Email November 21, 2011

This week...

I found this morning and it pretty much sums it up. John 16:33 "In the world (mission) ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

It was another hard week...but some good things happened too. It’s helping me be more grateful because I really have to look for the blessings and silver lining here and celebrate the small things. So I’m just going to try and talk about the good things..

We had our first lesson since “R” and “D” baptism and it was so refreshing. The second we walked in they seriously looked like a different family. The whole lesson “R” and “D” SAT NEXT TO EACH OTHER and were HOLDING HANDS...They usually don't go anywhere near each other and sometimes we wonder how they ever met because they really are extremely different people. But they were all cute together as they talked about the baptism. “D” has changed so much! She was glowing and couldn't stop talking about how she's never felt that way before and how she's trying so hard to "stay clean" and be patient with her kids and a better mother and wife.”D” has been reading the book of Mormon on her own (MIRACLE) and has been on LDS.org all week watching videos and looking and pictures and reading about the Temple. They are so excited to go. They also have family coming for Thanksgiving and they were asking us how they could invite their families to come to church and bring up gospel conversations.  We left that lesson floating on a cloud...so happy for them.

We got an English ward! I' never though I would be so excited to say that but it has been miserable trying to find Spanish speaking people here.  There just isn't enough work in this ward to keep 4 missionaries busy all the time. So the other hermanas also received an English ward.

We met the bishop on Sat night and he asked us to speak in church the next morning. It was only for like 10 minutes so it was fine. But the weird part is that I am so much more comfortable giving talks in Spanish. The whole time I was speaking I was so worried I was going to say something in Spanish. I almost said "el evangelio" like 3 times. We work so hard to forget English and be immersed in Spanish that all gospel words are in Spanish in my head it takes effort whenever I’m teaching in English to find the right words. I say "pues" a lot on accident. It's kind of tricky moving back and forth between the two languages but I think it will be so good to have work. The new ward is awesome. English work is so easy (hope that doesn't offend people that went English speaking) but seriously we had 3 members walk up to us and say "hey I have a friend I want you to teach that's asked about having missionaries..." That never happens in Spanish work.  Well...rarely It's insane how different the two cultures are. I still love my Hispanics though. I just feel a love for them a little stronger I know it's my call. They're amazing. A little frustrating but amazing.

Speaking of COOLEST thing...So they changed all the leadership in our Spanish ward. Our bishop told us that he knew the ward failed us in missionary work in 2011 and he felt so bad. He told the ward he has 4 strong missionaries and they aren't doing their part to help so missionary work is the focus of 2012...They released The relief society pres and spouse, yw president and spouse and executive secretary to be WARD MISSIONARIES. Those are all our strong members. They are required to work with us 10 hours a week. we’ll see if that happens but still…somehow we earned the trust of the bishop because he's pushing it. I think they are a little jealous they are sharing us with English wards now. They aren't very happy about it. But it will be good for them to work harder so we aren't doing as much.

So we will see.

I have been pretty frustrated coming to this new area. It's really hard not to compare. Because there it was easy to find investigators and we were teaching all the time. Here we can't find Spanish-speaking people let alone people that actually are ready to listen. It's discouraging. So we have been working with the less actives a lot. I don't know why I love less actives so much. I feel a connection to them and I'm so motivated to help them.  They're fun to teach because deep down they still have a testimony they just need a little TLC and doctrine to remind them. So I discovered one of the reasons why I’m here. When I was in the mountains my first transfer there was this family.  He's white she's Hispanic. I actually spent last Thanksgiving at their house.

They were the strongest couple in our branch and did everything. Ran into them this week. I guess they moved here in Feb and have gone inactive?  So crazy because they were so solid I was shocked to hear it. She said we could come visit her mainly because she already knew me and was comfortable with me. We had the best lesson with her and she broke down crying telling us about all these trials they've had the last year and how she feels her testimony is weak and is scared to come back because she doesn't know this ward or bishop. It's sad to hear how hard their life has been without the gospel and she just kept saying all the differences she's noticed since they stopped going. Basically all we did was listen and tell her how much Heavenly Father loves her. That night they came to the ward Thanksgiving party with her family and talked to the bishop and are coming back to church!  I am grateful we were lead to find her family randomly. If I hadn't been in the mountains and recognized her we wouldn't have probably talked to her. She probably wouldn't have let us come over either. That was exciting.

I think the hardest part about missionary work is aligning my will with God's...My will is we find a bunch of investigators to teach who are super prepared...and that there will be so many investigators that we will be so busy all day long. I think His will might be teaching the 20 less active families in the ward. And strengthening the members we already have and struggling and fighting for other lessons so he can teach us gratitude and humility. It's working. Slowly. It’s funny how many times you learn the same stinkin lesson during a mission.

Okay I love you. Have a great Thanksgiving...We had our Thanksgiving party in the Spanish ward and they all didn't know why America celebrates Thanksgiving and it doesn't really apply to them so they made it all about "the day they jumped the border”. Thought that was pretty funny. I love them.