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| Hermanas Lewis & Christensen |
what a week of weeks.. WELL we had a HUUUUGE milagro about three days in a row when we were able to find a BUNCHHHHH of people to teach. SO cool. finding for us has been so hard! sometimes i think about what it must be like to just be able to add anyone around you as an investigator... but no. we're in a way white area looking for lamanites. AND IT'S THE BEST! so hard. but when we find them walking around, WE FIND THEM!!!! i love it.
can i just say how much i love my mission? freak. i love it so much. i get so giddy looking at all my pictures. i'm sorry if i say that overpoweringly too mucho, but seriously. i just LOVE it so much. last night we had the sweet sweet sweet opportunity to celebrate one year from when the branch was formed, and it was tender. so many people came--including people that are inactive. we got a picture of everyone together-i'll try to send it your way. i LOVE these people so much. getting to work and serve with them is amazing... there is something so special about this branch... president donaldson (and all the missionaries who have left the area) comment about how strong this tiny branch is, and how AMAZING they are in loving and serving and DOING the work. one of our investigators, hermano roman, WALKED to church beforehand to help set up for the party. we are going to invite him to be baptized tomorrow, and guess who's going to help us? HERMANO CHAVEZ!!!! and guess who's giong to receive the priesthood? HERMANO CHAVEZ! and go to the templo? HERMANO CHAVEZ! and speak in a charla on el 12 de junio? HERMANO CHAVEZ! ah. recent converts have the flame. it's amazing. i love this work.
i also just want to say how much i love the battalion. and the sisters there. family. it's so amazing. milagros are happening every day. lately i have been really focusing on how to be better with inviting people to learn more in a more inspired way.,. more personal and to their needs and by the spirit. and it's been AMAZING to see as i've tried to do that what's happened. when brother lesvardi (the brains of the mobat) came and talked to us for some training awhile back (when he told us we were suddenly allowed to testify there) he said, "goldpanning isn't just for goldpanning." that place was DESIGNED so we can get people occupied and talk to them about the GOSPEL! soooo cool. since i've developed that mindframe and tried to be more in tune while i'm there, heavenly father has blessed me mucho. there was this cuuuute asian couple the other day who i took on the tour and took them out to gold panning. i told them i could send them a bom in mandarin and they were like, "mm. not so much." my first attack is always the bom. of course. the keystone of our religion. but they didn't go for it, and i nkew i couldn't stop there. so, praying for divine guidance, we start talking aobut her belly and the adorable little guy cookin inside of her. and the question came to me, "what are the most important things you want to teach him?" and she thought for a sec, said some asian words to her hub, and he translated: "to be happy." and i said, "how?" and she looked at me and they look at each other, and it was this sweet moment when the spirit touched them and i invited them to receive a cute like 5 minute film como entcontar la felicidad and they said yes. like right away. and i know that the elders in el centro (e roney's old area) are going to find gold with those two because they are lookin. it was so neat. haevenly father blesses us IMMEDIATELY for going out of our comfort zone and pleading for help and depending on him. sooo cool. time and time again. yesterday, we had a lesson with a lady who's been taught for like 10 years. she's super open, knowledgeable and has a LOT of faith. she also has a LOT to say and i don't have a lot of understanding. haha. so there's a lot of HER takling and us listening and sweating in her little house just wondering how on earth to teach her what she needs to hear. anyway, yesterday i was really worried during the lesson about my comp who has been struggling to open her mouth... and so i was preoccupied and the lessno was just getting to long and i didn't feel like we were helping her at all and she was takling about the most random things EVER.. and AH. it was the worst feeling ever! so i was like, "alrighty sista. calm down. breathe. focus on hna iparrea..." we taught, testified, and peaced. then we had weekly planning and during comp inventory we talked about it and came to the conclusion that if sweet sweet sister lewis isn't focusing on what she's going to say or what she can't say, and i'm not worrying about her or about she's thinking or wishing i'd say... but if we both just focus on OUR INVESTIGATORS 156 billion thousand percent, the spirit is going to FILL OUR MINDS AND HEARTS WITH THE SAME THING TO SAY. how many times is that promise in the scriptures?!!! like infinity! ay. it was a neat conclusion to arrive at juntas. i know it's true. i know heavenly father is going to come through for us as we turn EVERYTHING over to Him. And that's a principle that i hope to take with me throughout the rest of my life--when i live a CONSECRATED (temple!) life, focusing and sacrificing on others (TEMPLE!), then we will be blessed with knowledge, yeah even great treasures of knowledge.. and we shall run and not be weary, walk and not faint, etc. i KNOW that promise is re-al and applies to LIFE, not just to living the palabra de sabiduria. that's why the mission is so incedibly satisfying because we wake up thinking about others, we exercise praying for clarity of mind to receive inspiratino throughout the day for them, we study for them and for their needs. then we go out and teach them and try not to worry about what we'll say or naaaaaaaadaa--just on themmmmm, and in the batallon we jsut serve them and tailor the tour to them and take their picture and deal with their screaming kids and take tours even when we're starving or tired or WHATEVER, then we PLAN for them. and then we rush to bed, praying for them and fasting for them and thinking about them and dreaming about them. and then the time flies. and we are happier than EVER. because this is the most SATISFYING work on the cosmos, but also because we are turned so outwards for others... and our heart hurts for them when they succeed even a little, or our heart breaks when they fail a little...and we feel our Father's love for them and it FILLS US RIGHT UP! in this sense we're tranied for life. we're trained to consecrate our lives in the service of others--just like our Savior. what a blessing. what a huge huge huge blessing. i LOVE THIS!
forget yourselves. get to work. we know the little selfish desires we're clinging to. they are little tiny things. lets give them up. lets turn them over to the Lord. lets hollow out our hearts to be more like His--pure, giving, loving, selfless. this is the way to be as He is. THIS is the only way to be happy. get to it.
hermana christensen
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| Hermana C & the Ricks |
laurie. tears for sure. i love you SO MUCH. sinceriously. please know that you are AWESOME. seeing your pops blew my mind. and i was serious about byu. i can only IMAGINE what a party that would be!!! get looking and i MEAN it!!!!!!
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