Hola to all of you!!
Holy Guacamole!!! (which side note I gave Hna Knowlton what little we had left of spices that you sent me so she could still make it.) What a week it has been. First, I forgot how much easier it is to work in the country, although I am only about 20 min outside of
La Plata (and when we go to a couple parts of our area I can see it, the steeples of the Cathedral and all) it is soo different. The people here are humble and actually willing to listen to you. We don't get rejected by intercom and we can actually talk to people face to face. It is great.
This week the work has been slow due to a couple of reasons, one this area is in complete disarray and 2. we are going off just the directory, making it rather hard to learn the area and who lives where in which part of our area, Why? b/c our map is a drawing that is marked and divided but doesn't make any sense AT ALL. Whats more is that the other comp of Hna Villarreal didn't really explain much to her, poor thing. So I have been a little bit stressed, but don't fret, it will change this week when we get a real map at our zone conference (thanks to the awesome elders in the offices). So I will let you know how it all goes next week.
But remember what you told me a few weeks ago, when you were on the train or subway and ´people watching´ how they are all just like robots going from point A to point B, and living just to live? Well. that is how it is here, only these people live to live and live in fear day to day. Sometimes it is funny b/c they are always surprised that we work until 8:00 at night, and they are always telling us to be careful and all of that. Which is kinda obvious, Pres. tells us all the time the ways to stay safe...walk down streets with light, avoid the dark and dangerous areas after dark, and all that. But in La Plata and worse here a lot of times they are scared to leave there houses to go to the supermercado for food. It is really super sad. But that is why we are here, to help them understand and teach them that there is life out there and they can live for a purpose and actually, ya know, ENJOY life here in this world.
After somethings that I have experienced in the last month or so, I really have a stronger testimony of the happiness that we have as children of God and with the plan that we have to continue and grow in this happiness. Lots of people are looking for it and wanting to be happy NOW but don't know what to do to find it. Well guess what, We have it!! and not only can they have it now but for the rest of their lives and more, too! How great is that? I think it is pretty great.
We were fortunate to see a couple of miracles this week. One with this family that we are working with, the mom is a recent convert and we are working with the dad. They have a date set to get married for the 12 of Sept. and after one lesson with him he asked to get baptized . .yea, He asked Us. So we set a date for the 19th of Sept. when we returned to give another lesson, we were just about to ask him if he wanted to change the date of his baptism to the 12th, when they asked us why it had to be later and if we couldn't move it up closer to the wedding . . . haha so that is exactly what we did. They will be getting married the morning of the 12th and he will be getting baptized that evening. There really can be happily ever afters.
Another, we visited a recent convert and when asking if she knew anyone more that we could visit, she looked to her granddaughter and was like would your mom be okay? She sent her a message and she said it was fine, so we left with the granddaughter to visit her mom. And WOW! it is true that God prepares people and then puts them in your path to find. The first little lesson was great, we introduced the Book of Mormon and laid out what we would be doing. We went back a couple days later and she told us that her and her husband started reading the Book of Mormon together from the intro and on . . (they use the husband here lightly meaning that it could be living together or married . but they really are married). she has heard things about how we worship Joseph Smith and all, so with that we gave the first lesson, and oh my goodness, I never get tired of giving or hearing the first vision. EVERY time it just draws a Spirit like nothing else. This time I was able to give it and as I was I got chills starting from head to my toes, as the Spirit just filled the room. Oh it is so Cool!!!! anyway she very willingly accepted a baptism date for the 12th as well.
Oh, it is just INCREDIBLE what you can do when you have the Spirit and the blessings we get from having it with us all the time. It really is the only way that we can get people to understand and to really feel like they are children of God and that they are just as entitled to all of this as anyone. A couple times in La Plata when we tried to contact old inv they would say oh I am not with your church and shut the door. . haha we would just walk away smiling and whisper to ourselves, ´that is why we are here´ to help them not just live to live or live to be content, but live to be happy, to be really truly happy.
I hope you are all really truly happy, because I am very happy. :D
Thanks for everything, sorry this letter is super long, Enjoy! and ENJOY LIFE!! love you all have a fantastic week!
Hna Snow
No comments:
Post a Comment