"I seemed to think it was a good idea to throw the newspaper over the fence for the dog to play with.... apparently it isn't good for dogs to eat paper....
or tear it up all over the Leyva's yard....oops!"
HOLA HOLA!!
How's it goinggg?!! I just sent out my pictures for this week :) Thought I'd do that first! Ok sooo lets get right to it! This week was AWESOME! It was just a powerful week. There was a little bit of sadness and frustration in people not accepting the gospel as well as the best moments, and God pushing us forward and loving us!
Ok so the days flewwww by!! Tuesday was awesome! We had an awesome lesson with Mrs. C (I'm starting to not give full names for the sake of the blog since that is the internet.. something that Hna B's mom does and she's a lawyer... so that means I should do whatever she does) it was AWESOME. She is so adorable. She is 30 and has 4 kids and she and her husband have been looking for a religion to grow their family up in but have found a lot of stuff they didn't like in the religions of her family (Catholic) and the religions of other people around them. So we met her a long time ago knocking on her door and sent the elders over there a week or two later because she spoke english but she said that she wanted the hermanas. We went back later because she is spanish and english so it's ok and we came by the day after a tragity in her family and they asked us to come back the next day.
So we have been meeting with her and anyway, we went in on Tuesday and we were going to teach restoration but were very prompted to share with her the plan of salvation with the cute little map I made :) (coping the one Hna Parry had!) It really touched her and she loved it. But when it really started to pick up during the week was Thursday. Thursday night I dont remember what happened but Hna B and I were driving to correlation and we just were really frustrated. I just started crying and was upset because I felt like no one realizes the severity of the situation, how vital it is to have the gospel, how vital it is to know our savior, how our salvation is at stake ay! I can't even explain properly cuz I can't totally remember.
Anyway, we were just talking about how we feel like we are fighting this battle, with the Lord's help, around these people against like unseen demons while they have no clue what is going on! I think it was just a moment needed to get that out and just work as hard as we can. That's when the Lord really started to bless us. Hna B and I both feel like this week was the Lord telling us that we are working hard, that He is proud of us and that He LOVES us and that even though we only have 2 progressing investigators right now and are searching so hard, we are where we need to be, doing exaclty what we need to be doing. These are the three short experiences:
#1- We were over teaching Marisol the cute girl that I had the amazing experience with when she told me that I was sent to her. Well we were teaching her about repentance and setting goals with her and she told us that she broke things off finally with her boyfriend and that she is going to college. She started the paper work and everything and is moving in with her sister! One, I was freaking out because I thought things weren't ever going to change and then two, this is the tender mercy from God, she said to us, you know it's because of you guys that I am here, that I am happy and fulfilling my dreams. I wouldnt be here without you. That just touched our hearts so much. I am so happy that we got to be instruments in the Lord's hand to save her. She is such an incredible inspiration to me she does such hard things. I know that anyone can change with the help of the Lord. He has the power to change the desires of our hearts, we just need to ask and do our part.
#2- On friday we came back and taught Mrs. C!!!!! BEST RESTORATION LESSON IN THE HISTORY OF #LIV'NLIZ it was seriously.... ay! no tengo las palabras! que bonita! It was perfect! I'll just briefly share the huge points.
First point.... the tender mercy was pretty much the whole thing. But the ones I was talking about before, little gifts from God, that one, was at the very beginning. We don't know how it came up, but somehow she ended up saying to us, "you know so many people have knocked on my door, and have given me their pamphlets and tried to preach to me but I'd always send them away because something seemed off... but with you guys there is something different. I told my husband the other night, I love when they come over, I feel comfortable with them and when they teach me about things they don't talk like they know way more than I do and they simplify it to my level so I can understand. I enjoy talking with them." Wow. that is like the best thing to hear, she didn't need to say that and she apologized after like it was weird that she said that and we told her thank you.
What a tender mercy from God. He knew we needed to hear that. Then the lesson went on, and we just read through the pamphlet with her because we felt like that was what she needed and we were like why have we never done this before!! This is awesome. anyways she understood everything and she was so interested. She always is she is so kind. anyway, We got to the first vision and she read that out loud for us, and we asked her what she thought and she says, I wanna see them! like no question that it had happened! and then we went on and by the end she was like, I feel like I have the same questions as Joseph Smith! I feel like you could replace my name with his! (she kept calling him John Smith and it was so cute I loved it ahha) umm and we were dying because also no one every says that. And also she's the best because she just talks and tells you her feelings. She went on to say, you know I feel like this is my answer, to talk with the mormons and all this stuff and again we died. Then we asked her that when she knows it's true and knows it's the right path for her family will she be baptized and she said YES. With a cute little smile on her face. I absolutely was floating on a cloud. Hna b and I walked out with dropped jaws. It was such an amazing lesson, we hugged her and left and I just... I dont even know I just wow. haha wow.
#3- We taught E last night about living prophets. We watched the mormon message living prophets and this is make it or break it for him and it really threw him. He was kind of totally like... loss of words sort of thing, but he really wants to know, it was kind of rough. But we had him watch with us on his phone the mormon message Great Expectations... we finished and just sat for a second and he said his classic line, "I be trippin" and told us that when we started watching it that it looked like a blue screen (green screen) but Thomas S. Monson was popping out... and then it went into the normal screen and he felt tingles and then arms reaching around his back and wrapping around him "I be trippin".... wow. Right before our eyes that happened. What an incredible spiritual experience. We testified to him that that was the spirit... and because we are best buds, talked to him openly about it and we invited him to General Conference. He said the cutest thing, he goes, "well I am going to pray ALL week that I dont have work this weekend" haha love it. He really wants to come, and he REALLY wants to know if it is true. Hna B gave him a little card that we were going to have him open later, but she said she changed her mind and that she wanted him to read it now, it was the quote by Elder Holland that is just amazing. I mean all of them are but this one is just so touching, "If it seems for a time the harder you try, the harder it gets, TAKE HEART, so it has been with the greatest people whom have ever lived." He loved it. and we talked a little bit about who that made us think of and he said, " I dont mean this in a weird way, but when I read that, I thought of you two".... TENDER MERCY #3.... I started tearing up as usual. What a kind thing to say, I really have no words to say, or how to explain why that meant so much.
This week was amazing, I know the Lord's work is hastening. Our AP's told us all to share our testimonies in Sacrament meeting. And I just felt this overwhelming feeling that the Lord hears our prayers. It did really hit me how true the childrens song is " Ora el esta, habla el escucha" ( pray he is there, speak he is listening)... prayer is REAL. It is real and our Father in Heaven loves us so much that He sent His son, to die for us. He allowed that to happen, Christ allowed that to happened, because of how much they LOVE US. Ask, and you will get an answer. This week more than ever I have felt their love, I know its real, I feel it in my heart, I know it in my heart. I've always known it in my head, but knowing it in your heart feels different. It's undeniable. I love my savior. I love Him so much. I feel so blessed that we can go onto LDS.org and watch the new bible videos. It has helped me see and really understand more of who the Savior is and His characteristics, I strive everyday to be like Him. I love Him more than I ever have before and I hope to increase that love continually.
Scripture of the week... 1 Nephi 7: 6-12... pretty sure I've already shared this before but it was just so apparent this week, we shared it with Emilio and he said something so profound. The very last line says "let us be faithful to Him". We talked about it and He said.... "He is not even asking us to be perfect. He is just asking us to be faithful".... All He is asking is that we follow Him. Thats it, he has given us SO much, and all He asks is that we be obedient. That we be FAITHFUL to Him. I just think about Emilio and his experience of finding God in jail... and how INCREDIBLE he is, and that he took EVERY BIBLE that he had in jail for those 8 years and walked out past the pedistle that all of the other men set their bibles on as they walked out. HAVE YOU FOUND GOD? I want to find Him... but first I have to figure out what that means to me.
I love you alll sooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!!!!!
This week my spanish was better than ever. Still not amazing ahha but I am not loosing hope! i love you i love you i love you!
Our dear Priscila Leyva, love her guts!! She comes out with us ALL the time. She is putting in her papers and is almost done with them! Her dad is Pres. Leyva, in the Stk Presidency and her mom is the relief society president and her younger brother Gary is 16 and super cool and wants to go on a mission. Pretty much a dynamite family.
New friends?
1. "smelly caaaat... smelly caaaat" - phoebe
2. here in Dyna we have pet pigeons
3."do you think he can see?" - hna B
Interviews and training last week for the missionaries.
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