To answer your questions about what's up with Clara...she spent a half hour apologizing for bothering me and not listening to us when we were giving her answers to all of her questions and half an hour talking about her feeling bad and not motivated to go to church but then promising she'll do it, etc etc. She makes me so dang happy but so dang confused on how to help her. Her problem is that she's just falling into a lot of apostasy (because she's listening to a pastor on the radio who says a whole lot of things that are encouraging her to 'just have god in your heart and you'll be good!' NO CLARA NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love how she said about 20 times in our lesson the other day how important it is to smile, because if you smile it means you've got God in your heart. She kept asking my companion why is she so serious and that she needs to learn how to be more like 'Mone' , because I'm going to leave, etc etc etc. LOL... hilarious because the other day I was the serious one and HNA P and Clara were the extremely joyful ones! The point is that it's a crazy time with Clara every time.
We had an FHE last night introducing the theme of our ward conference which is D&C 25:10. We focused in on the Word of Wisdom because Clara still hasnt stopped drinking tea... I love how Hna Venegas explained how the food and drug organization recently JUST came out with the evidence that hot drinks are not good for the body and cause cancer... this was already revealed to Joseph Smith bout 200 years ago. I have a testimony that the prophets know what they're talking about! Because it is GOD speaking through them! And we played games!
We've fasted and prayed for Clara and not giving up yet, but we're seriously wondering if she's REALLY willing to progress now. I'll keep y'all updated! Ooh, but I have to mention that one of our lessons last week was so special! We taught about missionary work and Hna P and I were just crying talking about how much we love being missionaries and how this is the most important thing we've done and Clara was so happy telling us how special it's been with the changes she's made.
Manuel we found the other day at his door and is wasn't too fun because he was drunk saying he just wishes he could kiss us (on the cheek like all the latinos do here) and he did not go to church. The mission leader said we should maybe consider the severity of Manuel's condition...years and years of drug addiction, therefore very difficult to get anywhere with him.. We're going to try a little bit, changing up the way we do a few things and then we'll see.
Nora the old lady happened to have a GREAT lesson in splits with Hna Mardones and Hna P. She was understanding the Book of Mormon, accepted a baptismal date, and kneeled down with them to pray. I was shocked when Hna told me, HAHA, but we're so happy with that!
We found a less active in the street one day! Her name is Gizela. We passed her first but then turned around to talk with her. She was in a wheel chair and it seemeed like she had been crying. She was super cool, telling us about her faith in Heavenly Father. She'd had a question all her life and had never found the answer which was, 'If Cain killed Able, where did we come from?!' Honestly, I just had a flashback to the Sunday School days with sweet Sister Kuper, Saryn and me, one day talking about Cain and Able ...but that's not relevant, ok! We let her know that welp, Cain and Able weren't the only children of Adam and Eve. So she asks, all grossed out, 'So they all reproduced with their brothers and sisters?' ummm, Yeeeess....? 'WOW! thanks so much!? So that was interesting. But after that, it was super depressing as she cried as we explained the Plan of Salvation. She told us that she didn't want to live longer, that she just wanted to leave this life, and let us know that she had been having suicidal thoughts before we got there. BUT, NOW she felt some hope. She cried some more holding my hand as I prayed for her. It was special. It's these moments that we leave the scene thinking, 'Wow, Heavenly Father is SO GREAT!....'
Right after that experience we went for an appointment with another friend from the street. He'd given us the address, but turns out his family lives there and he lives in the street. His mom Claudina let us in, so we got to know her and explained the messages we share with people. Maybe I still don't speak Spanish well enough or she doesn't hear or pay attention very well, but it was a little difficult for her to respond to our questions... She let us know that, yes, she has the desire to change, but not so much right NOW. Soooo, I asked her, Welp Claudina, is there another moment we can come by this week?, And in the kindest, but most blunt way possible, she just said, 'no!' :)! LOL. I looked at Hna P like, huh? She tried so hard not to laugh... until we got out the door.
Thankfuls for the week:
--finishing the Cafe Rio meat... so gooood.
--Hna Venegas' son giving us Jelly Bellies that were either delicious, or horrible flavors like 'lawn clippings', dirty socks', etc... it was fun finding out AFTER we bit into them
--Jocelyn being excited about the Book of Mormon
--My comp laying down in her bed, laughing like a crazy person in the night about all the funny things that have happened
--The cheese guy on his bike coming just in time to save us from a drunk who was making us go into his house 'to converse about the lord with his wife' and yes, he DID say 'no worries, I'm not going to violate you! My wife is inside!' QUE MIEDOOOOOO! His wife came out all casually laughing and telling him to leave us alone. So, don't worry mom... the Spirit and the Cheese Man have got our backs!
--''Salvation is a personal cause. Exaltation is a family cause.''
--the talks by Elder Holland, Bednar, etc that I have in English to listen to in the morning
--Me: 'Oh, and what's your name?'
Friend of a contact: 'Im Catholic.'
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| What happens when you have one month left in the mission and you're stressed! |
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| She doesn't like photos, but HAPPY PDAY! and by pday I mean, clean-the-house and catch-up day! |
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Yesterday during Once, Yaira won stuffed animals for us
and 2 were added to the collection
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| Thank you, dad and Hna Jesus, for sending pretty inspiration to hang on the wall! |
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| we cleaned out the binder this morning and it feels guuud |
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