Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Feel like nothing happens..but, then again....

Okay, first thing's first. Next week pday will be on TUESDAY because we're going to the temple. So I will write you TUESDAY. I don't know at what hour, but that always changes anyways. :)

This week. SO much happened. And when we report on Sundays I always feel like nothing happened. Then I actually look back through my planner, and SO much happens every week!

Well, Estefanía came back from Germany. She's so weird. I really like her a lot. I think working through her, we'll be able to reactivate her and her dad. She promised to start reading and praying and coming to church again. She's actually- praying. It's  a start. We'll just have to remind her more often. 

We taught Melissa and Yanela the first vision. The Spirit was so incredibly strong in that lesson, I can't even believe it. I invited them to baptism. They said yes if they do come to know it's true. They definitely responded with the Spirit. Then Satan came in with the doubts after how that means they'd have to change a lot and who knows what else. I think they're already getting their answer. They felt the Spirit so much. The next visit on Thursday, Melissa hadn't prayed. But not out of laziness, she's scared of what the answer will be. So we explained to her that everything that comes from God is good, and it's a blessing. And that He's there to support her and help her. She recommitted to pray about the restoration.

On Wednesday I had an intercambio with Hermana Alvarenga. She's from Argentina, so everyone on the street calls her gringa. And she told me that she hates that because she's not north american. She's Latina. She's such a cool person! She's so happy and optimistic. And we just had this amazing day teaching Estefanía the first lesson and  finding new investigators in the morning. But more important, we found Angela. I've been having the impression time and time again to go to her house. (She's on the directory). We found her this time, and got in the door. Well, some fun facts first. She had cranberry juice (I forgot that existed!) She's thinks it's gross, then I saw what it was (it was in english) and got super excited about it. So good! And gave us cake as well. Then I learned that her job is cremating. Wow. She described the process to us. Not going to lie. I was pretty disturbed. I'll leave it at that. I freaked our zone leader out about it later on in the week just mentioning it. Haha. But then we got to the spiritual. She can't have kids. Her husband is a returned missionary who doesn't want anything to do with the church. (She wouldn't tell us why). She says that she feels very alone in a church that talks so much about families. That centers on them. She's basically just lost hope. She doesn't see a point. Well, after she went on and on about how the church centers on the family, I thought, well, it also centers on the atonement. I asked her, what do you know about the atonement? And she was quiet for a moment, and said, Wow. I haven't thought about that in a long time. I testified to her that through the atonement, all the injustices in this life can be made right. But we must do our part and come to Christ so that He can pour the blessings out on us. And maybe they won't come in the moment, but they will come. But we must remember the gospel is what we must live as conditions of the atonement. Faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end (Or see, living the pattern of faith, repentance, and renewing covenants). How amazing that our mission president right in this time is having us, as a mission, study about the atonement in depth for the multizone we're having tomorrow. My testimony of the atonement is being strengthened and relivened as I do the assignment we have to prepare, and also review my own experiences in my journal. I am so grateful for the Lord's love. For the angels he's sent me to lift my burdens. For the miracles I've seen. And for the changes that people can make thanks to the grace of the Savior. That lesson was so spiritual, and I could see renewed hope come into her eyes. She admitted it would still be a process, but she went right after the lesson to share a scripture Hermana Alvarenga had shared in D&C6 with her husband. What a blessing to see that lesson. 

We've also found two convivientes. One menos activo and his wife is investigator. He wants her to be baptized. He wants to reactivate. She wants to know more. We talked to her of the temple and eternal families, and now she really wants to know. They're young. 19 and 20. They'll progress. :)
I'm so grateful for this week. It's been full of amazing experiences. 


Have a great week!
Love you all!

Hermana Brogan

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