Merida - Week 4

Miracles In Mexico

Wow!   I must have people praying for me here because I'm seeing SO many incredible things! One of the hardest things I've seen with missionaries is trying to get investigators com to church. Yesterday we had FOUR! Maybe that doesn´t sound like a ton, but our most hopeful investigators all came through and came to church, and that's really what made it cool. It makes me so happy that we are getting through to people, despite all of our imperfections.

Hermana Lili (or Balbina- everyone has 50 last names here!) is divorced and lives in this big house with Maria and Denis who work in her house for her,  I think. Maria and Denis have an older child and a little 2 year old. Hermana Lili is less active but she loves the church and the missionaries. She just needed a push, which is why it is awesome that we're working on teaching Maria. Wednesday we're actually going to teach her 10 year old and baptize him soon! I feel like me and him are buds, so I'm looking forward to that visit. Hermana Lili and Maria were at church with us, and also Juanita.

Juanita is awesome. She wants to learn and be a better person she says, but I worried laziness would be a problem with her at first. I think she has sleeping problems, so she's like always drinking caffeine and taking sleeping pills. She came to church ALL BY HERSELF with her 5 year old daughter, Shirley.  For a missionary, that's like the best thing ever.

We also had Pascual come! He is really good about coming and has his baptism in 2 days! Yay! The other person was Daniel who we think is a little bit "special" but we aren't positive. He asked us if we would teach him haha. He showed up to church halfway to let us know he wasn't feeling well- super sweet of him. So he didn't stay, but he at least remembered and wanted to be there.

Gospel Principles class was THE BEST. Our ward mission leader taught (he is suuuper enthusiastic about the work and is awesome at teaching, which I'm so thankful for. He also is learning English which I love, because he is always asking us about words) the class and then it was Maria, Hermana Lili, Juanita, Pascal, the two kids (Shirley and Maria's 2 year old Abby) and me and Hermana Ludlam. It melted my heart how imperfect it was, yet so perfect. I say imperfect because they were all in normal clothes for the most part and they were like little kids because they didn't understand everything that to us is so simple. They all kinda have their "querks"... like for example Maria always whispers during prayers. She mostly just says "gracias" and "asi es" which is like "yeah that's right" in English. Kinda funny, haha. It was so perfect though, because I could see how much they care and are trying to follow Christ, the best they know how. It makes me SO grateful that God trusts me with his children to teach them all about who they are and God's plan for them.

Sunday evening we went to follow up with a family we found last Sunday as we were walking. This family was just sitting outside their house (which is the sidewalk) talking,  and we were just bold and told them about what we do as missionaries and if we could come back and teach them. I honestly thought it was a waste of time because even though they were super friendly and willing to listen, they were catholic and I figured they didn´t want to be mean and shoot us down. When we went back, their daughter Maria (23 yrs) answered and she seemed like something was on her mind and she was busy, but let us in anyway. I felt so bad because I felt like we were being too pushy, but I was totally wrong. She had read the restoration pamphlet we left and liked what parts she read. She got emotional from the beginning because she had family problems and its been really bothering her. Her needs were screaming out at us which NEVER happens. The lesson went really well and she wants to be baptized! The Lord honestly works through the weak because I know it wasn't us that touched her, it was 100% the Spirit.

Some other random things of the week... Saturday was rough. 1) No one showed up to English classes. 2) Our golden investigator brothers Ivan and Daniel aren't allowed to listen to us anymore because their mom doesn't want them to change religions. Saturday night was just full of rejection, plus I'm always extra exhausted by the end of the week. I think that's why Sunday was so cloud 9 for me.

We met 2 other really awesome guys Friday.  A Dad and his son. The dad was a reference and he just wants a stronger relationship with God. We taught Restoration and its funny because Hermana Ludlam always rushes through the apostasy/priesthood thing and I've tried to tell her that, but she hasn't gotten it. The thing is she's really clear, but she doesn't check to see if the investigator  was really following. Anyway, we were teaching that lesson and after she talked about apostasy, she turned to me to do Joseph Smith but I turned to the Dad and son first and was like "So do you understand exactly what an apostasy is?" and they both in unison were like "No!" I was glad that I'm actually adding to the companionship by seeing things like that because a lot of times I feel so inferior to Hermana Ludlam. I'm kinda finding my place in the companionship which is really helping us to teach better.

Other random things. I found out when I was on an exchange with Hermana Janco for a day, that a random guy we ran into went to church because we invited him. He originally stopped us because I'm American and he wanted to know if there were English classes...he didn't seem interested in the religion aspect but he ended up going to the ward with the Elders in our district, and has a baptismal date. Right time, right place.

Other crazy thing. From day one I've tried to say “hi”  to everyone in the streets as a way to hopefully talk to more people and let them know missionaries are friendly people and all that. The other day, a girl stopped us in her car because we had greeted her in the street a few minutes before.  She said she had been praying to God for help and then there we were! We had to pass along her info because she's not in our area, but we gave her a Book of Mormon and she was super grateful. You seriously never know what little things do for other people.

If you read all the way to this point- wow, sorry. This is like 45 minutes of writing! I just want to extend the invitation I guess to talk to more people about the church. Take the chance because you seriously never know who needs it. I'm surprised everyday at the people who listen and also those that don't. The people who really need the gospel often are so disguised- you just have to take the chance! Don't get caught up in excuses because we are in the LAST dispensation. Last night a member related it to a football game and I love the analogy, even though I'm not a sports person haha. We're in the last minutes of the the game, so taking the chance to share about the church with  someone is really what is most important. It's so easy to be like, "Ah but I need to do this, or go here..." Take chances, don't wait. I really think there's less time than we know to be prepared for the second coming of our Savior.

I love you all! I hope you are all trying to be missionaries! Its seriously so amazing. Hard and frustrating sometimes...maybe even often, but amazing!
Hermana Harper