Sep 23

Buenas Tardes!

So this week was good, but not super eventful. By the end of the week the weather had cooled down enough that we need jackets after dinner. We've also done a lot of contacting our members and getting to know them and how we can work with them.

On Monday we really just relaxed, and wrote letters for most of the day. It was nice to be able to stay in the appartment out of the heat after several long days in the scorching sun. Then that night we had a miracle lesson with Patricia and her family. The lesson was good and the Spirit was there. It was also especially good because Jorge joined us, and was willing and able to share his testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. We're looking forward to working more with them so that they can get on the same page as a family with the whole church thing. 

Tusday we had district meeting which was good, and then after studies we took cookies to our friend Elliot at the bike shop as a thank you for helping us last week. They also looked at my brakes, and fixed them so that they don't rub while I ride. It is SO much easier to pedal now! 

Wednesday we met Hna Rivera, and I finally started to really feel at home here. She is a member who lives in our area, and she is just wonderful. Talking with her it was so easy to tell that she just loved us right off the bat, and then she was just so willing to help with the missionary work in any way she can.

Thursday was weekly planning, and it was a miracle day because we finished in just 3 hours!!! We also contacted the rest of the members in our area. One of the miracles that day was that we finally contacted one of our investigators named Christopher who we've actually never met since the Elders taught him once before transfers and we haven't been able to see him since.

Friday we had the One Week Follow Up meeting for Hna Anderson which was absolutely wonderful! I love trainings with President and Sister Hall. It was also great because I got to see some of the Elders from my last district in Sylmar and ask how they're doing and how the ward is. (They said the ward is doing great and that the work is also going really well.) That night we also had correlation which was good. I love our ward mission leader Hno Castillo! He is really focused on actually helping us do more effective missionary work, and not just on knowing what's going on with our areas. 

Saturday we had a district finding activity in our area, and that was pretty successful which is nice because we have needed some help finding. However, the rest of the day was just reallly hard. We had lessons with both of our investigators (Patricia and her family and Alex), but I just didn't feel like they went well, and I wasn't feeling the spirit super strongly. Then for the rest of the night we only really talked to people who wanted to bible bash with us. However, I think I learned a good lesson from that day and also from something Obispo said when we met with him on Sunday. As missionaries we are not called to convince people of the truth of the gospel. We are called to bring the spirit into their lives so that they can learn truth for themselves. It doesn't matter how good of teachers we are or how well we can prove ourselves from the scriptures. Our calling and purpose is to bring the Spirit. If we're not doing that then we are wasting our time.

Sunday was church which was good, and then afterwards we got to meet with Obispo and introduce ourselves and talk with him a little about our investigators. Then we went home, ate, studied, came back for the baptism, went home again, ate, studied, and went to bed. We had to ride our bikes to the church for the baptism, and it was a long ride (4-4.5 miles) but it only took about 25 minutes. It's really not a bad ride, but I'm glad we don't have to do it every Sunday.

All in all it's been a pretty good week. I really do love being a missionary, even though it's sometimes hard and sometimes sad, I still love it! I know that this gospel is true. I know that Christ is my savior. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints is the kingdom of God on the earth today.

Love,

Hna Marin Hardy