Well, this week was the last week of the transfer...and I'm happy to report that we're STILL going to be in Tehuacan! Woot! I know that the Lord has a lot of people here who are ready, and I'm glad to be here still to help them out. Yesterday, I was able to talk to my family and it was so wonderful! Definitely the highlight of the week :) Thanks to Sean, I was able to talk to all of them at the same time - with all of us all across North America. So cool :)
This week was a bit hard for us. We had a lot of appointments that fell through, walked a lot more than usual, and no one came to church AGAIN. But...there is always hope for the next week. For your information, our investigator Marina had surgery this last week. She is doing ok, but we're not sure when she will be able to be baptized. But please pray that she will be able to recover very quickly!
We are really excited about the progress of a lot of our investigators. Pedro LOVES the Book of Mormon. He can't stop reading it. It helps that he is always in his house with nothing to do...but we are glad that he chooses to read it. He has SO much faith, and he has inspired me in so many ways. He finds something wonderful in every single verse, and prays every day that he will have the health and strength to go to church and be baptized. He wasn't able to go to church with us because he was really really sick. We were in the middle of a lesson on Saturday, and he started to shake a lot, couldn't breathe...it was pretty scary. We're hoping that everything is ok. José Luis is also loving the Book of Mormon, and loves how different our church is. He still doesn't feel like he has received an answer that this is the ONLY true church, but I believe that when he comes to church with us, he's going to receive his witness. Mikaela...it's been a long process with her. We have had to work through a lot of..stuff this week with her, but after the lesson we had with her, I think she is ready and willing to repent and change. The lesson we had was absolutely wonderful, and we were able to be direct, but loving, so that she could understand completely. I know that the Spirit guided that lesson, and touched her heart. We're hoping to see her baptism this transfer, along with her sons :)
This week, we also had a ward activity for Mothers day and Childrens day (Mexico) and the Elders had an idea to dress up for the kids! So they dressed up as Batman and Captain America, and us as princesses. Hermana Gómez was Snow White and I was the person from Frozen. I have no idea who she is, and I don't look anything like her, but the kids loved it, soooo it was all good! I'll send pictures, haha!
This week caused me to think a lot about what it means to be a successful missionary. In PMG, it outlines what it is...but for me, that just wasn't enough. I think I was being pretty hard on myself this past week, with all of the work that didn't result in much, and to think that Hermana Gómez wasn't able to see any baptisms her first transfer. But, I was reading yesterday in the Book of Mormon and I came across Alma 26, which is one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon. And there was a word that caught my attention in verse 30: the word "might". "...and all this that we might be the means of saving some soul." Ammon and his brothers, the greatest missionaries ever, had doubts as well. They weren't sure if they were going to help anyone into the waters of baptism, towards the path of conversion. But they still tried. They still gave their all. And...that's a successful missionary. The Lord doesn't ask us for 50 baptisms. He asks us for our whole heart, might, mind and strength. And...when I realized that, I realized that this past transfer was a fantastic one, and my favorite transfer so far of my mission....because I gave everything I have. And that's what I'm going to keep doing. :)
And in the spirit of Mother's day yesterday(!) I want to share two quotes that I love that are about woman!
"I feel to invite every woman everywhere to rise up to the great potential within you. I do not ask that you reach beyond your capacity. I hope you will not nag yourselves with thoughts of failure. I hope that you will not try to set goals far beyond your capacity to achieve. I hope you will simply do what you can do in the best way that you can. If you do so, you will witness great miracles come to pass." - President Gordon B. Hinckley
"Sisters, your sphere of influence is a unique sphere - one that cannot be duplicated by men. No one can defend our Savior with any more persuasion or power than you, the daughters of God, can - you who have such inner strength and conviction. The power of a converted woman's voice is inmeasurable, and the Church needs your voices now more than ever... Only you can show the world what women of God who have made covenants look like and believe." - Elder M. Russell Ballard
I know that the church is true! I am so grateful for every experience that I have had here so far in my mission, and I'm excited to see the many more that are waiting for me! I love all of you so much, and I am grateful every week for your words of love and support. Have a fantastic week, everyone!
Love always,
Hermana Smith
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment