Hola!!
This week
just screamed by! There is a saying here in the MTC that every day lasts a week
and every week lasts a day. Yeah, that's a real thing, they aren't kidding. It
really just gets to the point where every day just blends together. Like we
wake up on Saturday
and say, for all we know this could be a Tuesday, because most days feel the
same.
So on Friday
we had to practice doing our first contact, which is where we don't know
anything about them, just go up to their door and hope to get into their house.
It's so much harder than you would think....not to mention when you're
attempting to do it in Spanish. So you could say that was pretty rough for Hna.
Ridgway and me. However I have come to the point where I don't care how rough
it is, because I know that it is just a huge learning experience. If you do it
wrong the first time, you will know what NOT to do the next time. So it's
really actually a blessing.
So we've
started to teach this investigator "Josue" (He's really just one of
our teachers) and on the second lesson Hna. Ridgway and I committed him to be
baptized! Although it was totally fake, it felt SO great! I mean, I can only
imagine what it will feel like when we do that for real! If its this exciting
when it's one of our teachers playing a character, it must be pretty
spectacular out in the field. So as far as the MTC goes, we've committed one
person to baptism so far. Jaja!! :)
As I have
been learning Spanish, I have realized that I need to not stress so much about
learning the language, and focus more on learning how to strengthen the
investigator's relationship with God by helping them realize how His hand has
been in their life the entire time. That being said, I know I will be
completely lost when I first get down to Argentina, so I've come up with a
little goal. My goal is even if the members and investigators can't understand
me, I want them to KNOW how much I absolutely love them. Love doesn't need to
be portrayed in words. I want them to know that I love them, and then hopefully
through me they will be able to know how much MORE their Savior and Heavenly
Father loves them. If I can at least do that, I know I can be successful. And
honestly, that gives me so much hope. I already love the people of Argentina so
much. I can't imagine how much more I will love them when I actually get down
there! Ah, SO exciting!! :)
Already
in these short two weeks, I have seen how the mission pushes you to do things
you would never otherwise do. I am the music coordinator in my branch, which
means I choose the music for Sundays. Well the previous music coordinator left
for Mexico
before I could find out the details. So Saturday morning I was asking what
exactly I need to do and I found out we had to have a special musical number
for sacrament. Apparently there is one every Sunday. So since no one had prepared
anything I had to whip out something on the piano. I decided to skip gym and
practice the piano for an our. Thank heavens I had that piano book from Tricia
with some beautiful hymns. It was such a blessing! So yeah, I prepared that in
an hour.
Then,
every Sunday
we all have to prepare 3-5 minute talks in Spanish. As I was writing my talk on Saturday
I kept thinking, "I think I'm going to have to give this tomorrow." But I kept
shrugging it off. So Sunday
morning while I was getting ready, I mentioned to the other hermanas that I
kept feeling like I was going to have to give the talk, but that I probably
wouldn't since I was already doing the special musical number. Well, sure
enough, as the meeting begins, the Branch President announces over the pulpit
that Hna. Clay and I would be speaking and then after I was done speaking I
would go play Abide with Me; Tis Eventide. All I could do is just laugh and
smile. I had known it all along jaja. So Sunday I gave my first ever talk in
SPANISH and then I played a piano solo with only an HOUR of practice. Two
things I would have NEVER done before. And ya know what? Both went quite well
if you ask me. That just goes to show you how much the Lord will push you, even
in the MTC, but no matter what, He will still be with you the entire time. I
know I couldn't have done either without the Lord's help. He requires a lot of
His missionaries, but how lucky are we to have Him walk right beside us for
18-24 months and have Him be our perfect teacher. With such a teacher, it's
impossible not to grow into something you couldn't ever before imagine. That is
if we allow Him to push us and if we will have faith to be willing to do
whatever it is He asks of us.
The Lord
is so good. Everywhere I look and in everything I do, I see Him. I am so
fortunate to be called of God as a missionary to serve in Argentina. I'm
not perfect, but I know that doesn't matter. All that matters is that I am
willing to be His servant. That is all that is required of us. We must be
willing to do whatever He asks. If we do that, He will shape us into something
we could have never foreseen. I have a strong testimony of that already. I have
seen it start to happen to me in just these short two weeks. I'm so excited for
these next 18 months and all He has in store for me. I love you and miss you
all more than I could ever adequately express! Thank you for your support and
your prayers, I feel them so strongly. Miracles happen when we love others the
way Christ does. Remember, stay anxiously engaged!! :)
xoxo,
Hermana
Van Wagoner
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