This week, we saw some challenges and answers to prayers - and not just our own prayers but the prayers of others. And that, in this work, is even more important. On Tuesday we had a Zone Conference which was really great. We often do practices in conferences and meetings to help us learn how to teach better - this time we did something a little different. To practice balance in our teaching with a companion, we taught blindfolded. That really helps you learn how to listen. Listening is always really important. We recieved counsel from President and Hermana Bowler, and President also has a new couneslor, Elder Espinal, who shared his testimony with us as well. We were also able to watch Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration. The message of the restoration is a lesson that I´ve taught many times, and for many it seems hard to understand. It`s the most critizeds lesson we teach. But it´s also something I find joy in teaching, and the joy grows when you can see the investigator understanding it too.
We found one of these investigators this last week. We had contacted a young mother in the street, who told us we could come back, but when we did she wasn´t home, but her sister was. Kelva is 16 years old and is really absorbing the message we are teaching. She´s very inteligent, and also speaks a little English, which is fun for me because we get to practice. We hope she continues progressing - so far she´s read everything we´ve given her.
On Thursday we were leaving a lesson - which hadn´t gone as well as we´d hoped but we still tried to do our part. We had actually found this little family - well actually they had found us. A mother with her two sons approached us and asked if we speak english. When I said yes I do she asked if we could help her son with his homework. Daniel is a 14 year old and he really does understand when you explain the grammer, the books they have here to teach english just aren´t very helpful. So I helped him with his homework, and later we returned to see if we could teach them the gospel. The mother is very religious and not convinced about the message we have - but surprisingly Daniel went to church all by himself. So, we´ll keep doing what we can.
Anyway, we were leaving that lesson with them, and a man stopped us and said he was looking for a church to attend. For a second I was in shock because - people just don´t do that. There might have been angels singing in the background. (Hi, we´re missionaries, will you be baptized?) We told him a little about who we were, where and when we had our meetings. We invited him to an activity that night. And he came - we surprised us again, and made us very happy. He works in the police so Sundays are a little hard for him, but it wasn´t an accident we found him. He said he had this empty feeling inside him - but when he came to the activity, he was able to feel peace. We the hermanas misionaries also were in charge of the game, which turned out well.
With Gabriella, we keep moving forward. Maria and her cousin Claudia are still working on their personal progress, they need all the support and help they can get and we´re doing our best.
It´s very hot here. I´m just grateful we gave a little air conditioning in the apartment, or I think I would melt. But I keep getting to know the people and the area and learnign to love it. I know that as we use patience and persistence, wisdom and love, we will be able to see little miracles along the way. We can feel the peace that the Savior can give us even if we can´t see how things will resolve. a new family moved into the branch and we went to help them move things in. They joined the church 4 years ago and have powerful testimonies of missionary work and this gospel. We love them already.
We get around walking, in buses to farther parts of our area, and it moto taxi (like in Santa Lucia) when we´re running a little late. But they´re kind of fun. Um, what else. I don´t know. i´ll end things here with my love and prayers that you will all have a great week and keep the gospel close in your life. Thank you all for your examples and support!!
Hermana Hogge
No comments:
Post a Comment