7/15/15 Week 69

I was gonna start out with "Wow! This week was amazing!" (like always)  but then I took a self searching second and realized that, while it is true that every week as a full time servant of the Lord is amazing, this week was pretty average in comparison...  now you are all thinking "well great now this is going to be a boring email!"  My response is, you try writing like 75 interesting emails, week after week!

So the week started off with the Zone Leaders calling us the night before and asking us to give training at zone council...oh elders! But it was all good, we talked about how important it is to get out of our cars and mix up the daily routine so we can be more in contact with the people and "find those perishing in unbelief"  I TOTALLY have a testimony of that.  And not only because I like riding my bike and getting a tan (which might be a little true..)  But that night they called us we had just gotten back from biking, where we had just happened upon this awesome guy named David that we totally would have missed if we would have been in our cars.  Another great referral for the dang English speaking missionaries! grrr...#spanishmissionarylife. 

We got some new mates this week. Fish, Pez and Cado

So we've been working tons with la familia M, (the awesome family that just found us!) but long story short, we talked with this member family who by not-so-coincidence knows them, and we found out that they totally got anti-ed hardcore last year by one of their friends who had left the church, and she was telling them all these lies about things that go on in the temple.  So now especially the dad has all these doubts.  But if you think about it, it's kind of a miracle in itself that they even wanted to meet with missionaries again after the things that they were told! The next day we were on exchanges and I went to go see them with sister Smith (she's in her 3rd week).  We started teaching Lesson 1 and daaaaang, they throughout like every anti question under the sun!  "Wasn't Joseph Smith that guy that killed himself?"  "Didn't your prophets have lots of wives?"  "I thought that the bible said that men can't look at God or else they die?"  Nothing I hadn't heard before, but still all in one lesson!?  Ahh! I was exhausted afterwards!  And its so weird, because normally I would just think, "Man this family has tons of doubts, maybe they just aren't ready yet..." but they asked these questions like they really want to know! There's just so much to the story that I wish I had time and desires to type out.  But the mom had come so close to getting baptized last year, right until her friend told her that stuff.  This family knows its true. They have felt it I know it!  There have been waaaay to many coincidences that placed us and other members in their path.  God just gave us a challenge! 

I love this work and I love all of you!

 

"The best feeling ever is when you get a spiritual prompting and then ACT ON IT!"  -an apostle (I forgot which one.)  But I second that!  If you want to be happy, follow the spirit!  Until next week!

Hermana Bonny 

7/7/15 Week 68

I'll bet you've never seen a Book of Mormon bigger than you!  Muahaha!   And now all of you are super curious as to if or where I saw a Book of Mormon bigger than me...hehehe!  You'll have to just keep reading to find out, but for now I'll tell you about the super stellar week we had.  Haha - actually we taught practically no one this week...being an STL has perks and also its blah parts...I feel like I say this every week, but man SOOO MANY MEETINGS! It's a good thing, but at the same time I kind of miss having those days where you are just out in the heat sweating and teaching people all day. I haven't had that in so long! I guess now it's my turn to help build the mission up in a different way.  But hey, if it's what God wants, it's cool with me:)

Quality time on exchange with Sis Wells

So on Wednesday I went on an 

exchange with Sister Wells, and we had the coolest experience!  The day before we had our zone conference where we talked about how we literally are accountable for everyone's salvation.  Ahhh! No pressure right?? So like when we see a lady getting out of her car and we choose not to talk to her, we are personally responsible for that.  Not gonna lie, that thought kind of puts a pretty big weight on your shoulders....I wasn't feeling too bad until we drove past a big construction site and I saw all the dozens of sweaty workers (those are the people I'm accountable to as well.) Wow. If they never find the gospel, it could be MY fault!  

So long story short, Sister Wells and I decided that on our morning run we were going to load up on pass-a-long cards and talk to every single person we saw. We honestly didn't even know if we would see anyone, cuz it is 6am, but we were gonna run till we found someone!  Soooo cool! We ended up giving out 7 cards and even teaching a lesson!  We found Terry that had been living in Utah and has read the whole Book of Mormon and wants to come to church.  Talk about THE BEST start to your day! Even though the majority of the people just kinda looked at us like we were weirdoes (nothing new there), I hope at least one of them will one day remember the day they were semi attacked by 2 super sweaty Mormon missionaries and think "wow they really care about what they believe...I want to know why."

Other than that, we had a super-duper splendid 4th of July! Our genius zone leaders (this is the part where you figure out my opening sentence) decided that since no one ever has citas on holidays, we would do a zone contacting activity.  So we all showed up at the Flower Mound festivities, and they pull out this ginormous Book of Mormon and Bible and tell us that they are going to wear them, and we are going to pass out cards and as many book of Mormons as we can!  Got to give them points for creativity!  I personally thought it might have just reinforced the whole "cult" idea with some people....but hey you never know! I think some people definitely gave us points for dedication :)  Then later that night we were asked by a member in the 2nd Ward who was in charge to come help out directing traffic and be "gate-keepers" at the same festival....#awkward  #heywerentyouthoseweirdosinthebigbookearlier?  #noidkwhatyouaretalklingabout...  

Lessons learned from this week:  No matter how stupid you look, your dedication and diligence goes a long way for some people. If you're excited about it, even if they aren't interested at first, they will at least wonder why.  Sometimes that's all we need :)  This church is sooo true! As they say …If it wasn't us missionaries would have ruined it a long time ago...haha!  Hope yogur week es lleno de milagros! Les quiero mucho!

<3hermana bonny     

7/3/15 Week 67

Dear family and conocidos,

Up to something SNEAKY..?

This week was honestly the most EXHAUSTING week of my entire life!  Rene got baptized!!! waaahooooooooooo!!!   It was such a miracle.  Everything just worked out perfectly  Honestly when we met him (last week) and he insisted on being baptized next Sunday, I was doubtful...he had only been to our ward 1 time and we had no idea how we were gonna teach him everything in a week, especially since this week we had 3 exchanges with all of the sisters planned, but one thing after another fell into place, and yesterday the spirit was sooo strong at his baptism! And like half of the ward showed up too. whaaa?  Ok...that's maybe an exageration...but still there were tons of people and we were just praying that the bishop would come.  

I guess the biggest miracle was just how much the spirit really was teaching Rene.  I was worried that he wouldn't know everything and wouldn't be ready for his interview, but when we reviewed it with him, I just felt a wave of peace as we talked. The whole experience never really felt real until then.  I remember thinking "Wow. He's ready! This is actually happening!"  Such a great feeling!

Then after he had his completed his baptismal interview, he was glowing!  I mean the guy is 70 years old, but he was giddy!  Hehe!  I think I've said this before, but THE BEST part about missionary work is watching the spirit change people.  I didn't think I would really get to see that with Rene since we only taught him for like a week, but a week was really all it took.  He said it himself after his baptism "This is a day I will never forget.  The happiest day of my life." awwwwww!! Doesn't he just sound too good to be true?  Ya well that's another thing I've learned: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the one place where things are never too good to be true!  ...man I should make a commercial or something...

Great company, great food, and a great time!

The other big events this week were all of our MANY exchanges!  I'm sooo pooped right now.  They really are enjoyable, just also SUUUPER exhausting.  So on Tuesday sister Ertel (greenie) came here, then on Thursday I went to Denton with my old sister training leader sister Nichols, and then the next day I came back here with Hermana Yingling.  After we switched back on Saturday Hermana Taele and I were VERY happy to see each other! I always knew I loved my comp, but until you spend 48 hours apart - GASP! (That's a lot of time for us missionaries ok!)  You realize how awesome she really is.  I do love being an STL. I just wish that I was better at actually helping people with their problems.  I love listening and giving my input, but I hope that it actually helps them.  I know God called me to help these sisters for some reason, so I will just have to trust that:)  

The pic doesn't do it justice...it was massive!!

I've been reading this talk by Elder Holland called "Feed my Sheep" He is talking at the MTC to a bunch of missionaries about Preach my Gospel, and how much more is required of us as missionaries compared to when he served a mission.   He talks about how they came up with Preach my Gospel, and why.  He said it was because they were losing too many missionaries.  Too many were just coming home and going inactive, because all they had to do was recite the same lessons no matter who was listening.  This talk just really hit me hard, and I think that it can apply to everyone even if you aren't a missionary, but especially for those future missionaries (Weston...cough cough).  God doesn't want missionaries who are robots, or just part of our commitment.  This quote is kind of long, but it's from the conference talk that he gave as a summary of the one he gave in the MTC, its BEAUTIFUL!!  

       

 "To which Jesus responded perhaps saying something like: “Then Peter, why are you here? Why are we back on this same shore, by these same nets, having this same conversation? Wasn’t it obvious then and isn’t it obvious now that if I want fish, I can get fish? What I need, Peter, are disciples—and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. Ours is not a feeble message. It is not a fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not to be consigned to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change the world. So, Peter, for the second and presumably the last time, I am asking you to leave all this and to go teach and testify, labor and serve loyally until the day in which they will do to you exactly what they did to me.”

We are here on our missions, as well as in our lives to change!  To become his disciples. I feel like a hypocrite sometimes, because quite often I think it would be so nice to just take a break and sit down in the sun, sip a lemonade, and just forget about all the work we have to do.  It's a lot, and it can be a big burden if you let it be.  But I KNOW there is nothing more worth it, nothing more rewarding then when I push those thoughts away and remember what Christ did for me.  Then the work we have to do here just seems like the right thing to do. Why wouldn't we obey him when he did literally everything for us?  I know he is my Savior and Redeemer, and he wants all of us as his true disciples.  Who cares where you are at in your lives, I know that nothing can really make us happier:)  I love you all.  I love this gospel and most importantly my Savior Jesus Christ.  

<3 Hermana Bonny