This area has so much potential. We are finding so many people that
speak spanish, which is so awesome! We hope to see our little spanish
group grow a ton! This last week we saw such a huge miracle. On tuesday
night, we were on our way to a potential investigator's house, and I
took the wrong turn (which is not unusual). However, this time I had the
thought that maybe it was for a reason! So I looked around and saw no
one outside, so I decided to just turn around and get back on the right
road. Then all of a sudden people were walking around all over! There
were 100,000,000 people. okay not really, but probably like 7 groups of
people, and even a chicken in the middle of the road! (We were driving
one way, and there was another car driving the other way, and we crossed
paths at the same time as these two teenagers on scooters, and in the
middle of it all, there was a chicken... weird.) So anyways we decided
to pull over and get out and walk. As soon as we found a place to park,
everyone disappeared. We had seen one of the families go into their
home, and we noticed that it was most likely a Spanish speaking family.
So we decided that we didn't want to waste our efforts of getting out of
the car, so we went to go knock on the door. We rounded the corner, and
the dad was literally waiting at the door for us. So we said (this is
all in spanish of course), "Hello we are missionaries!" And he said,
"Come in!" "Sit down!" And three of his children were sitting on the
couch. His wife then walked out and acted like we were long lost
friends, and then they just all sat there staring at us. We asked if
they had ever met missionaries before or if they knew who we were, and
they had no clue! So we started teaching them about the Book of Mormon,
and asked them if they wanted to learn more. They all looked at each
other and said, "We would love to! You can come back Thursday at 7:00!" Well that was exactly when we were going to ask for, because we had exchanges scheduled on thursday,
and so we wanted to have some good lessons to go to that day! So
Hermana Donnelly went back with Hermana Jeronimo on exchanges, and she
said it was a very good and receptive lesson as well. They taught them
the song, "I Am a Child of God" and all of them sang - even the dad! We
are going back tonight
to have a family home evening with them! And guess what! They even have
a little puupy that looks exactly like Okie! (From Okie's skinny
days... His name is Pulgarcito. :)) It was definitely the most
surprising door approach I have ever experienced on my mission, but it
showed me how much the Lord really is involved in this work, and how
perfectly he puts people in our path.
The next
day, we had zone conference in Santa Maria! We talked about the
importance of the Book of Mormon. I have recently been reading the Book
of Mormon and marking every time it talks about Christ, every time one
of the writers testify of something, and every time they prophecy of
something. Holy cow the Book of Mormon is amazing! It is such a powerful
witness that Jesus is the Christ, and I know that it is through the
study of this sacred record that people can come unto Christ. Read it!
Thursday
we had exchanges, and I went on my third exchange with Hermana Bennion!
It was really cool, because she was one of my first exchanges (I went
with her in Ventura when I was serving in Oxnard with Hna Brown) and it
was just cool to see how much we have both grown since then! We had an
incredible lesson with our investigator, Daniel (He is the 17 year old
that sang with us in Sacrament meeting, and his mom is an active
member!) The very first lesson when Hermana Young and I started teaching
him, we couldn't even get him to commit to pray on his own. Then, on thursday,
we were talking about Christ and how we can be healed through him. We
wanted to watch the mormon message, "Lift," so we asked him to go get
his laptop. While he was gone, we asked his mom if she needed any help
because she was cleaning the kitchen, and she just looked at us and
said, "You're already doing it." (Point one where the spirit was super
strong and I just wanted to start crying.) So we watched "Lift" (you
should go watch it if you haven't) and talked about how at first it was
out of the men's comfort zone to help the lady in the video, but they
became comfortable because their focus changed from themselves to loving
Kathy. Hna Bennion then said, "There is no growth in the comfort zone,
and there is no comfort in the growth zone." Then I asked Daniel if
there had been anything we had ever asked him to do that was ever
outside of his comfort zone. He said, "Of course. This whole thing is
completely out of my comfort zone! I never would have done any of this
on my own." where the spirit was super strong and I just wanted to start
crying.) We then asked why the Book of Mormon is important for people
to read (we have been having him study chapters about the atonement) and
he said, "Well, I have found that there are a lot of good things in
here. It is a book worth reading." (Point three where the spirit was
super strong and I just wanted to start crying). We then asked him what
he now thought of prayer and he said, "I have found it to be a
confidence booster for me." (Point four where the spirit was super
strong and I just wanted to start crying.) Well everyone, I never did
cry! But I did feel the spirit very strongly, and it was the best lesson
I have ever had with Daniel! It is so incredible to see how much -
first off, music can touch someone's heart because that is how we first
got him learning! And second, how much the Book of Mormon impacts,
softens, and changes someone's heart little by little.
Lastly!
Holy cow. So a few weeks ago, we met this man outside of his trailer
that was super nice, and was studying to become a preacher! He was from
Mexico City, and used to be a Seventh Day Adventist, and is now going to
a spanish baptist church. Well, he invited us to a party they were
going to have, and then told us we could come back and talk to him on Saturday.
But we accidentally made another appointment at the same time, so we
stopped by his house earlier to tell him we needed to change it. And his
mother-in-law answered the door. She was super nice as well, and we
sang "How Great Thou Art" to her. She LOVED it and insisted we come to
the party her church was having that night! We realized it was the same
one that her son-in-law had invited us to, so we figured we had better
go. So we did! IT was such a good experience, because it gave us a lot
of perspective! First off, we felt super awkward walking inside, and we
realized that that is how investigators feel when they come to church or
an activity for the first time. But we went in and sat down, and there
was a concert going on (with some sweet spanish christian music I might
add) and then the preacher got up and announced to everyone in spanish
that he wanted to welcome the two american visitors! When we responded
in spanish they all got super excited and said, "AND they speak
spanish!!" They then made us stand up and come introduce ourselves,
where were from, and what we do. So we went up and announced to the
whole congregation that we are missionaries por La Iglesia de Jesucristo
de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias! We then sat back down and listened
to a guest preacher for the next hour and a half. He said a lot of
really good things and I really liked it! But then he started talking
about "This big crystal building in San Diego" and he couldn't remember
if it was the Mormon's or the Jehovah's Witnesses, but he didn't like
it. Hahahah Hermana Donnelly and I just looked at each other and busted
up. I don't think they knew that "los mormones" y "La Iglesia de
Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias" was the same thing... but
that's okay! We liked them anyways! And it made me realize that I say a
lot of the same things that the preacher was saying when I teach. And
even though they are good and true things, our unique message to the
world, is that the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been
restored! It is on the earth today, and Jesus Christ himself leads the
church! His teaching are found in the Book of Mormon, and we can find
out for ourselves if the Book of Mormon really is true. In the same
exact way that we find out if the bible is true! First we have to read
it, and then we have to think about it and see if it feels right to us,
and then we have to ask our loving Father in Heaven what he thinks about
it! Obviously He knows all things, and because he loves us, he will
tell us if it is true.
Well as you can see, it
was quite an adventurous week!!! It was also my hump day!! It is so
crazy to think I have already been out here for half of my mission. Time
is too short! But I am so grateful for all of the people I have met.
(Oh P.S. I also found out that Isidro who was baptized while I was in
Oxnard is going to be an assistant to the ward mission leader of the
ward!!!! WOOOHOOOO!!)
Thank you SO MUCH for
the package you sent me!! It was adorable! Hermana Price also sent me a
package full of everything I ever brought to snack on in the CCM. Isn't
she the coolest/most amazing person ever?! I think yes.
I love you all so much!
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| Hna Price's package! |
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| THANK YOUUUUUUU |
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| SUBWAY!!!! (Thank you for the gift card!!!!) |
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