11 Days ...

No letter today, just letting everyone know that Sister O returns home in 11 days!

Her family is very excited to have her home!

4-22-2013

Service!

 

We did the same on Saturday we helped a couple sort through some old tools, from the husband's dad and granddad. Its was a mix of car/aviation tools to carpenter tools. Very cool. Nice family we'll see how they are doing this coming week! We also helped a lady take in her groceries. That's was fun. We also helped a member get part of her house painted. Yeah service! Those people all we hopefully be learning about the gospel soon!

 

Something new I discovered mormon.org has a lot of great resources for people that want to just understand about the church the "faq" "belief" tabs are super handy. Good to share with friends.

 

Interviews with President were this week. He said I would be in AV to finish with Sis A. Training is going great she is a fireball misionera.

 

Neat experiences of the week I cried over my oatmeal again.... Not because it was oatmeal but because of the Book of Mormon. I felt the Spirit teach me through an overwhelming feeling of joy and appreciation while I was reading the third book of Nephi chapter eleven. Also this week I really connected to chapter twelve of third Nephi. It was just really powerful.

 

I know that Christ lives. I know the Book of Mormon is truly anther testament of our Savior Jesus Christ without it we only have part of the gospel. The Bible and the Book of Mormon complete what our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ want us to hear. Read it, know it, and love it. I know I am strengthened by it every day.

 

I love you! Thank you for your wonderful example!

 

Hermana O

4-15-2013

This week has been great. We did some really cool practices in the Zone Meeting to see how awkward we do or don't make meeting people doing normal things. I realized we can be pretty awkward if we act like robots  in others words if we don't take in our surroundings and actually talk to people with a purpose and realize they are people. Always helps to practice. It helped me and my companion apply it in our contacting when we were walking for 3 hours? 2 hours? (My companion says I never give one option its always this verse and these other verse are great too  still working on making a decision and sticking to it.)

We met some really prepared and not prepared people as we were normal and purposeful. 

 

One really prepared person literally was leaving getting into his car when we talked to him not assuming he was going to stay but still sharing our purpose and figuring out what he was up to (on his way to work). His opening line after meeting him was "I don't like churches" and as we got to know him he clarified he didn't like the hypocrisy in churches. And so after explaining about how we have a need for church because of the sacrament each Sunday (see 3 nephi 18) he opened up about how he had a once in a life time experience with a family when he was working in Houston he was a chef their working and closing up the cafeteria when a little boy was being rowdy and his mom calmly told him that this was not his home and he needed to behave or be respectful. The little boy settled down without complaint. Then the father came in and told the news of the grandmother (wasn't good news). what they did next got to this chef. they held hands and prayed together and the little boy cried. He admired that the little boy hadn't cried or complained when he had been corrected but when they were praying. After their prayer the chef offered them food. He called his boss and explained that he was making dinner for a family after hours and well this chef was very loving to this family.

 

Days or a week or so later the chef was looking in the lost and found (why? no idea) and found (how he said it) "that book" (the Book of Mormon that was in my hands) with a card tapped to it. His name was written on the envelope. Inside was a sincere letter of appreciation from this family that said we are not trying to recruit you but we want you to know what you did for us is exactly what we teach and preach. We would love to talk more and they had given him the phone number. He called them checked up on the grandma and the father and him had a conversation about how this chef has a special light and that the lord has a plan for him. Also he said to the chef there will be a time in your life when you will need religion or a church because of a crisis or big changes and I strongly invite you to look for help from God.

 

Then we meet this chef as he is going through a hard time and has been turning to prayer and he says he needs a foundation.

The rest is yet to be lived but meeting him and others this past week and understanding the little things in life that are making a huge difference for someone along the way. Never discount the little things.

 

I feel the assurance that the Spirit is guiding us as we do our part. There are prepared people in our lives, in my life. They will accept the gospel one day. Now I am just glad to be a part of these people's plans of salvation.

 

With much love and appreciation for the Savior's help to help me be able to have these experiences,

 

Sister O

4/1/13

WOAH.

Crazy week. just super happy and tired. I love it.

 

So I woke up at 4:30 in the morning Wednesday and finished packing and then drove to corpus and then drove to McAllen. It was LONG. I was Elders but it was good good stories entertaining and learning. I went to the new companionship training en vez de new trainers training (new comp training is normally after 3 weeks or so of training) so i didn't know my companions name until the first break out because we got there late. Sister A.from UT. She's great she's like a smaller version of me! (except Peruvian) she was born in California and raised in UT. She is super obedient and super diligent. I love her. I feel like she's already trained up until she asks me a question she's really great hard worker. Used to be a CNA and such so ya diligent.

 

We have just been trying to meet the members of our area, get to know them serve them and just having and showing and expressing love for them, we feel so blessed to be here and they love the sister missionaries. They haven't had any for 7 years.... So we are historical and now we just have to focus all the excitement on working together and progressing the Lord's work forward here! Annaville is great. We work with the Zone Leaders in the ward and we have even been blessed with a meal appointment from the Stake President, even though he lives in the Elder's area, we are so blessed! Not just the dinner ;-) but just the strength of the people very happy and powerful ward.

 

Now we just have to match that power with faith and diligence and we  will find teach and help our brothers and sisters partake of salvation through baptism! Thank goodness for the savior's example!

Easter was wonderful for me too!

My favorite talk was by Elder Rodriguez he made me cry when he was using the story about the misbehaving school of boys and how they make rules and then the starving one steals the lunch and because of the rules would have to get whipped, but the big fellow takes his stripes for him. A powerful act of love.

Something my companion and I experienced recently was as we studied Alma 7:11-12 together she shared about how she felt lonely when she decided to choose better friends and do what is right and she realized through this scripture that she is not alone Christ knows who she feels.

Otras detallas.. we are living with a member! (so much new stuff in one week its stressful and yet its not been so bad) The sister is soooo powerful and humble and sweet and has her food  storage and preparedness is something she definitely strives for! She is a nurse and like I said sweet heart!

 

I love the mission!

 

con mucho amor y gratitud,

 

Hermana O.

March 18, 2013

This week was good we did a lot of service and felt led to the people. We are following the Spirit and its blessings us. I feel especially blessed because I get to teach people everyday by example and by words. I love the Book of Alma! I just finished it in Spanish and it was so great and I am loving Helaman, Helaman 2/3 gave me a lot of perspective that even though it is scary or hard that does not mean we are bad people! The humble ones were the ones that were being true disciples of Christ and they chose to be happy and grow more and more in humility. That's what I want. I love the mission because I am trying to put everything in and I falter. I falter and that humbles me and I choose to look forward or not!

 

I say look forward "perfect brightness of hope"! and why not?  Even as I prayed a couple of times this week that this person or that person would be blessed with the understanding even though I or my companion couldn't express it adequately. The Lord truly does fill us with joy and peace especially when we have weaknesses. I love the Lord and am grateful for Him and His sacrifice it truly is unfathomable and yet I know that I have felt the truth of it in my life.

 

I know my Savior lives. I know he blessed the earth once again with the testimony of his son through the Book of Mormon. what a strength the knowledge of Christ has been in my life it brings peace. I want to shout it out to everyone but I already know that doesn't work. sigh I have to continue with the frailties I have and know that through Christ I will do His will and I continue to grow and see others grow!

 

I love the scriptures and the gospel. If we all share it then all will hear it, so share now feel the joy I have felt.

 Hermana O