July 21, 2014
Buen Día mis queridos!!
How’s it going everyone?? I
sure hope you’re enjoying the warm weather back there in the good ol´ USofA. We
are in winter here, however, we’ve been super blessed and it hasn’t been super
super cold. I believe that will be coming any moment though. Can’t
wait...............
Okay, so I’m just going to be
straight up here. This past week has easily been one of the absolute hardest
weeks of my mission. Now that Hermana Centeno is gone and I’m the oldest in the
area, I have to be the one to make all the plans at night and lead us
everywhere in the city. The hard thing about making the plans at night is that
we have to have just about a million back up plans because even if you have a
set appointment with someone here in the city, it really doesn’t mean that they’re
going to be there, ya know what I mean? Not to mention our investigator pool
keeps decreasing. So we don’t have a ton of set appointments every day like we’re
supposed to. Lately we have been talking with lots of people in the street
(like usual) and pretty much every single one either lives out of our area or isn’t
interested. Thus, it has been super hard to find new investigators. And all
this happens right when I’m out of training and my trainer leaves to another
area. I’m going to be honest, I could go on about the other "bad" or
"rough" stuff that has happened, like having chewed up oranges thrown
in our faces, but I don’t want to continue to complain or be negative. I have
been so stressed this past week, and in all honesty, many tears have been shed.
Many prayers of questioning and pleading have been offered. The hardest thing
is trying to understand God’s will. I know with my whole heart that there is a
purpose to these trials I’m having. I know that God sees my potential and is
the only one who knows what I need to go through in order to reach that
potential. I have to trust with everything I have in my Savior. I have to
continue to have faith and work hard, even when it’s far easier to just give
up. I know I’m learning lessons for the rest of my mission and for my life. I
truly am grateful for these trials, because it means that I am strong enough to
overcome them with the help of my Savior, and that God trusts me. However, it
is only through the Savior that I can do it...I have come to realize that so
intensely on my mission and I have really become so humbled. When it comes down
to it, the roller-coaster of the mission is something that can’t be explained.
So, it has happened. I am 100% a missionary, through and
through. Like, I’m weird now and everything. Jaja! Let me explain—
.
So yesterday in the evening, we
were in the apartment so my companion could rest a little bit. She has back
problems, and then about a week and a half ago she was in a bus when it crashed
and now her whole right side has been hurting lots. So yeah, she was resting
when we get a text that said at the young single adult party there was a
nonmember that was interested in learning more about the gospel and asked us to
come to the party to talk to him. So that’s the first good reference we’ve
received in a while, so we were out the door immediately. Well, we arrive, and
the amount of awkwardness I felt is indescribable!! I mean sure I can interact
with JAS (Jovenes Adultos Soltedos....Young Single Adults) when we’re at
church, because I’m in a missionary type setting. But being at a party for the
young single adults where they were interacting and flirting and what not??? SO
AWKWARD!! I felt so out of place and I didn’t know what to do with myself. AND,
I only have 4 months in the mission!! I’m warning you now, don’t be surprised
when I get home and I’m super awkward and call you all "Hermano" and
"Hermana" all the time. So to finish the story we talked with the
reference, Alex, and taught him a little bit of the Restoration, but everyone
was being super loud and socializing so it was hard. Also, he doesn’t live in
our area, so that was a bust. Super interested though, so the Elders that are
going to teach him are super lucky.
Well that’s just about everything
for this week. Oh, and my companion is super great, I really love her! Yep, now
that’s everything. During personal study today I was reading about scripture
study jaja, and I thought I’d give you and a friendly reminder to read the Book
of Mormon EVERY DAY individually and as a family! That book is so incredibly
powerful as you all know. It changes lives. Anyways, love you all! Thanks for
you support and prayers, I definitely need them! Les amo y oro para ustedes
cada día! Remember, when you love the way the Savior does, miracles happen! And
of course, Stay Anxiously Engaged! :)
xoxo,
Hermana Van
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