Clean the Inner Vessel

I'm so excited for General Conference!

I think we´ll travel to Goya to be in the "gringo room" so we can watch it in English. I can't believe its already been 6 months since the last conference.. time has flowwwwwwnnn. Also after this transfer I only have 4 left, which makes it seem so short. 

Yeah I guess Spanish is going well! I'm at the point where I can pretty much teach everything without a problem. And I'm sure its far from perfect.. but I do keep studying the language.  I've been reading the Liahona in English, and reading it out loud in Spanish. So I translate it as I go... and I think that really helps. I was talking to an elder from Colombia, and he complimented me on my accent.. said it wasn't too Gringa, so that's good :) 

This week we didnt get a lot done... we had to travel to re-do my tramites... (my visa stuff)... But we got to stay with Hermana Coleman, so I got to see my hija. and her Spanish has improved so much, it was so awesome to see! 

We taught a lady named Maíra, and shes awesome. 25 years old, single, but has 3 kids (ages 3, 2, and 2 months).-.. so shes got her hands full. But she came to church!!! The whole time her kids were running around, wouldn't stay in primary, etc. but over all, she really liked church, and wants to come again! So we´re gonna invite her to baptism this week. 

This week I read the talk by Niell F. Marriott from October conference. And it really left an impression on my.  I want to share a few quotes that I loved: 

"It is now with our human limitations that the father asks us to love when loving is the most difficult, to serve when serving is inconvenient, and to forgive with forgiving is soul-stretching"

"Healing emotional distance between each other will require our acceptance of gods love, coupled with a sacrifice of our natural selfish and fearful tendencies."

"We can lose our trusting connection to God if trials drive us to distraction instead of sending us to our knees". 

I decided that I'm focusing this week on "cleaning the inner vessel".. and on humility, and how I can love and serve, when it seems to be the hardest. 

I Got the Package!

It is transfer week....I'm staying in Bella Vista

I GOT THE PACKAGE. THE CALENDAR IS SO TENDER!! I have had a cold all week and so I was just dying,, And then when I got the package, and looked through the calendar it just made me so happy!! Thank you for the personal letter, Beanie Baby Roman, My comp laughs at me because sometimes when we´re doing comp study, i just hold it and she thinks its so funny.  Babelash, earrings, drink packets,  and other goodies.

I'm not sure how Skyping on Mother's Day will go down because I might not be in Bella Vista anymore. I'm one of the Hermanas with the most time in the mission so I might be sister training leader soon.  I'm still with Hna Balderee. We have a lot of fun together and work to help each other in different ways.  It's been good. 

This week was great! We decided to find a lot because a lot of our investigators have issues with their families protesting them investigating, or their parents won't allow baptism, and some just aren't progressing. 

José has been to church 5 times now, and he wants to get baptized so badly buut his wife is very against it (being catholic) and won't allow it. José wants to come to church and be baptized, he just has to This week we taught Norma a couple of times.. shes the one who had dropped us a couple weeks ago, but we started visiting again. And she always says that she wont come to church... and then guess who showed up this sunday? NORMA! we were so stoked.. and i think she liked sacrament bc she started tearing up. i noticed because i lead the music... oh yeah... thats something else i forgot to tell you. Im the music director in the branch. What are the odds? Out of all people, i have to do it. And sometimes i get mixed up and i do an awful job. I never want that calling haha. 

RIGHT:  The little boy is Renaldo.. he got baptized last Saturday. we eat with their family every Friday. They live in a super humble house, and there are children and chickens constantly running around. 

As far as Alfredo... hes still in Resistencia, and we heard from him.  He sent a message to our branch president and said he can't wait to see the branch again.  He could be returning home April 20th.  I really don't doubt his testimony. He said he knew without a doubt that he knows the BOM is true. He is a man who very much "fears God" and wants to fulfill all the commandments. 

This week we taught Norma a couple of times.. shes the one who had dropped us a couple weeks ago, but we started visiting again. And she always says that she won't come to church... and then guess who showed up this Sunday? NORMA! We were so stoked.. and I think she liked sacrament because she started tearing up. I noticed because I lead the music... oh yeah... that's something else I forgot to tell you. I'm the music director in the branch. What are the odds? Out of all people I have to do it. And sometimes I get mixed up and do an awful job. I never want that calling again haha.  

I found this huge caterpillar! 

We  finally found Silvina this week. (Alfredos sister) after 3 weeks of not finding her. We had a really upfront discussion because a month ago she was progressing and loved it.  She said she felt like this was the path God wanted her to take. But she is not coming to church.  She is a single mom with financial struggles and a hard schedule.  Wetestified that God will open a door, so that she can come to church on Sunday mornings, and have the money to get by. I"ve prayed for her so much this week. 

We´ve noticed God´s hand guiding us this week. Especially one night when we were lead to a lady named Patricia, from our area book. We talked and afterward she told us that she just felt so alleviated, and that God is trying to speak to her through us. 

Anyway, I've had a good week... happy to stay in Bella Vista... we set some goals yesterday for the transfer. 
Thanks for your prayers and for always sending your 
love it means the world! Can't wait to get a Coke Zero and hang out with you again! haha ... Nika told me that McDonalds doesn't sell CZ anymore? What has the world come to? 

Suffering swallowed up in Joy of Christ

Wow I can't believe you guys have snow! I don't even remember what the snows like. 

This week has been suuuuuper hot and humid.. So on Tuesday morning the whole zone traveled to Bella Vista, and we did a service activity where we went around asking for donations like pencils, backpacks, notebooks, etc.. for the kids who start school this week and cant afford their own. We wore those yellow helping hands vests. Then in the afternoon, I was just about ready to leave.. put my shoes on, and I hear my companion throwing up. After awhile she came out and said she couldn't leave, so we stayed in that night. Then the next morning she felt alright, so we were able to teach! 

JOSE

JOSE We taught Jose about modern prophets and read a talk with him. He has so much faith! He also told us he had been searching forever in his BOM to find and read Doctrine and Covenants, but couldn't find it. We had to tell him that it is a separate book and we ordered him a triple :) 

NORMA

We also had a charla that night with Norma.. and it was the most spiritual one yet. She said she´s felt so much more peace in her life since she started to meet with us, and asked if we had noticed a change in her countenance too. She was super motivated to come to church this Sunday, but her family isn't happy about her meeting with us and foiled her plans.  She told us she has to stop meeting with us. It broke my heart, but I know seeds are planted.  Her family loves us and we've taught all her kids too.. Its just that her ex husband just decided to move into their top floor 2 days earlier. So we´re pretty sure its because of him :( Getting dumped by investigators is the worst) 

MY COMP IS SICK
Then Thursday morning my companion woke up with such sharp pain in her stomach.. and couldn't leave her bed. That day she threw up 4 times, and each time she threw up, she also had diarrhea. We think it's a bacterial infections. She has meds and we had to rest for the week-end.  I cleaned everthing like twice, studied a lot, read my mission journal, did my comps laundry... and stressed out about our investigators and how they aren't going to progress. But I also feel so bad for my poor companion, she just always has some health issue. We´re also pretty sure she has a UTI as well.  

I'VE CHANGED
In reading my mission journal  I've realized how much I've progressed, and especially in my happiness. And it shows that I'm the happiest when I completely focus on the work, and not on myself or my circumstances. Time is flyyyying by, but at the same time, 1 transfer ago feels like ages ago. But before I know it, it´ll be General Conference, and I'll only have 6 months left - it's scary! 

AFFLICTIONS SWALLOWED UP IN THE JOY OF CHRIST
A scripture that called my attention this week is Alma 31:38... because it  says that the missionaries took no thought for themselves, what they´d eat or wear. and it doesn't say that they didn't suffer any afflictions on their missions.. but that any afflictions they had to suffer would be swallowed up in the joy of Christ. And that's something that I can relate to on my mission. Because looking back in my journal, I've had a few crappy days... but when I think of my mission in general.. usually only the good memories come to my mind. It is tru that any bad day, struggle, or hard experience I've had doesn't even compare to the joy I've had in bringing the light of truth into people's lives, serving, and doing the Lord's work.  

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!