June 29,2015

The miracles just keep coming

 

Monday-

Tonight we had 2 set appointments that fell through which was a big bummer. We ended up finding one of our references that we had recieved from a member. Turned out it was a 94 year old lady who literally was on her death bed. Her granddaughter had asked one of the members to send us there to pray for her. She couldnt talk and I dont know if she could hear us but we prayed for her at her bedside. It was actually a good experience to remind me of the importance of service. Sometimes we get so caught up with numbers and trying to teach as many lessons as we can, that I forget we are here to serve in other ways too. Afterwards I felt like we should visit a less active who I literally had only met once and could hardly remember where she lived. But when we showed up, she told us that her husband had got in an accident a few days before and had been trying to get ahold of someone to give him a priesthood blessing. Hes in a hospital in the area of our Zone Leaders so I called them up and gave them the address and they were able to go and give him a blessing. I seriously love being on the lords errand!

Tuesday-

Today was an interesting day to say the least! We had our district meeting in the morning and our district leader had asked a reciently returned missionary to do the training and it was interesting because obviously our missions are completely different. He was teaching us all sorts of things that I didnt agree with saying that when we first talk to someone and they have problems like are living with their boyfriend, or if they go to another chuch actively, or dont seem interested we shouldnt waste our time. We should only talk to those who are ready to be baptized right away. WHAT? I think those who needs us the most are those people! So anyways we left the meeting laughing to ourselves a little. We visited veronica after lunch and we asked her how she was feeling about her baptism for saturday. She still acted a little doubtful. I was still so worried that she would fall through again. I literally have been praying all week and will continue to pray until we find out what her doubt is or what is keeping her from being baptized. Shes almost read the whole book of mormon, shes praying, she goes to church. I dont get it! But we will keep fighting until saturday! We went back to our apartment to study and in the middle of our companionship study, one of the other hermanas came to us and said we needed to help her take her companion to the emergency room because she couldnt breathe. We had all been sick and they were throwing up like crazy it was a little scary. So we went outside to try and find a taxi but there werent any and we finally just called an ambulance. Lets just say I hope that I never had an emergency here because the ambulance took like 20 minutes to get to our apartment. Anyways my companion and i walked to the hospital but we couldnt enter with them anyways so we ended up leaving (everything turned out to be ok with her)

we recieved a message from gisela asking if we could meet her in the church because she wanted to talk to us. I was so worried that something bad had happened or she was going to drop us right before her baptism. But she showed up and we found a room to go talk and she was soo nervous. So we started with a prayer and she opened up to us and told us some pretty private things and was just crying. She wants to repent and change. She wants to badly to be baptized this saturday but she only has gone to church 2 times and needs to go this sunday first. But she is so golden! I feel so blessed to know her! I am sooo excited for her to progress in the gospel! Afterwards, there was a bunch of single adults in institute in the church so we went with her to institute and she loved it! And the best part was we got to eat pizza afterwards and she was getting to know all the members. Shes gonna go far in the church I know it!

Wednesday

So in preach my gospel it talks about finding the needs of our investigators. I had been studying it over and over trying to recieve revalation for Veronica. I knew that the most important part was the spirit. So my companion and I tried really hard to have the spirit present in our lesson with veronica today. At the end of the lesson, the thought came to my mind “she doesnt want to have anyone at her baptism thats why she doesnt want to be baptized” I thought it was a really weird thought because she isnt shy and she has friends in the church. But I went with it. so I said “veronica, would you like it if its just us, the elders, and the branch president at your baptism?” after that she completely changed! Something so small! She was embarrassed to have a lot of people at her baptism. So after that she filled out her baptismal form and was happy as can be! I WAS RELIEVED!!! Shes been investigating the church for over 6 months now! And all she needed was that. I am so grateful for the spirit and I know that if we are attentive to the whisperings of the spirit we can know all things.

Thursday-

Today we had divisions. It was the most interesting divisions we have had so far. The sister training leaders came to our area and planned with us (thursday is weekly planning) and then we worked in our area. Which was a miracle because we were able to do double the work! We worked so dang hard in the afternoon! I learned so much from the sister training leader I was working with. We just got down to business and found SO many new investigators and had so many lessons in just a few short hours! It was good to get some advice from her on how I can become better and be a better trainer for my companion.

Friday-

Today we visited Gisela with one of the members. We talked about temples and showed her a video of pictures of temples. She loved it! She wants to go to the temple after shes baptized. It was a really good spiritual lesson. OH HOW I MISS THE TEMPLE! (first thing Im going to do when I get home!) Other than that, today was a really calm day. Not many people let us in. I finished reading Jesus The Christ today! It was my goal to finish it before I got home because Bishop Ashcroft told me I needed to read it. Its only taken me 11 months haha but I cried when I finished it. I really feel like I got to know more about my savior reading that book. I am so grateful for him and his perfect example for me.

Saturday-

This morning veronica had her baptismal interview. We had to walk all the way to her house with the elders and its like 40 minutes away. I was so nervous the whole time that she would back out. I was praying the whole way there. Her interview was an hour long! That scared me! But they came out and she was happy! We planned her baptism at 4 in the afternoon because she didnt want anyone else to be there. She showed up and it was the most spiritual baptism Ive attended! It was just us 6, but it was better that way! I AM SO HAPPY! We worked so hard to get to this point with her and Im just happy that shes happy! I love being a missionary!!! After the baptism, the 2 branches had a food contest activity. And we were the judges! I got to try all the typical food here in argentina! It was amazing!! loved every single thing I ate! I dont know why we dont eat stuff like that in the members houses haha. Oh but guess what? In the middle of the activity, a reciently returned missionary (like literally 4 weeks ago he got home) proposed to his girlfriend! It was super cheesy but she loved it. Us missionaries were dying. Haha Ill have to show you the video when I get home.

Sunday-

Today we had miracles! We had so many investigators in church! We found a new investigator that came to church with his counsin and he was going to be baptized last year but something happened and he never got baptized but now he wants to! So we are going to start working with him. Adrian came to church with us today...hes the super tough investigator. But hes slowly progressing and we are going to baptize him before I leave its my goal. Our church attendance was soo much better than it has been the whole time ive been here! And Veronica got confirmed in church today. It was so interesting to see the power of the priesthood in her blessing because the brother who confirmed her doesnt know her, but everything he said was EXACTLY what she needed! I know that he was speaking the words of a loving Heavenly Father to his daughter. It was a cool experience as a missionary, who knows my investigator really well, see and hear the words that she needed to hear. Tonight we got transfers. Obviously Im staying here with Hermana melo which Im happy about! And guess what? Remember hermana Golder? My MTC companion?! Shes going to live with us!!!! shes going to get here this afternoon. Im so excited! Im excited to start a new transfer! The transfers are just flying by and I cant believe it. I just want time to slow down a little bit! I still have so much to learn!