Hello Hello!! ( I miss answering the phone that way)
Well this week was definitely a wonderful week!! alot has been happening and not just in our area so it has been wonderful! I'd love to tell you all about some of the ppl that we've been working with but will change the names for confidentiality.
First of all I just want to mention how challenging this area has been in so many ways, nevertheless I love it! before I got here and the first 2 wks for me being here the area was notorious for having Zero's as their numbers all the way across. I learned very early on that this was not a problem that my comp and I could solve on our own. I HAD become so frustrated b/c I felt like we were working/biking our butts off in 100+ degree weather and seeing no results! Finally i had to make a change, I started praying nightly to become the type of missionary that would be worthy of receiving spiritual experiences and to see miracles happen in our area. I became more diligent with my nightly studies and set goals for the books I want to finish, I worked harder on my communication with my companion and on just being worthy of good things happening. We In one week we went from 0, 0, 1 to three progressing, one investigator at church, and 1 person on date to get baptized. I just thank the Lord everyday for the miracles we are seeing. Investigators have literally been coming out of the sky for us lately! o_O not to mention alot of other missionaries have been giving us referrals!
some of my favorite ppl in our area....(Names changed)
Maria.....She is a sweet hispanic woman with 3 young kids. All of her family are members but are all back in her home country. It's only her and her husband here. She has been so open and so receptive to our messages. She has a huge dificulty with trust though and it was sad to see. Apparently she's experienced alot of kidnapping attempts and blackmailing in her life. Everytime we do something new with her we have to thouroughly explain it and then do it very slowy. Even fast movements scare her. we taught her the Word of Wisdom and she dropped her 20+ year of coffee just like that! and even bought Pero WHICH is a coffee sub. We've slowly been gaining her trust more and more. It's really helped to share with her things of our personal life which is normally taboo as a missionary....but ey, whatever it takes for her to feel safe, loved, and comfortable. We totally feel like the missionaries from the district with her. the ones that had that perfect investigator that loved the church and gospel but and would say she would go to church but wouldn't go when it came down to it.....Yep, that's the boat we're in. But we know it'll just take time. She has already agreed to be baptized and has been doing everything else.
Next,
Fernando. He lives in a drug dealer infested complex. It reaks of weed and dog poop. And yet we can't stop going over there b/c we really want to help him. His mother died a couple of years back which is when he first noticed the light of Christ in his life. We would go constantly, about once a day to his apartment. We would only find his roommates who we're pretty sure are super annoyed with us. You can get high from just standing at the doorway! lol!...anyways, after not finding him for a week straight we bumped into him walking home. He was SO SAD! but i went into furious mom/missionary mode. I asked him where he's been, what's been going on. To which he started to mention something about a fight with his roomate/girl he llikes and a fight at work, the loss of a job, etc. Then i asked him, "Fernando, what is it that you want?!...Do you even want to change?!, b/c we really care about you and we want to help you but you need to do your part as well." it was one of those "I'm done playing games with you" moments. I realized that though I shouldn't, I really cared for this man b/c I realized how much Heavenly father cared for this man. We had a short lesson with him right there on the street b/c we could tell he needed it. We set up an appointment with him to which he agreed,( I think b/c he was scared of me lol) but I'll take whatever I can get lol. He was really scared to face his roomate though. We went back in the afternoon and he wasnt there. Then heard from one of the other missionaries this morning that he had gotten kicked out for using meth. -_____- Now we have to find him. Only missionaries would willfully search for a meth addict. LOL but hey, I love the opportunity we have to atleast make a little bit of a difference.
Several other ppl impacted me this week. It was just a wonderful week to see the work progress. Including the addition of a new Investigator from Ecuador who is dating a white guy who's a member. THey are so cute and in love its too adorable! hahaha! She even came to church and made friends with everyone there! it was awesome! the Bishops wife is celebrating her bday today! So we're excited.
Other Highlights.....
1) i GOT TO FINALLY BIKE IN THE RAIN!! funnest thing ever!!
2) I got hit by a car! and survived and my bike is ok...I've always wanted to say that lol... The guy felt really bad but i was too exhausted, hot, and hungry to really acknowledge the situation so I just kept pedaling after my comp. since she didn't realize it happened lol. Some guy from down the street shouted..."Are you ok!?"..i shouted bakc "Yep!" and kept going.
3) I've been praying for cooler weather and it's been working so far!...except yesterday but that's only b/c I forgot to pray for it...duh!
4) I survived my first fast sunday on bike. My comp and I feel like it should be mission illegal. It was soooo hot yesterday, I had trouble breathing, I was out of energy b/c of the 2 meals we had to skip and no one was opening their doors. But we experienced to mini miracles. An investigator that never opens his door actually did! and boy we must've looked pretty pitiful b/c he did that. We realized he probably felt sorry for us as he kept begging us to come inside and he would keep the door open b/c he knows it's a rule to not be inside a home without another female. It was so tempting but if there's anything I 've learned so far it's the importance of obedience. No matter how hard it can seem. After that we bumped to a lady on the street who begged us to stop for her and asked us if we could pray for her. Her kids got taken away and she is struggling with becoming clean from drug usage. She was part APACHE and part mexican and PIMA and so for the first time in a month I got to speak some Apache!! it was sooooo awesome! We sang for her right then and there and shared a scripture. She cried and thanked us. Nothing brings the spirit quicker than a song we've learned. We took down her info and she took down us. We know that there will be a day when she will overcome everything. Anything is possible once we comprehend and harness the amazing power of our Heavenly Father.
Well that's all for my week! hope everyones week was amazing!! love yall!!
PS my sis goes on her mission to Puerto Rico this wednesday!! WHOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!
Love,
Sister Colina
