Nov 11

Buenas Tardes,

This has been a good week. 

Monday we got haircuts. It was funny because we left with wet hair and just had to put our helmets on so they dried in the wind, under our helmets on the way home. Oh, the joys of being a sister missionary on bike. You get an automatic hair dryer whenever you want it. :)

Tuesday we didn't have district meeting since we had Zone Training Meeting on Friday so we had a little bit more proselyting time. We had a lesson with one of our investigators named E, and it was exciting because he's reading in the Book of Mormon, but we're not sure if he really understands our purpose as missionaries. We're going to try to make that more clear the next time we go.

On Wednesday we were able to go help teach the English class at the capital which was fun. It was nice to be the one who speaks the language fluently for once. I was inspired by how hard the students were working, and how dedicated they are to really learning English. Learning a language really is all about how much you speak it. I've been trying to speak more Spanish lately, but it's hard when 90% of the people around me speak just as good of English as Spanish or better English than Spanish and 90% of those people really only speak English... 

Thursday we had a miracle! We found an entire family of menos activos who are actually willing to start coming back to church! They were actually referral that we got from a man we contacted last Saturday night. He said his family might be interested in our message, but he was leaving the next day (he's a truck driver). Turns out he was playing a joke on us because his wife and all his kids are members, they just haven't been to church in more than 4 years. We're hoping that we'll be able to help them come back to church, and also help R to want to be baptized. The other exciting thing about Thursday was that I finished my journal and got to start a new one! I love new journals.

Friday was Zone Training Meeting, and it was AMAZING!!!!! Our Hermana Training Leaders gave some of the training, and the Zone Leaders gave some of the training. The whole meeting was focused on how we need to turn our focus back to baptism. There are lots of things that missionaries do that are good things and help the ward and members and other people, but we need to focus back on our purpose. Our purpose is to help people accept the restored gospel of Jesus Christ through baptism. After that we really don't have any stewardship any more, and we need to make sure that we spend our time fulfilling our purpose. Especially since we only get a short 18 months to do this we need to use our time to the fullest.

Saturday we had a really cool miracle! We were making some calls to remind people about church when we got a call from a number that wasn't in our phone. The conversation was a little bit confusing at first, but eventually we figured out that this man named F had been given a card with our number on it by the Zone Leaders last Saturday. He called us because he was trying to grow (? The word I want is desarollar, but I don't remember the exact translation) his faith in Christ so he wanted the video Finding Faith in Christ. We were able to go over later that night and give it to him and teach part of the Restoration and how he can increase his faith by basing it in true principles and in a true understanding. He was so open, and it was SO COOL!!!

My favorite thing about Sunday was the lesson in Relief Society. It was about how we need to make sure that we put God before the world in everything. I was so impressed and humbled by all the Hermanas in our ward. By so many standards they have nothing, and yet they are constantly trying to give more, and be more grateful. I have so much to learn about gratitude, and humility, and I feel like the Hermanas here teach me so much without even knowing it. 

I am really realizing how much I have learned from my mission, and how much I still have to learn! It really is true what they say that you learn more from your mission than you ever teach. (I'm not actually sure if people say that, but I just did so now they do...) Going on a mission truly is the best decision I've ever made, and I am so grateful to all of you who have supported me and helped me in this.

Love,