(Letter dated January 17, 2012)
Hello Family!
Hope all is well! Thank you so much for all your letters and your words of encouragement. The area has seen even greater progress this week as we are continually working to build it up. So here's the quick recap of the past week...
The bitter winds are setting in, and it's quite incredible how penetrating they can be. I don't remember it even being this cold in Utah, but I guess dry cold is better than humid cold right.
Last Monday we had a great lesson with Ana Vasquez (Recent Convert) and her parents as we did a family home evening with them. Ana even got her missionary work going by inviting her friend Angie to come for the
message. We were a little surprised as her friend sat down and pulled a Book of Mormon out of her purse. She told us that the missionaries had taught her a little bit before. She seemed pretty interested, and
have had some appointments to see her again, but she has had to cancel them. We shall see where she goes. We did a really great spirit lesson there where we talk about the role of the spirit, using a scripture from 2 Nephi 32 that the spirit will show us all the things that we must do. We do two examples, where we hide a pamphlet or card, and it's up to the volunteer to find it... blind folded. The first example is when we don't have the spirit as a constant companion, and the spirit can only give minor impressions like "It's over here", or "it's over there." The volunteer has to try and find their way around as everyone else in the room (the temptations of the world) yell out
different directions and commands. Then we talk about receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost and heeding it's promptings. We repeat the same activity, but the spirit gives greater impressions, like "Move a little bit to your right, walk forward, and reach your hand up". It's a pretty great FHE activity.
On Wednesday we had the wonderful opportunity of going to zone conference. It was great to go there and learn even more deeply the plan of salvation. President wouldn't allow it to go out into the speculation areas of the plan, but he and the assistants re-taught it to us with simplicity. It was a great conference.
They even installed some little robots in our cars called TiWi's that basically act like a little policeman. They aren't quite activated yet, but they keep track of how well you are driving, and mark you down and tell you when you drive too fast, too aggressively, don't put on your seatbelt, or even have too high of an RPM. I'm not all to excited to have them activated, but I think I'll be alright. If you get to many violations, your driving privileges can be revoked. I would have gotten a speeding violation on the way home from conference... They should really customize those things to Jersey Roads and Jersey Rules.
Later that night we had our lesson with Jimena, as we continually try to help her better understand what the spirit feels like, and how she can recognize it. These past 2 times that we have seen her we have focused on that, as
well as her desires to be baptized. She says that she wants to, but sometimes she's an Enigma, a mystery wrapped in a riddle. I feel like we don't really understand a lot of our investigators. I guess that's why it's so important to have the spirit. We are still working with her. She didn't come to church on Sunday because she said that she needs some time to take things in because she received some sort of answer or epiphony or something... although we aren't sure what it is yet. That's what we'll have to find out tonight.
We are still working with the Hernandez family "the dominicans". They came to church again which is great, but now the doubt that Yudi has is that she has already been baptized and so have her kids, which
is a little rough, but we'll figure it out, and help her understand the importance of authority.
On Friday things got crazy after our lesson with Jimena. The Sister's in Paterson called us, and told us they were having a baptism that night. Keep in mind that they didn't have anyone set with a date prior to that moment. We were surprised for sure, and because one of their district leaders was sick, we went to Paterson to swiftly do her interview for her baptism a few hours later. I had the opportunity to interview little Caroline from the DR. She is 8 years old, and she was really ready for baptism. It was a great experience doing her interview.
It has been really great to see how the Lord works this week. Experiences like going to a street to check on some formers, not finding anyone, being about ready to leave, and then finding a former that met with the missionaries for years, but had moved, and we had no idea where to. We also had an experience later
involving being delayed, not being able to get in certain buildings, but then a contact happening and soon after someone walks out of the building we wanted to get in allowing us to go in. The Lord is definitely in control.
As for our other investigators... We had to drop Meri. She doesn't really show any desires, she wouldn't never answer our calls or texts, and she always juked appointments. What more can you do. Sadly, we can't find Amaya anymore. She seemed to disappear. We call her and go by multiple times a week, but to no avail. I guess we'll wait and see what happens.
This week should bring new adventures... including another trip to the dermatologist to
follow up with my hives.
I know that the lord is always watching over us, and that sometimes things happen to us that we don't always understand. I know that the Lord gives us trials to test our faith, and for our own personal progression. I know that although things seem bad at the time of testing, surely things will always be better on the other side of it
all, whether it been directly after, or a few years down the road, or in the next life. I know that the Church is true, and that Jesus Christ leads his church today. I know that revelation is real, and although we may not understand it or know we are receiving it, there are far too many "coincidences" that come about, that are really just
part of God's plan for us.
The Gospel is True! I love you all so much!
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