Week 41

HAITIAN BABIES ARE THE CUTEST. 

I can face paint! If you mess up, I'm going to be really mad!´´ LOL

'I'm going to kill you if you take a picture!' -Elvira and Fernanda

When yo mom doesn't trust ya with the ball alone

last week pday picnic

JOURNAL:

2 Sep, Friday,  All is well with Ines.  We visited her today and Monday.  Eduardo is leaving her but she's surprisingly well and calm.  More stress as far asTomas goes, but she's just the same, but a little better.  But I looked for inspiration in my binder of talks and found the letters I wrote to myself and found "Open when you feel inadequate" and read the article of "Drops of Awesome".  More and More I felt like I related to it and felt the Love of the Savior, felt a load lifted off my back and a different energy, like really everything was going to be okay.  That was a day with hard moments, but ended with tender mercies, so much gratitude I had for the Lord and his forgiveness.  Mosiah 23:10 came to find.

Sábado morning, 3 Sep, Today we are fasting so that we can Take out the Trash and GO HARD!  With having one half of my mission left, I want to make it #THEBEST, so for my study today, I'm going to make goals/answer these questions of p 152.  

#1 What do you want to say you have done as a missionary?  loved my companion, got over my hesitation to talk with people, learned something valuable from every companion, strengthened family and friends (and strangers) with my letters and prayers, cherished my family a lot more, helped bring a family to His gospel, reactivate a daily, sacrifice always, exercised my power and authority, deepen my understanding and love for the Atonement, lifted up those around me, obeyed mission standards, maintained my health, defended what is right (even with other missionaries), trained well, inspired other to be like Christ, read the Book of mormon 2 times, deepened my knowledge of all 4 sets of scriptures, earned my pillow at night, brought sunshine where I went, did my best to purify myself.  

Saturday evening--highlights of the day:  wrote goals of mission.  We planned a lesson for Elvira about the Atonement using my BOM class notes (how is the Atonement infinite?) and Jesus the Christ to GET HER TO CRACK, because she believed that JESUS is SO GOOD.  We left the book for her to read and she;s already started --we were 'discussing' (more like her arguing as always) and one of her out-of-the-blue thoughts was 'and why don't you just say the truth? Instead of keeping it all in?' I had been close to pointing out why we come by and why we believe in her and she she asked us to tell the truth, I let out more truth than I'd thought I would...when the provokers provoke.  I told her because I know she's not happy and testified of the real happiness we know she can have.  It was a good lesson...except the whole out of cotrollness that always comes with her.  We're uncovering more and more and she's softening.  She had prayed last week!  AND CLAIMS SHE GOT AN ANSWER--about a job and basically offered to go to church and to watch Elder Holland's talk, and read Jesus the Christ.  WOS!  I let her know we think she's a good woman.  She prayed that I won't go :(.  Alright lunch with Hna Olavarilla--she talked a lot about marriage and boys ;[  Broke our fast, primary activity--Fernanda crying, face painting, Williams interest in the BOM.

Today, Sunday 4 Sept--Rogrido--Yeah, about to leave, WOOH!  Ines "I didn't feel like it today.' 'Put your skirt on, let's go!'  Javier not socializing.   Testimony--1st one WOOH!  Jasmin panic attack, Tahia feeling bad about class.  So full.  CONTACTS!  HAITIANS!!!  

5 Sept, 2016  Today, I think we taught more lessons in one day than I have in my whole mission...And yesterday possibly more contacts in one day than I've done before, as well!I have such a testimony of fasting.  We asked for miracles, and we've gotten miracles!!  So far, we've found at least 5 GREAT people to teach.  2 Haitians--the woman said that her purpose in life is to REPENT, HA! and the man is willing to do whatever to feel closer to God--loves to read and study.  We found Geneva--her appointment failed the other day, found her, invited us in, cried, felt the Spirit, wants to do it all to be happy.  Today someone on splits that they found and that was in my agenda from when I first got here (coincidence?  NO!)  She and her daughter are awesome, have a lot of questions and are willing to listen and figure out the truth.  Elizabeth committed to go to church, Rosa asked us (basically) if she could go to church.  Lisbet is reactivating herself and understands everything so well!  Had a great FHE (probably the last one :(  ) at the Venegas' house with Yerko, Tahia, and Jasmin.  It took so long for them to start, then the Elders hosed up ending to use the printer, so we felt super uncomfortable because recently our leaders told us elders and hermanas can't be in the same house.  So we told them and Hna V, but they said it was an emergency, so we went with Yerko, Jasmin and Renato in the other room to play UNO EXTREE (which btw everyone LOVES!  Shout out to my summer ward for the game!  The lesson was about service and being 'His Hands'.  At first, it was hard to feel the spirit because the Elders and Hna and Hna V were laughing and talking loudly in the kitchen, but we all got close in a circle and started sharing with one another what we've done with our hands--played guitar, sewed, cooked for grandma, dried tears, etc.etc--Yerko- baptized :).  Hermana P and I didn't share but I thought, "What have I done with my hands?'  I immediately thought of wiping Jasmin's tears yesterday as she had panic attack--told her she wasn't broken, holding Gizela's hand when we met her in the street, marked my scriptures, prayed, played piano for zone mtgs (and messing up horribly o Called to Serve), writing notes of encouragement, the housekeeping stuff, touched Hna Linderman's granddaughters hair (the SOFTEST IN THE WORLD), shaken super dirty hands of homeless people or flats, written our number down on pass-along cards, waved goodbye awkwardly after we;ve already said goodbye 5 times :D  It's cool to think about all the things and ways we've been able to serve here and I think it's the thing I've changed the most here in the mission--loving to serve!  We shared the scripture that says, 'The Son of man didn't come to be served, but to serve.'  The song, 'His hands' came to my mind and I felt the spirit so strongly as I testified of how special the Atonement is...HOW HIS HANDS trembled for each one of us...literally!  Anyways, I'm going to miss FHE's with the YSA's and Fam Venegas.  They're the BEST.  Although I don't always understand when they're teasing/bullying me, they've made us feel so comfortable here.  Hna P is anxious/nervous for a new comp and leading the sector.  We've gown quite fond of each other.  We're thinking of all the inside jokes we've got and wanna put it o a shirt.  She's so great!  

  

LETTER:

Thank you mom for the great letter! Ive been a little bit sad because the last 2 weeks Ive forgotten to take pics of your letter and had just skimmed so today i made sure to read! I love you love you! I'm sorry I can't write a good letter, but it's all in the journal pics. I had to copy a lot of videos today for our teaching and make sure to write presidente a good letter because last week I ran out of time.  Ines is being attacked by Satan with lack of energy and focus, but I trust in God to take care of it if we're doing our part.  I JUST now found your notes of family advice right before my setting apart. Sweet notes. I'm getting refocused again and it feels good.  Anyways, haappy new week! GO BYU! Say hello to the siblings.  I'd really like to write each one of them. Also, the jokes are REALLY comin' in handy for us. When Jasmin was having a panic attack and had been crying, I told the cow and pig one. how can I pray for you all?