February 16, 2015

feliz dia de amor para el senor!

This week was absolutely amazing and I just cant believe all the tender mercies my heavenly father blessed me with this week. I learned the importance of obedience this week, but not just to obey because its a rule or a commandment, but to obey because of our love for the savior. This week I wanted to see miracles in our area, and I remember the quote "obedience brings blessings, exact obedience brings miracles" so I really tried hard this week to look for the things I was doing so-so and to change. Well I saw miracles!

First of all I think Heavenly Father thinks hes funny. He likes to wait until the last minute to bless us but without fail he does it. So a less active women in the ward has brought her mom to church the last couple of week, and we had talked to her and all this time I thought she was visiting or lived in another area. But last sunday I got to talking to her and asking how she liked church and she said she loved it and wanted to change her life. Well I found out she lives in our area!! well ok its really like 20 minutes away and in the middle of no where but its our area! so we started to visit her. Monday night we went with the bishop to their farm and she was waiting for us! she said she was scared we werent going to show up! she has such a desire to learn and even though she cant read she has so much faith. The lesson was so powerful. In the end she asked us to teach her to pray and when she prayed for the first time, she cried. Obviously we invited this golden investigator to be baptized and she accepted! the best part is she has gone to church 3 times so she can be baptized as soon as she has all the lessons! so happy birthday to me! IM GOING TO HAVE A BAPTISM! the tender mercy is Hermana Despain and I set the goal to have a baptism this transfer and when our other fell through we thought that was the end because we didnt have other investigators with church attendence, but Heavenly Father is so nice and put catolina in our path. And shes just great! the problem is we have to pay a fortune to go to her house but its so worth it! shes always waiting for us with a burning desire to learn. and yesterday she came to church all by herself! all of her family who are less active were partying the night before and she said she knew she had to come to church even if it was alone. I love it! oh but funny story, when we got there for the first time with the bishop, a woman walked out and gretted us with a kiss but when she opened her mouth to talk, I realized it wasnt a woman!  I got kissed by a man! oh my satan is working eveywhere even in the middle of no where! the funny part is I think we were more worried that a man kissed us than the fact that he was a she. Look what being a missionary has done to me!

This valentines day was one of the most special Ive had (not that Ive had many special ones haha) as I was relecting back on the last 6 months of my mission I was brought to tears. This valentines day, I realized that out here I have learned what true love is. I have such a love for the people I have met, love that I cant explain. Ive learned to love people I never thought I could. Ive learned to love my savior. Ive gained a stronger love for my family, more than I thought was possible. I thought I knew what love was before, and I was so wrong. This is the kind of love a boyfriend cant satisfy haha. I remember when I got set apart the stake president said I would come to love the people, and then I got here 5 months ago and remember thinking to myself how could I love people so different than me? I really struggled with loveing the people at first. And now I cant even think about them without being brought to tears. I dont know how Ill ever say goodbye. My only hope is knowing that one day we will be reunited in the presence of our loving heavenly father.

Biggest miracle of the week! AMERICA PRAYED! I dont know if I told you but when we first started teaching her she was terrifed to pray. terrified! she said she just couldnt do it. Well this week after one of our lessons we asked her who she wanted to say the prayer and she said she wanted to! I about died! I was crying throughout the entire prayer. She was crying too and afterwards she said with tears in her eyes that it was her first prayer. I just couldnt help but give her a big hug. That moment honestly topped them all! I dont have a doubt in my mind that she will be baptized.

So funny story of the week, we went to a memebers house to eat and I thought she had asked us if we liked olives on our pizza but she really said sardines! Yeah dad, I know I used to like sardines but something about pizza and cheese and sardines just doesnt go well! I think thats about the worst thing I have eaten so far.

We also had our activity saturday and it turned out to be soo good! lots of members showed up and I think it really helped them to feel more comfortable to share the gospel. it was just a really good week!

and now we are going into our last week of this transfer and I think it will end really well. Im excited to see some changes by next week!

well I love you all! 

 

hermana stewart

 

p.s. if anyone is feeling really nice and wants to send me licorice to satisfy my craving you will be my favorite person in the world! I just need to eat something from the US!