2 Days!

This is Hermana O's Last Missionary Email..... 2 days she will be home!!  

I looked up the translations of her spanish and put it ( ) -most of it makes sense :)

~~~~~~~

Hola,

Its hard to describe the feelings. The Elders keep telling me I'm in denial. I am very much so denying the fact that next week I won't be sitting in Texas updating you about what has been going on in the life I have now. I am so happy to be a missionary. That's why I'll always be one. El nombre de Christo siempre estare escrito al dentro de mi Corazon =(The name of Christ I'll always be writing in my heart.).  Friday and Saturday I will have the chance to start making decision and plans for the next phase of life. For now I fix my sight on diligence and the family.

We have fasted and prayed for the "J Family" now we just get to pray longer and harder and work even harder and longer to find them. Keep them and us in your prayers.

This week we had the opportunity to find a girl who does not know much about God, she learned from us that he exisits and that the Book of Mormon teaches that truth. When we gave her a reading assignment she told us in our lesson the next day that as she was walking home she started reading it. Real desire. She has now disappeared. Her grandmother told us that this is normal. 

I have come to know the blessing of the knowledge of who I am and who I can become. I know with that knowledge anyone can become a happy and fulfilled person. I know God is our Heavenly Father. He put us here to come back to Him through His Son, there is no other way. The work of inviting others to Christ is so essential. My brothers and sisters needed me here in the Texas McAllen Mission, then The Lord has transferred me to the Fresno (California Mission), who knows where I'll go from there? 

"Mas si el me llama a sendas que yo camine confiando en el le dire: Senor a donde me mandes ire!" (But if you call me I walk paths relying on tell him: Lord where ire send me!

One of my first favorite hymns has become even more significant and sweet.

 "Tis sweet to sing the matchless love of Him who left His throne above..." And I will sing.

"Each life that touches ours for good reflects thine own great mercy Lord, thou sendest blessings from above from those who love" And I will love.

Oh if I were an angel! (and could be a full time missionary always) Oh but I have sinned in the desires of my heart" I will always be a missionary!

With love and happiest animo,

Hermana O

If I could give any small advice to all and even myself: always study the scriptures with a question. Ask and ye shall receive. Come to know and live the scriptures and help others to learn and receive the truth is a full time spiritual work. We always have to opportunity to participate in the work. Never doubt that God is guiding you as you seek Him.

Fe! Esperanza! Caridad! Con todo nuestra alma mente y fuerza. Oh cuan dulce es. (Faith! Hope! Charity! With all our soul, mind and strength. Oh how sweet it is).

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

March 25, 2013

I love when the Spirit teaches two people in different parts of the world the same thing. :-)

I learned recently that sometimes I ignore the promptings of the spirit and in some things I have not prepared my mind sufficiently. So I have been rededicated to lesson plans and organizing the area book with my companion since last Tuesday. this past week is described in pretty much miracles of obedience because as we spoke of our purpose clearly and followed the promptings to visit certain homes and people the Lord blesses us. We were blessed to find some new people who are really excited about living the gospel and this is also what we learned in Zone conference last week to find the prepared the "eligidos" the elect. The Lord knows where each of them are and now we have listened and followed and found them taught with clarity and now its just really exciting!

I also got to go on companion exchanges to my old area flour Bluff ( "da bluff")  and I got to hear and feel and see in action the testimony of a man that I was able to teach there Brother G! he has such a strong testimony of the truth and he loves the modern day scriptures! its so powerful it was so exciting to work with him. And also the new sister that is fresh from the MTC from 5 weeks ago and she is so faith filled just wanting to the Lord's will. I remember that fire and its still burning in me. Green things grow I am still green.
This weekend the miracle of baptism is now planned for three new people in the Rockport area! que dicha es! How great it is!

Speaking of green. The Lord has asked me to leave Rockport. Sister E is heading to Everheart to "pink wash" or go to an area where elders were serving and start working there with Sister R. Crazy huh? The Lord has called Elders to the rockport area Elder C and M. The branch who normally hears the gossip within hours of big news like this let out a giant gasp (Sis E describes it like the reaction that the Merfolk give when Ariel isn't in her shell during her coming out performance at the beginning of The Little Mermaid) it was bitter sweet.

I am heading to Annaville to "pink wash" and train a new sister. I have no idea who she is and I am pretty sure she is coming from the MTC.  SO the Lord has been preparing me for this. I received a blessing a couple weeks ago that said the last weeks were going to be the most important and now I know why. I get the chance to meet a whole new group of people and grow and teach and woah... I am so excited the Lord just keeps sending surprises my way its crazy.

Forever Strong!
Love Hermana O

3/11/13

Hola,

I am staying in R! I should be finishing my mission here its the time of a special diligence and I am so humbled that the lord has given me all this amazing time, I get to be a missionary always with these basics I am learning here. Sorry not much details this week other then we taught a lesson in Spanish... sometimes I feel rusty and sometimes I just think need to learn that word that word that word.... It happens- more studies here I come! Oh and this week there was this thing called oyster fest that was down the street from our trailer it was just weird because the worldly music was just terrible sounding the whole nights and days. I know I want to stay clean and pure in everything I do when I get home. 

I gave a talk on Sacrament on Sunday and I just want to bear my testimony. I know that as I have been blessed to take the sacrament weekly I have been able to change and improve with out even realizing it. What a mercy it is to feel God's love each Sunday. I have had the chance to progress so much in this life just by being diligent in sacrament attendance and partaking of the sacred emblems. Its literally like witnessing Christ's resurrected hands and feet and side every week. Elder Holland said the Atonement was the "crowning event of eternity" -Do this in remembrance of Me Elder Holland" therefore the sacrament as we remember His sacrifice should be the "crowning event" of the week every week. think of Him and we receive answers.

Love you!

Hermana O

2/21/13

I love Rockport it is gorgeous it pretty much puts you under a spell of the waves and the skies all combined together to remind you of the glory of God, all might not see it as that but it gives me that hope and knowledge. 

Today I'm just going to review the past week. I will tell you more about the AMAZING training this past couple days on Monday.

last week we started off getting to know members still and we got to teach the Familia H. the mom is not a member and is doing her part and working with her husband to become active and happy members of the church. bro h wants to be this example for his sweet little daughter and it has blessed us so much to see them change. Sis E has seen them grow the most and I feel so blessed to see them growing even now and feeling the spirit in their home. There is some much to do and yet the lord has really helped them out. 

I am also really happy because I have seen some really tough moments be swallowed up in the moments when we were instruments in the Lords hands to share his love with his children. I have so much love for these people it is sometimes hard to know what to do but as I listen to the spirit he helps. I am so much of nothing its freeing. I have the power to be an instrument because i have been given choices and i choose to see and put God's hand to guide me. Not perfect at it but its still powerful. 

The members in Rockport just love and support one another and I just feel God's love working through them and I am just glad I get to be here to help them focus that love into missionary work.

We are doing a lot of service because its not kosher to proselyte here. Which is super hard for me I have to focus on being normal and see if they are interested without offering it as directly as before. Is a learning experience that has been growing me.

I love it here. I love missionary work. I have also reflected on how the lord has prepared me for these moments and how he is preparing people all around us its beautiful. Also with Stake conference on Sunday I felt the spirit soooooooooo strong. I have to repent and let men respect my womanhood I have to let them be gentlemen. It includes letting people serve me. I am learning from this also. I know it will help me to be the person the Lord needs me to be. I love the Lord. He answers your prayers and mine as well.

Hna O.

3/4/13

I am doing great. the wedding didn't happen still have to do some paper work issues keep praying for them they have to wait a while longer for baptism so its going to be more time to loose the spirit but with prayers it should help!

We were able to help out some families feel God's love! The spirit is really guiding as we are hearkening to the promptings. 

One family we met with is interested and is reading the gospel pamphlet so pray for them, its bro d and sis L.

Other then that we just keep learning a lot. The branch here has done a lot of missionary work they are the most serviceable people you will every meet. And now we need a battery charge or jump start. Maybe a new idea of missionary work or things that have worked in your wards? We are going back to the basics as a branch and any ideas are always welcomed!

We also realized we as missionaries do not carry the mantle of maintaining the branch we learned that we are to support the branch but more then anything we are to just go and find and teach and convert and baptize. Miracles are waiting!

A grand miracle was the knowledge of the next life, we had a memorial service for a daughter of a lady here and we were able to celebrate life and then also remember the next life is for learning as well.

I know that the Lord has sent me here to grow in patience and this week my goal is to grow in pure knowledge and beauty in the actions and words I do especially in context of the Atonement! HAving Christ be my center helps others to want that for themselves as well.

con muchoisimo amor,

Hermana O