is 32 new hermanas coming in December and I could be training! I´m hoping not because I do not feel prepared in the least bit to train a new missionary! But we will see what will happen. Today marks the end of 1 full transfer here! how crazy is that? 

This upcoming week we have planned to focus on the few investigators we have and the new ones we found the last couple of weeks. Weve been trying to work and focus on strengthening the members but its not really working. So half the week we are going to focus on investigators and the other half with the members and our other calling. 

Something I have learned from the scriptures this week is from the example of Nephi. As I was preparing our lesson for our book of mormon class I learned alot about the character of Nephi, and how even though he had hundreds of trials, never once did he complain (or at least he never wrote it out haha) I am learning the power of attitude. I realized while I was doing divisions with the sister training leader that the reason we had success wasn´t because the people were any different or Heavenly Father loves them more and has prepared them more than the people here in Aguaray, but it was all about the attitude. Hermana Astle didnt have one bad thing to say about her area and that was a lesson for me. If I look at Aguaray as an impossible area, its going to be impossible. So from now on, I am going to look at this area as an area waiting for miracles to happen! 

Also I was reading in the scriptures about the anti-nephi-lehis and how they burried their weapons of war and I decided to write all the things that are keeping me from being the best missionary I can be (and there are alot!) Afterwards, I put them in an envelope and sealed it up. Those things are my weapons of war right now and its my goal to bury those things and become better. 

I´m so grateful for this opportunity in my life to be a missionary. People always told me that the mission is hard, but I never could have expected it to be this hard. But Im grateful because this is an opportunity I have to learn, grow, and change. I heard a quote this week that I want you all to think about "Its the same boiling water that hardens the egg, and softens the carrot." Just think about that for a minute. 

I am learning to rely on my Heavenly father more than ever before. I know he is with me. I know that with his help I can do anything. how blessed I am to be a representative of his son Jesus Christ. In the MTC someone told me that I will be the closest thing to the Savior that some people will ever experience. That thought has come to my mind daily as I have to constantly remind myself who I represent and try to become more like him for people who need to come to know him. 

Anyways I´m off to go to work and save souls :) Pray for me in this heat! I love you all and am thankful as always for your love and support! 

 

con amor,

hermana stewart  

 

My mission presidents wife told us that if we need to go buy ice cream, go buy ice cream so we took her advice! Ice cream will always be my comfort food ;) Im so glad they have it here!