Life is still just wonderful
here. I love working with Hermana Hale. I feel like together we are honestly
striving to improve ourselves and become better missionaries. We feel like we
are equally clueless and can just explore Preach My Gospel and the President's
emails and share our experiences in order to become the type of missionaries we
want to be.
We are finally finding more investigators! Little by little we are picking them up. But we both really feel like it is obvious that in this area, the "magnet" for our investigators (as President has been teaching us) is working through the members. Our ward council yesterday had a big meeting to reorganize the ward mission plan and it is so exciting to see everything they have committed to do, beginning with a 40-day ward fast. Over the course of 40 days, each family will choose one day to fast so that there is continually someone fasting from the ward for 40 days. And they have committed to start getting to know more people so that they can have more friends to invite to the gospel. That's the main suggestion I have to all members. Whenever we ask them for a referral, the general response is, "Well I just don't know anyone...I never leave...or I'm always at work..or the people I know that are ready just don't live in this area". And my first thought is always, "So get out and get to know people!" I think if we just retained in memory a little bit more what it means to have this great and glorious gospel, we would live for the purpose of sharing it. There is nothing to be ashamed of in making friendships for the purpose of one day sharing the gospel with people. Because in the process of becoming their friend, you will also come to love them a great deal, which naturally leads to sharing the gospel. So my challenge to all, including myself, is to make more friends, with complete strangers, so that I can share the gospel with them! For example, right now we are working with our neighbor, the guy from Louisiana who shared with us his homemade chicken gumbo one night that he had made for his sick wife. We returned the favor with brownies the next week and we have a regular wonderful contact flowing with them of jokes and laughter and just love. Of course they are going to want to learn more about the gospel soon!
I love Hispanic people so much.
They are a little crazy with giving out love, kind of like me when I get too
excited at a party or something and I say or do something embarrassing or I
just can't stop laughing. that is how they ALWAYS are, except they don't get
embarrassed for it. We are finally finding more investigators! Little by little we are picking them up. But we both really feel like it is obvious that in this area, the "magnet" for our investigators (as President has been teaching us) is working through the members. Our ward council yesterday had a big meeting to reorganize the ward mission plan and it is so exciting to see everything they have committed to do, beginning with a 40-day ward fast. Over the course of 40 days, each family will choose one day to fast so that there is continually someone fasting from the ward for 40 days. And they have committed to start getting to know more people so that they can have more friends to invite to the gospel. That's the main suggestion I have to all members. Whenever we ask them for a referral, the general response is, "Well I just don't know anyone...I never leave...or I'm always at work..or the people I know that are ready just don't live in this area". And my first thought is always, "So get out and get to know people!" I think if we just retained in memory a little bit more what it means to have this great and glorious gospel, we would live for the purpose of sharing it. There is nothing to be ashamed of in making friendships for the purpose of one day sharing the gospel with people. Because in the process of becoming their friend, you will also come to love them a great deal, which naturally leads to sharing the gospel. So my challenge to all, including myself, is to make more friends, with complete strangers, so that I can share the gospel with them! For example, right now we are working with our neighbor, the guy from Louisiana who shared with us his homemade chicken gumbo one night that he had made for his sick wife. We returned the favor with brownies the next week and we have a regular wonderful contact flowing with them of jokes and laughter and just love. Of course they are going to want to learn more about the gospel soon!
I love when they ask us for English help. The other day we were leaving a teaching appointment with our investigator. She wanted to practice her English greetings so she said all of a sudden, really fast, "Hi, how-you-dween?" and our eyes locked and it took me a second to figure out what she was even trying to do and then we both just busted up laughing. I tried to explain to her to say it just a little slower and pronunciate certain things and she was like, "No! That's not how you americans do it! You slur it all together! And she just kept saying as fast as she could, "Hi how you dween?" It is so funny to think about how I must sound in Spanish all the time. Learning another language is a miracle that I see every day.
Another member yesterday was like, "Why do you always use the word, "Gwee?" and me and Hermana Hale were like "Gwee? what the...." and she continued in English, like, "I go GWeeee my son." and we said, "Oh! You mean WITH!" And she goes, "Yeah! Gwee!" or "Gweee like cake" and we said, "Oh! And you mean WE!" She thought 'with' and 'we' were the same word. So we clarified that for her and after our big long explanation she said, "ooooohhhhh......gweeee......" and then just started laughing. That is the Hispanic response to life. Laugh. I LOVE IT. It is incredible and I am so grateful I got called to Houston where I am working with so many different cultures. I have developed an ability to tell what South American country Hispanic people are from based on what they look like and how they talk!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT IS SO COOL!!!!!!! I'm only right like 60% of the time, but imagine how good I will be in 11 months! Ah man. There are so many tender mercies that come out of being a missionary.
I'm sorry I don't have more
stories to share this week about missionary work. After awhile all the lessons
start running together. I can tell you that when I put a lot of energy into
studying for people's needs, really focus hard on their doubts and questions
during the lesson, and pray for the Spirit to guide me in everything, the Lord
is able to bring them along and help them progress, at their own pace. I am
confident that each investigator is in God's hands, and it is not possible for
us to fail when we are obeying and striving to be Preach My Gospel missionaries.
Our God is so Infinite and all-knowing that nothing can be lost. My favorite
scripture this week is 2 Ne. 2 :24.
24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who aknoweth all things.
It is my testimony based on my life
experience: that literally every experience I have had has in some way or other
brought me joy and helped me progress in this grand Plan of Salvation.
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