November 17, 2014- Week 15 in Atlixco!

This was a great week everyone! I'm super excited to tell you all about it!

Tuesday: We started the day out with a zone conference, and then we started intercambios with Hermanas Carli and Gonzalez. Hermana Gonzalez came to our area with me. She is a brand new sister with 3 weeks in the mission, and is super cute :) That night, we were able to visit a less-active for the first time, Teresa, who has to work on Sundays :( She says that she's trying to change her schedule, but it's been hard for her. But she's is super nice :) We also had the chance to meet ANOTHER less-active, and that was a complete miracle! So, when I first got her, we saw her name (Silvia) in the ward directory and decided to look for her. But everytime we went to the house, no one was ever there. Then about a month ago, we received a list from the bishop of 20 less-actives that he thinks are the closest to coming back to church, and he had put her on the list. So after 3 1/2 months...we finally found her! She lives alone, feels alone, calls herself "anti-social", and doesn't even consider herself part of any religion because she hasn't been to church in so long. We asked her about how she feels about God and told us that she knows he exists, but that she doesn't believe he is loving or kind. And being able to testify to her of God's plan and His love for her was an experience that I can't quite put into words. The Spirit filled that house and I know that she felt it. We were only there for about 15 minutes, but they were 15 minutes that she needed, and 15 minutes that we needed too. There have been only been a few lessons from my mission that are engraved in my mind forever, every detail, every word... and I know that this lesson was going to be one of them. At the end of the lesson, she said "I don't usually let people into my home. But I saw something different in the two of you and I had to let you in. And I'm so glad I did."

Wednesday: Two great things happened on Wednesday! First one was a miracle! And this miracle's name is Karla :) I don't think I've mentioned her, so I'll tell a little bit about her. She is 18, the daughter of a less-active/recent convert, who back in March, almost had her baptismal interview....and didn't go. Since then, the missionaries haven't been able to see her or teach her. We found her teaching record about 2 months ago, and knew that we had to play it cool and not pressure her if we ever got the chance to teach her. Which we have been able to do. As we have gone to see her mom, we have see her, and invited her to participate in the lessons. At first she was really reluctant, but then she started to come home from school then automatically sit down and start listening. She is super smart, and we've been trying really hard to gain her confidance. Ok, back to Wednesday :) We went to teach AnaMaria and found Karla there too :) And conviently, we had planned to talk about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The lesson was fantastic - they were participating, reading the scriptures, applying it to their lives... And at one point, Karla told us, "We know what we need to do. We need to have faith, repent, make covenants and show God that we love Him." Sooooo...we asked her about baptism. We didn't ask her what happend back in March, but all she told us was this: "When I first starting listening to the missionaries, I did everything they asked me to. I went to church, I read the scriptures, but I didn't feel anything. I didn't have strong enough of a desire. So I stopped doing them. But then, you guys came back. And, now I feel this overwhelming desire to feel the Lord's presense in my life again. I know that this gospel is true. I want to study about baptism a bit more, but I know that I do want to join the church and be baptized." Ahhhh! Her date is set for December 6th, which she set herself. It's the Saturday before transfers... and also happens to be Hermana Traylor's birthday haha! :)

The second great experiene was with Jesus, the less-active that we found about a month ago. He invited us to a FHE with him and his son (the one that is going to get baptized in March). Normally, when members invite us to FHE's, they expect us to prepare the lesson. So we did, but we had the pleasent surprise of seeing him give the lesson, and teaching his son about the importance of prayer. It was a super special night for us, to see him trying to hard to be the kind of parent that he knows he needs to be. ...There are some missionaries seem to thing that the only rewarding work that we can do here in the mission is finding, teaching and baptizing investigators. Don't get me wrong, those are such rewarding experiences. But, I have found, time and time again in my mission, that some of my most rewarding and treasured moments have been those I have spent with less-actives. 

Thursday: Interviews with Preident Stellmon! So this was a great day :) The training that the assistants gave was so great. They talked about prayer, and the need that all of us have to pray like Enos every time that we pray. One thing that they did was that they gave us the statistics of how many times we will pray here in the mission. Approximately for us sisters, 16,740 times. Then Elder Womack asked, "And have you seen that many miracles on your mission?" Definitely something to think about. And then, President gave me some really great counsel, and I know that they were the things that the Lord needed me to hear.

Friday: Intercambios with Hermana Tester! She is so funny! We had a really great day in her area :) Even though we had to kill two GIANT spiders in their house! Honestly, I kept waking up during the night thinking giant spiders were all over me. It was awful :P

Saturday: Intercambios with Hermana Olvera! Also a great day! (I'm running out of time to write so sorry that I'm faulting a lot.) The best part was when we saw Jeronimo! We love this man! He is so prepared. SOOOO prepared. He is changing right before our eyes. He's reading, starting to pray to God, and I know that he's experiencing conversion because he is sharing it with everyone! He asked for Books of Mormon for his children, numbers of the msisionaries near their houses, and invited them to church with him. He told us that he feels so good and so happy now, something he hasn't been feeling since his wife died. He is still scheduled to be baptized the 29th!

Sunday: Stake Conference! And the best part... Jeronimo loved President Stellmon's talk, haha! President talked about the importance of the Book of Mormon and it was a super powerful talk. After he finished, Jeronimo turned to Hermana Traylor and said, "I really really liked that man's talk. He really motived me to keep reading the Book of Mormon." I just love being a missionary :) 

I feel so incredibly blessed each and every day that I'm here. Every day has been a learning and growing experience for me, and I love being able to see other have these experiences as well. There is nothing quite as rewarding as sharing the Gospel with people that you love, and see their lives change because of it. I love this Gospel, and I love my Savior, who made these opportunities possible. Have a great week everyone! I love you all so much!

Love always,

Hermana Smith

Scripture of the Week: Helaman 3:29-30

Photos: So...sorry I haven't been taking pictures lately! I promise to take some this week! But I found this one...this is where we live!