January 17, 2011

Family and Friends!!!

Where do I even begin - so much has gone down this week, and I know I always say that, but really!!

First I want to thank everyone that emails me, and KNOW that I am getting them and reading them, and I am sorry I cannot send personal emails to everyone, but they seriously do help me so much - keep them coming!!!

So first the funny things this week - I am over all the animals here - normally I LOVE them, but the other day we were visiting a family and I went to go put a note on their door, and their little rat creepy dog almost bit me, and was like chasing me and showing me his teeth. I literally almost started crying it was scary –haha. We laughed after though – that’s what I get for always messing with all of the dogs. Also we had our English class in the church this week, and we decided to start outside and we taught the kids head shoulders knees and toes in English, and we looked like such fools out there- haha like singing and doing the actions everyone that walked by was laughing- it was great.

So the week was a little better with our investigators. We got to teach them a lot more, but still they all fail at coming to church. We finally had to drop Claudia and Juan because their mom freaked out one day and Claudia just said that she needs time. It was SO sad and soooo hard because we had been working so long and hard with them but I am still hoping and praying that in the future they will be able to get baptized. As we left I was just so down, but then we went to a new converts house and when we shared a scripture with her, it really ended up helping me. It is in D & C 58 2-5 - it talks about how if we are patient in our tribulations and faithful till the end, our reward is so much greater in heaven. In the moment right now it is hard to see the eternal outcome of things, but if we just pull through and get through it all we will be blessed. It helped me so much and just really reminded me that it doesn’t matter, and even though its sad and its hard - God knows what is going to happen and if I just have trust in him and I am patient with time - I will see the rewards later and be blessed.

The next day we fasted as a companionship to find new investigators and to be more guided by the spirit and to know what to do with our current investigators. It was honestly such a neat experience…..so spiritual. It is so amazing how powerful prayer and fasting is! We were led and found tons of new people to teach and we felt really good about it. We are working with the nieces and nephews of a recent convert and they are great. We are also teaching a member’s daughter who was investigating a long time ago but wants to get back into it.

The day we were fasting we were walking in the streets on our way home to go break our fast and I walked by this kid that looked familiar and he waved, so I walked up to him and asked if his mom was home and if we could talk to her. Nice! She came out and was soooo cute and she was so positive and we found out her mom had met with the missionaries before, and also one of the inactive members of the Brito family - Kuki-who is 17- is friends with her son, so she knows a little about the church. She accepted that we come and teach her the next day. We felt so good about her. The next night we went to their house and they were all there together-Carolina, her mom, her husband, and her kids. We started to talk and teach them and at the beginning, my companion seemed flustered and was not sure what to teach and was all over the place. I just kept praying and wondering what we could do. She was teaching the plan of salvation but I just felt we needed to slow down and ask more questions. We started to ask questions and it really helped us understand them more and got them involved. I kept feeling prompted like I needed to say something and share an experience- and I honestly can’t even tell you what I said but the spirit was so strong, and the mom Carolina was just crying and they were all just smiling, and it truly was such a neat experience that I will never forget.

Then it gets better - later that night we passed by to pick them up because there was an activity in the church - the church building has been in Arroyito now for a year! YAY - and when we showed up to get them, the whole family was all cute and ready and excited to go! We all walked and went together, and even better, Kuki the inactive boy came and brought his girlfriend. It was truly a week of tender mercies and little miracles.

The activity was great with a lot of members, inactives, and investigators. We ate and the showed a video of the memories of all the members in the ward the past few years. A lot of people got up and bore such tender testimonies about their stories and how happy they are to finally have a church building to go to in Arroyito, because before it was in a random house. Gisela got up and talked about how it was her dream every since she was a member to get a church in Arroyito, and she would pray for it every day and when she went on a mission she prayed for that and they built it while she was gone, and she was sooo happy when she got back and felt it was such a blessing from the Lord.

After we left and we found out about transfers, and guess what.....I LEFT Arroyito! I was honestly sooooo sad, and crying so hard and just didn’t want to leave my new home and my comp that I was best friends with, but I knew it is what the Lord wants so I am being more positive about it….. and of course I am going to BELLVILLE....with the Latina from Chile! Sooooo nervous, but I know it will be good - I will definitely learn Spanish wayyyyy faster. So Sunday I gave a heart felt and teary testimony and it was just so sad to look at all the members who just made my whole experience so far, and say goodbye, but it went okay, and it was a good meeting. The ward had a surprise going away party for me in the church that night with food, and all the members came and they all got up and gave me advice and thanked me, and it was such a good night that I will never forget! I love Candyland Arroyito, but I am excited for this new beginning in beautiful Bellville, with new people and my Latina comp - I think it will be really good.

So wish me luck!!!! Just know I can feel your love, support, and prayers lifting me up and inspiring me everyday!!! You are all the best!!! Never forget that you are loved by a Father in Heaven, and with Him in your lives, like it says in Matt 19:26, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. I know this is true everyday of my mission because without his help - this work would not be possible. I love you all! Have a good week!!! Besitooossss Chauuuuuu Nos Vemossssss

Love Hermana Pond