Monday, September 1, 2014

Brisas - Week 16

¡Buenas Noches!

This week, fortunately ended on a good note.  Had it not, you probably would have heard how discouraged I've been...but still trying to stay positive. This whole week has been full of disappointments.

Our investigator, Victor, is just not progressing, even though we're doing everything we can to figure him out and help him understand and accept everything. On one level, he's sometimes difficult to understand and to get the responses you're looking for. The other is that he just doesn't seem to be understanding like we thought. We had a super awesome member couple come with us to visit him on Thursday and it helped us a ton. The husband is an RM, so he turned into our 3rd missionary, which was nice! We were talking about the holy ghost and how he can receive answers through the holy ghost. But Victor just wasn't getting it. What we have to do now is just leave him for a while and see if some space helps. Victor kept saying that he felt really pressured, which isn't what we want!

Our other investigator,  Roberto, also doesn’t seem to be progressing like he should. We had a lot of faith he'd remember things better with time, but the trauma his brain received from trying to commit suicide is just too much. Also, he isn't very willing to stop smoking right now which is a problem.

At church, we did FINALLY have Leonardo there. He's the 14 year old in the less active family. Last week, he would have come too,  just that we had a mis-communication with our members. We thought a member would pass by, and remind him, but they forgot. Luckily the same problem didn't get repeated this week!

Something that I didn't mention last week that I meant to, was about Leonardo´s sister, Shirley. She's about the only one in the family that we are starting to have luck with getting reactivated. Anyway, she told us how she had been praying a lot for things to change in her life.  I talked to her about needing to DO something too, instead of just praying. She completely understood that prayer requires a compliment and she prayed I guess for a sign that the church was true and that she should go back to church again. Well, last  week she was super excited to tell us that God answerd her prayer and gave her a sign. Shirley and her husband and daughter had barely moved out and in their  new house, and 4 book of mormons appeared on her front porch. That was one of my highlights of last week,  to hear her success story of prayer. Unfortunately though, she won't be attending the ward here. But at least she's on the right track!

The really exciting thing of THIS week, was last night. So last week at district meeting, the Elders challenged us to fast every week for our areas and we decided to do it, because honestly, we were getting desperate. We made the plan to do it Sat/Sun, and all that week before our fast wasn't so great. On Friday, I was at the point where I felt like our area just needed to be closed or something because it felt like nooo one wanted to listen. In a way its really true too. We have a ton of old people where we are, they say they’ve lived their lives and aren't interested in a new religion. Their world is all family and traditions that they are familiar with.

I remember praying for a piece of evidence that God was still there and loved us. I didn't even specify it to finding a golden investigator because honestly my faith was shaking a bit. That night though there was this HUGE rainbow and we were looking at it, and there was this lady outside her house looking at it too,  and she started asking us questions about things she had wondered about God. She told us she'd like for us to visit her and her daughter and for us to call her Monday (today) to set up a time.  For me, that was my little evidence that God still loves us.
"The" Rainbow





On Sunday we ended our fast, we went to contact someone we met on the street who seemed average interested. We got there and the husband was there this time and was super happy to have us visiting him and his family. He told us his house was our house and how he met elders 10 years ago and really liked everything, but wasn't married at the time so couldn't get baptized. He basically told us he'd like for his family to be mormons and would love for us to visit and teach everyone. His family is definitely one of the golden ones! He told us how he loves his family so much and wants them to be an eternal family. He's learned about the plan of salvation and has tried to teach his kids the best he knows. At the end they kept giving us all their food too! We ate these little tacos, ice cream and peaches. They were so sweet to us.

After that lesson the first thing my companion said to me was, "Our fast got answered!" And its true. That experience really strengthened my testimony of fasting :)

Oh, one random non-spiritual thing is...this month is Mexico's independence month. The actual day is the 16th,  I'm pretty sure, but all month they celebrate.  Hopefully I'll get to see more of their traditions these next few weeks!

Adiooooss,
Hermana Harper

Me and My 2 Trainees!!!

































 Also, this week, Hilary got to see our neighbor Aracely Hallam (in white).  Sister Hallam was in Cancun on business and decided to make the 3 hours bus ride to see her college friend.  Her friend is in Hilary's Stake so it was easy to track Hilary down.  They found her at the internet cafe on Monday writing her letters home!!! Sister Hallam was Hilary's YW leader.  Thank you Sister Hallam for this great picture and for giving our missionary hugs!!!




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