¡Saludos!
I can't believe I can say this, but it has FINALLY cooled down!! And by that, I mean that it's dropped just a couple of degrees haha but you can definitely feel the difference--it's glorious:) Today is Hermana Vazquez's 20th birthday! Although she had to spend all morning at a funeral, it was fun to surprise her beforehand, and we're going to have a little party tonight with our ward mission leader and his wife:)
Our Family House (grandma, my two daughters, and my granddaughter) is doing wonderfully! We have a blast together! Hermana Neff is gaining more and more confidence in contacting and teaching, and she can actually understand a ton of Spanish; we're working on the speaking part. On Friday, Hermana Neff and lots of other newbies from all 3 missions in the country had to do doctor visits, so I got to spend half the day hanging out with best bud Hermana Balls at the clinic as our daughters got their blood drawn and all that jazz! Saturday was National Service Day, so our ward did a weeding project, and we had a lovely red ant attack:) We caught a lot of people's attention, and some of them actually stopped to help us clear out the plants and trash. One of them ended us asking if we could teach him, wahoo! On Sunday, my friend, Paulina, from my second area came to church to surprise me and say good-bye before I leave--how sweet! She used to leave with us a lot to teach investigators and would even walk around for hours just contacting with us:)
A lot of plans with investigators fell through this week, but because that happened, we were able to find where several less-active youth live and got to know them. Almost every single one of them is the only member of the Church in their family; they have to be extra strong to be an example and defend their beliefs. They need a lot of love and support, and the whole ward is focusing a ton on helping them.
Story time:) So last week, we were simply knocking on a door to contact whoever lived inside, and a 10-year-old boy comes across the street and very politely tells us that the family wasn't home. He was a really cool kid, and when we told him about where and when church was, he was super excited to go! 30 seconds later, we found his mom, who was also totally interested in the Church! Her name is Noelia, and she had some awesome questions. We set up an appointment for this week, and she was very receptive when we taught her on Wednesday with a member. She accepted right away that Thomas S. Monson is our living prophet (which never happens, normally people here have a hard time accepting a modern-day prophet) and was so sweet when I showed her his picture; she said, "He looks so kind!":) At the end of the lesson, she told us that she had a question. She then proceeded to tell us that her baby girl passed away 17 years ago. Noelia has searched in many churches for answers about how or when she can see her daughter again. It was such a tender, special moment as she realized that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ could provide her with answers. She told us that it wasn't by accident that we found her, that everything happens for a reason, that we were sent by God.
I am SO grateful that the Lord guided us to Noelia; that miracle has increased my faith, and we can't wait to teach this woman who has been so prepared to hear and accept the gospel. Miracles are real, people. God knows exactly who and what we need. Before the mission, I always said that if I had a testimony of anything, it's that everything happens for a reason; I still testify of that today. If we put our trust in Him and accept that His plan for us is perfect, we need never worry. One way or another, it will all be okay, because He knows best, and if we have confidence in that, we will have peace and happiness.
Proverbs 16:20
"He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he."
Con amor,
Hermana Randall
I can't believe I can say this, but it has FINALLY cooled down!! And by that, I mean that it's dropped just a couple of degrees haha but you can definitely feel the difference--it's glorious:) Today is Hermana Vazquez's 20th birthday! Although she had to spend all morning at a funeral, it was fun to surprise her beforehand, and we're going to have a little party tonight with our ward mission leader and his wife:)
Our Family House (grandma, my two daughters, and my granddaughter) is doing wonderfully! We have a blast together! Hermana Neff is gaining more and more confidence in contacting and teaching, and she can actually understand a ton of Spanish; we're working on the speaking part. On Friday, Hermana Neff and lots of other newbies from all 3 missions in the country had to do doctor visits, so I got to spend half the day hanging out with best bud Hermana Balls at the clinic as our daughters got their blood drawn and all that jazz! Saturday was National Service Day, so our ward did a weeding project, and we had a lovely red ant attack:) We caught a lot of people's attention, and some of them actually stopped to help us clear out the plants and trash. One of them ended us asking if we could teach him, wahoo! On Sunday, my friend, Paulina, from my second area came to church to surprise me and say good-bye before I leave--how sweet! She used to leave with us a lot to teach investigators and would even walk around for hours just contacting with us:)
A lot of plans with investigators fell through this week, but because that happened, we were able to find where several less-active youth live and got to know them. Almost every single one of them is the only member of the Church in their family; they have to be extra strong to be an example and defend their beliefs. They need a lot of love and support, and the whole ward is focusing a ton on helping them.
Story time:) So last week, we were simply knocking on a door to contact whoever lived inside, and a 10-year-old boy comes across the street and very politely tells us that the family wasn't home. He was a really cool kid, and when we told him about where and when church was, he was super excited to go! 30 seconds later, we found his mom, who was also totally interested in the Church! Her name is Noelia, and she had some awesome questions. We set up an appointment for this week, and she was very receptive when we taught her on Wednesday with a member. She accepted right away that Thomas S. Monson is our living prophet (which never happens, normally people here have a hard time accepting a modern-day prophet) and was so sweet when I showed her his picture; she said, "He looks so kind!":) At the end of the lesson, she told us that she had a question. She then proceeded to tell us that her baby girl passed away 17 years ago. Noelia has searched in many churches for answers about how or when she can see her daughter again. It was such a tender, special moment as she realized that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ could provide her with answers. She told us that it wasn't by accident that we found her, that everything happens for a reason, that we were sent by God.
I am SO grateful that the Lord guided us to Noelia; that miracle has increased my faith, and we can't wait to teach this woman who has been so prepared to hear and accept the gospel. Miracles are real, people. God knows exactly who and what we need. Before the mission, I always said that if I had a testimony of anything, it's that everything happens for a reason; I still testify of that today. If we put our trust in Him and accept that His plan for us is perfect, we need never worry. One way or another, it will all be okay, because He knows best, and if we have confidence in that, we will have peace and happiness.
Proverbs 16:20
"He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he."
Con amor,
Hermana Randall