querida familia mía,
How are things going in the great US of A??? Is it starting to get hot there? Here it is just starting to get cold. We are using tights most of the time now and never leave without a sweater or a jacket, but still it is not too cold. All the leaves are starting to fall here too. It is really pretty.
Many things happened this week. Monday, we had a great family home evening with Marcelo and a family in the ward and he seemed very happy and confident in his decision to be baptized. The next day he had problems in his house and he ended up on the street. It took us two days to find a member that would let him stay there for a few day, and we are pretty sure at least one night Marcelo slept on the street. When we met with him afterwards, he was so sad and hurt and felt like all of this suffering was just too much. It was one of the saddest experiences I have ever had on the mission, to see someone make such great changes and then change their mind. We tried very hard to explain to him that trials are to strengthen us, help us rely more on the Lord, and so that we can be witnesses of God later on. Saturday he said he was moving to another community and that he did not really care about listening to us but was grateful for our help. We had a lesson with a recent convert who went through A TON of trials before he got baptized too, and we were very honest and to the point with him. Afterwards he decided to stay put and try again to make a new baptism goal. We are praying A LOT for him but we know that the Lord is watching over him, and that he can do it. He almost made baptism once so why not again?
On a brighter note,Erminia, a grandma who is about 84, came to church this week. We passed by with an hermano to push her in her wheelchair to church and she loved it! She found some longtime friends there, that she did not know were members that hugged her and made her feel at home. She liked it even though she has atrocy or some disease that affects her bones and gives her a lot of pain. She is fantastic. THe Ruiz family is a part member family that is reactivating. We visited them with the bishop and he invited them to get married and after that the mom can get baptized. She did not act too thrilled in the moment (she said she would never get married) but they came to church this sunday which is a really good sign. we have a family home evening with their family today and hopefully we can help them be more united and help the hermana to accept the Gospel.
This week I was reading in Mosiah and every chapter captivated me. I read chapter 7 and likened it to family history. The people of Mosiah had this longing desire to know what happened to their ancestors that left, it was so strong that the king just had to listen. Often people feel this for their ancestors, that they just need to know what happened or where they come from. Ammon starts the journey to find his ancestors, and quickly finds himself with his group a little lost. I am pretty sure this happens to everyone in their search for their ancestors; they start out well, but quickly they get stuck and it is not so easy to find them (at least this happened to me). They he finds a people and he gets thrown in jail. Sometimes we think there is just no hope, that we hit the end of the road (at least I felt this way once). BUT then the people that threw him in jail are the people that he was looking for. Sometimes the Lord leads us down another road, and seems hopeless, but really He is just answering our prayers. I love the reaction of the people of Limhi, they absolutely rejoiced! When someone finds the name of an ancestor, their heart rejoices!!! It truly is a family reunion. Limhi´s people were in captivity. They had tried to get out, but there was no way to get out on their own. They had sent a group to go search out their relatives back in Zarahemla, but they returned without every finding them. I believe that our ancestors search us out because they truly are in captivity. D&C 138:50 says that the noble and great ones viewed the long separation of their spirits from their bodies was captivity. So then the people in spirit prision it must be even worse the separation! We here on earth are the people that can free our ancestors from their captivity. We can do their work in the temple and free them. I also loved that Ammon had to escape with the people of Limhi. We CANNOT be saved without our dead. We only gain exaltation with them, as a family. I had never really tried to get too much out of this chapter, but this week it taught me a lot.
Another thing that the Spirit taught me, was that peace in this life only comes from keeping the commandments.An investigator asked us why all these bad things happen as we do what´s right. I decided to look more deeply into this, and came to the conclusion that I needed to understand the Atonement more. I was looking in the Atonement when I came across D&C 59:3 I think that says that through Christ we can find peace in this world and eternal life in the next. Well, how can we truly have this peace? THe footnote goes to Mat 11:28 to 30 about His yoke being easy and his burden is light. Under easy it goes to a scripture about keeping the commandments. So therefore the Lord has given us his yoke which are the commandments or the Gospel. If we keep the commandments we will have peace in this life. There is no other way. If we want peace, happiness, joy then we keep the commandments. It is easier to keep the commandments than to sin, or maybe it is easier to keep the commandments than to repent.
Thanks for everything yall do!!! Thanks for your prayers!!! I love yall a ton!!!
love
hermana taylor
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
April 21, 2014 - I believe in miracles
Dearest family,
How are things going in the states? That is cool that ben decided on a college. Sounds like all is well up there.
This past week was the most miraculous week of my mission!!!! The biggest miracles came with our investigator Marcelo. He has been into drugs, alcohol, partying, etc since he was 14 (6 years) and his whole family has been involved in the same things. He has wanted to get closer to God, but the word of Wisdom he has always struggled with. He has been able to quit drinking, smoking, partying, but drugs he couldnt. This week the bishop talked to him and told him that he cant get baptized unless he quits doing these things, and therefore extended the committment to stop right then and there. Marcelo agreed and left. The next day he called us saying that he couldnt do it. He had tried to drink just so that he wouldnt do drugs, but the cravings were still there. We said we would come and talk to him as soon as we can. We tried to call some members that lived close, and they were not home, and we ran out of minutes after the first call so we could not call anyone else. We had prayed earlier to find a member to come with us, and Hermana Bracho came into our mind. She lives a little bit farther, but we decided to stop by her house too. As we waited outside we knew she wasnt there. There was nothing more we could really do, so we decided we would go without a member and meet him outside of his building and talk to him. Just as we turned around, Hermana Bracho´s husband was walking towards us. We asked him if he could come with us and he said, Of course! We went and met with marcelo in the park nearby and he was having withdrawals. I have never seen withdrawals before, but they are bad. Addictions are real and are a method Satan uses to drag us down. We sat there trying to convince him for 1 hour, sharing scriptures, encouraging him, and he kept saying that he couldnt do it and that right afterwards he was going to go buy drugs. We finally convinced him to pray after 20 more minutes. After the prayer he still said that he couldnt do it. There are not many times that I have prayed so hard for someone like I was in that lesson, and still he said that he couldnt do it. Then three minutes later he said, "you know what. I am not going to smoke pot. You have my word that I will not do it." It was a sudden change and a MIRACULOUS change from one second to the next. We left him, and he stayed true to his word. He now is complying with the word of wisdom (he gave up coffee and tea at the same time too) and should get baptized in two weeks!!!!!! God works miracles! There is no doubt in my mind!!!
Also this week, Martín Del Castillo was baptized!!!! His dad (reactivating) got to baptize him and it was so special. Only a few hours before the baptism, the hermana that was going to lend us baptism pants called us and told us that she could not find them. That was a little stressful, but we prayed and we talked to an elder in our stake that lent us his baptism pants last minute. This was a mini miracle too. Maybe not quite as drastic as Marcelo, but for us sister missionaries it was a direct answer to our prayers.
Also, a family that is returning to church, there is a son named Thomas that can serve a mission. This week we invited him to visit some people with us and he said that he is thinking about serving a mission. He is just waiting on one thing before he says yes for sure. Four months ago, he had not been to church in more than two years and was going down a different road. Now he is really active and dedicated. The Padilla family is evidence that many people just need the invitation to return.
Also, Friday we had a ward activity and we invited LOTS of investigators. We ended up with 7 or 8 investigators that came, and many stayed the whole 4,5 hours! That has never happened in my mission before. They really liked it too!
Also, this week we did all we could to meet our goals. Sunday, we had met our goals for the week, we just needed one more new investigator. We tried for a family that wasnt home and it was 9:40 as we were walking home. We passed by a contact that we had made two weeks earlier, but wasnt home when we passed by for the appointment. We decided that there was nothing to lose, and we knocked and she was home! She and her husband listened to a short message and we set up an appointment to come back this week and made it back to the apartment by 10:20. The Lord knows our hearts and our desire to serve Him. We had set these goals are a reflection of the desires of our hearts and He truly helped us meet them, even if it was the last contact we made that day. This truly was a miracle too. We were committed to fulfill these goals and He made it possible. It is a miracle to me.
Easter was amazing here too! People do not do very much here, except not eat meat (only fish) for the whole week. Many go out of town, and many do absolutely nothing. After church (and after the baptism) we had an easter devotional in which the spirit was really strong. I have never felt the Spirit so strongly through music before, and I understand why we have choirs and why we sing so much in church. Singing truly is a prayer unto God if it is from the heart (DYC 25:12), but also the piano or other instrument that is worshipping the Lord in the same manner counts as a prayer too.
I am so grateful for my Savior. I am so grateful that He lives and that He payed the price so that I can repent of my sins. I have many, but through the Atonement of Christ I have received and continue to receive forgiveness. I love Easter and I love my Savior!!!!! I know that with Him, we can do everything the Lord asks. I know He lives!!!
I love yall and pray for yall!!! Do everything you can to serve the Lord, and everything else works out better than you could have imagined.
love
hermana taylor
How are things going in the states? That is cool that ben decided on a college. Sounds like all is well up there.
This past week was the most miraculous week of my mission!!!! The biggest miracles came with our investigator Marcelo. He has been into drugs, alcohol, partying, etc since he was 14 (6 years) and his whole family has been involved in the same things. He has wanted to get closer to God, but the word of Wisdom he has always struggled with. He has been able to quit drinking, smoking, partying, but drugs he couldnt. This week the bishop talked to him and told him that he cant get baptized unless he quits doing these things, and therefore extended the committment to stop right then and there. Marcelo agreed and left. The next day he called us saying that he couldnt do it. He had tried to drink just so that he wouldnt do drugs, but the cravings were still there. We said we would come and talk to him as soon as we can. We tried to call some members that lived close, and they were not home, and we ran out of minutes after the first call so we could not call anyone else. We had prayed earlier to find a member to come with us, and Hermana Bracho came into our mind. She lives a little bit farther, but we decided to stop by her house too. As we waited outside we knew she wasnt there. There was nothing more we could really do, so we decided we would go without a member and meet him outside of his building and talk to him. Just as we turned around, Hermana Bracho´s husband was walking towards us. We asked him if he could come with us and he said, Of course! We went and met with marcelo in the park nearby and he was having withdrawals. I have never seen withdrawals before, but they are bad. Addictions are real and are a method Satan uses to drag us down. We sat there trying to convince him for 1 hour, sharing scriptures, encouraging him, and he kept saying that he couldnt do it and that right afterwards he was going to go buy drugs. We finally convinced him to pray after 20 more minutes. After the prayer he still said that he couldnt do it. There are not many times that I have prayed so hard for someone like I was in that lesson, and still he said that he couldnt do it. Then three minutes later he said, "you know what. I am not going to smoke pot. You have my word that I will not do it." It was a sudden change and a MIRACULOUS change from one second to the next. We left him, and he stayed true to his word. He now is complying with the word of wisdom (he gave up coffee and tea at the same time too) and should get baptized in two weeks!!!!!! God works miracles! There is no doubt in my mind!!!
Also this week, Martín Del Castillo was baptized!!!! His dad (reactivating) got to baptize him and it was so special. Only a few hours before the baptism, the hermana that was going to lend us baptism pants called us and told us that she could not find them. That was a little stressful, but we prayed and we talked to an elder in our stake that lent us his baptism pants last minute. This was a mini miracle too. Maybe not quite as drastic as Marcelo, but for us sister missionaries it was a direct answer to our prayers.
Also, a family that is returning to church, there is a son named Thomas that can serve a mission. This week we invited him to visit some people with us and he said that he is thinking about serving a mission. He is just waiting on one thing before he says yes for sure. Four months ago, he had not been to church in more than two years and was going down a different road. Now he is really active and dedicated. The Padilla family is evidence that many people just need the invitation to return.
Also, Friday we had a ward activity and we invited LOTS of investigators. We ended up with 7 or 8 investigators that came, and many stayed the whole 4,5 hours! That has never happened in my mission before. They really liked it too!
Also, this week we did all we could to meet our goals. Sunday, we had met our goals for the week, we just needed one more new investigator. We tried for a family that wasnt home and it was 9:40 as we were walking home. We passed by a contact that we had made two weeks earlier, but wasnt home when we passed by for the appointment. We decided that there was nothing to lose, and we knocked and she was home! She and her husband listened to a short message and we set up an appointment to come back this week and made it back to the apartment by 10:20. The Lord knows our hearts and our desire to serve Him. We had set these goals are a reflection of the desires of our hearts and He truly helped us meet them, even if it was the last contact we made that day. This truly was a miracle too. We were committed to fulfill these goals and He made it possible. It is a miracle to me.
Easter was amazing here too! People do not do very much here, except not eat meat (only fish) for the whole week. Many go out of town, and many do absolutely nothing. After church (and after the baptism) we had an easter devotional in which the spirit was really strong. I have never felt the Spirit so strongly through music before, and I understand why we have choirs and why we sing so much in church. Singing truly is a prayer unto God if it is from the heart (DYC 25:12), but also the piano or other instrument that is worshipping the Lord in the same manner counts as a prayer too.
I am so grateful for my Savior. I am so grateful that He lives and that He payed the price so that I can repent of my sins. I have many, but through the Atonement of Christ I have received and continue to receive forgiveness. I love Easter and I love my Savior!!!!! I know that with Him, we can do everything the Lord asks. I know He lives!!!
I love yall and pray for yall!!! Do everything you can to serve the Lord, and everything else works out better than you could have imagined.
love
hermana taylor
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
April 14, 2014
Dearest familia mía,
Howdy!!!! How are things going there in Texas? I hope that everyone is doing well and staying close to the Lord.
This week was FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Monday was awesome because we really felt the Spirit guide us. We had an appointment with a less active but she forgot that it was her granddaughter's birthday and they were celebrating it. She lives at the edge of our ward, so we figured we would go visit a part member family that we never end up visiting because they live kind of far. We had lunch with the grandma that lives there the next day, so we figured we would just confirm lunch and go on our way, but when they saw us they invited us in and all sat down to listen to us. We were not expecting that, and we had not planned to visit them, so we just shared what we had planned for later on that night. We read The Living Christ (el Cristo Viviente) and shared our testimonies and invited the dad, who is not a member, to read the book of mormon because it testifies of Christ and we left. The Spirit was so strong that I almost cried when I bore my testimony (that has not really happened in my mission). That sunday, the mom (less active) and her daughter and the grandma all came to church and that dad drove them. This is a miracle!!! We have an appointment with them again today. Then we had a family home evening with our investigator, Marcelo, and another family in the ward. We stopped by his apartment to go to the family home evening and his mom answered and almost invited us in to talk to her (this is not normal). We left and felt strongly that we had to talk to her even if it meant that we would be late to the family home evening. We talked to her and had a strong but short lesson and then went to the family home evening which was strong too. The Spirit guided us perfectly and we really are trying to listen more closely to the Spirit now.
Wednesday, we had exchanges and I went to Macul with Hermana Sharp. She is awesome and we have done quite a few exchanges now, so it was great to have another day with her again! We worked hard and at one point we stopped in the street to count which address was correct, and all of a sudden I felt something wet on my legs. Well, a dog peed on me, on my skirt, legs, feet and shoes. We used our water bottles that were half full to try to wash it off, but it did not wash it all off. Luckily I did not smell too much like pee that day (or at least no one told me I smelled bad). That night I immediately took off my skirt and shoes and washed it all haha. It was pretty funny. There truly are a TON of dogs here in CHile!
Saturday was the baptism of Ghislaine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She got baptized, her dad was able to attend and many people from the YSA in the ward came to support her. It was beautiful and absolutely amazing! Now she is preparing to serve a mission in one year and already told her parents that she is determined to go and serve. She is an example for me. She also got confirmed Sunday and was just glowing!!!!
Marcelo and Juan Carlos came to her baptism (two investigators) and this week accepted baptismal dates for May 4th. We have to work hard to get them ready, but we are excited to see their progress!!! This Sunday we have another baptism of the son of a family that is reactivating. His name is Martín and is 11. He understands everything so well and is super excited for his baptism!!! We are excited too!!!
Sunday was fast sunday and we always forget to start after lunch saturday, so we started sunday in the morning since no one signed up to give us lunch. In Relief society they announced that we did not have lunch and one sister immediately raised her hand to give us lunch. We were thinking about canceling since we were fasting, but we felt that we should go and that the Lord would understand if we started over again afterwards. We got there after church and the sister told us, "man yall sure are special." She said that the spirit told her yesterday that she needed to clean her house because someone would be coming the next day. She did not know who, but did a little bit deeper cleaning than normal. When they announced in Relief Society that we did not have lunch the Spirit told her, "that is why you had to clean." We really are not that special, but it was cool that both us and the hermana listened to the Spirit.
This week I have been learning the importance of keep on going even when times are rough. A year in the mission starts to take its toll, and this week I felt it like never before. I kept on going and it was this week that the SPirit guided us more than ever before in my mission. I really am trying to listen to the Spirit, even though sometimes I am still really dumb and do not recognize the spirit or do not listen, but I am improving. The Lord only expects improve not perfection in this life.
Les quiero un Montón y espero que tengan una semana llena del Espíritu!!
con amor,
hermana taylor
Howdy!!!! How are things going there in Texas? I hope that everyone is doing well and staying close to the Lord.
This week was FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Monday was awesome because we really felt the Spirit guide us. We had an appointment with a less active but she forgot that it was her granddaughter's birthday and they were celebrating it. She lives at the edge of our ward, so we figured we would go visit a part member family that we never end up visiting because they live kind of far. We had lunch with the grandma that lives there the next day, so we figured we would just confirm lunch and go on our way, but when they saw us they invited us in and all sat down to listen to us. We were not expecting that, and we had not planned to visit them, so we just shared what we had planned for later on that night. We read The Living Christ (el Cristo Viviente) and shared our testimonies and invited the dad, who is not a member, to read the book of mormon because it testifies of Christ and we left. The Spirit was so strong that I almost cried when I bore my testimony (that has not really happened in my mission). That sunday, the mom (less active) and her daughter and the grandma all came to church and that dad drove them. This is a miracle!!! We have an appointment with them again today. Then we had a family home evening with our investigator, Marcelo, and another family in the ward. We stopped by his apartment to go to the family home evening and his mom answered and almost invited us in to talk to her (this is not normal). We left and felt strongly that we had to talk to her even if it meant that we would be late to the family home evening. We talked to her and had a strong but short lesson and then went to the family home evening which was strong too. The Spirit guided us perfectly and we really are trying to listen more closely to the Spirit now.
Wednesday, we had exchanges and I went to Macul with Hermana Sharp. She is awesome and we have done quite a few exchanges now, so it was great to have another day with her again! We worked hard and at one point we stopped in the street to count which address was correct, and all of a sudden I felt something wet on my legs. Well, a dog peed on me, on my skirt, legs, feet and shoes. We used our water bottles that were half full to try to wash it off, but it did not wash it all off. Luckily I did not smell too much like pee that day (or at least no one told me I smelled bad). That night I immediately took off my skirt and shoes and washed it all haha. It was pretty funny. There truly are a TON of dogs here in CHile!
Saturday was the baptism of Ghislaine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She got baptized, her dad was able to attend and many people from the YSA in the ward came to support her. It was beautiful and absolutely amazing! Now she is preparing to serve a mission in one year and already told her parents that she is determined to go and serve. She is an example for me. She also got confirmed Sunday and was just glowing!!!!
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| Ghislaine's baptism this past Saturday. |
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| The missionaries with Ghislaine and her dad. |
Marcelo and Juan Carlos came to her baptism (two investigators) and this week accepted baptismal dates for May 4th. We have to work hard to get them ready, but we are excited to see their progress!!! This Sunday we have another baptism of the son of a family that is reactivating. His name is Martín and is 11. He understands everything so well and is super excited for his baptism!!! We are excited too!!!
Sunday was fast sunday and we always forget to start after lunch saturday, so we started sunday in the morning since no one signed up to give us lunch. In Relief society they announced that we did not have lunch and one sister immediately raised her hand to give us lunch. We were thinking about canceling since we were fasting, but we felt that we should go and that the Lord would understand if we started over again afterwards. We got there after church and the sister told us, "man yall sure are special." She said that the spirit told her yesterday that she needed to clean her house because someone would be coming the next day. She did not know who, but did a little bit deeper cleaning than normal. When they announced in Relief Society that we did not have lunch the Spirit told her, "that is why you had to clean." We really are not that special, but it was cool that both us and the hermana listened to the Spirit.
This week I have been learning the importance of keep on going even when times are rough. A year in the mission starts to take its toll, and this week I felt it like never before. I kept on going and it was this week that the SPirit guided us more than ever before in my mission. I really am trying to listen to the Spirit, even though sometimes I am still really dumb and do not recognize the spirit or do not listen, but I am improving. The Lord only expects improve not perfection in this life.
Les quiero un Montón y espero que tengan una semana llena del Espíritu!!
con amor,
hermana taylor
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
April 7, 2014
Dearest familia mía,
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope that your anniversary tomorrow is fantastic! Thanks for choosing to get married. Us kids wouldnt be here without yall! Thanks for all that you have taught me and helped me with through life. I am truly blessed to have yall as my parents forever.
General Conference was amazing right?!?! It does not matter the language, it is always amazing! I watched almost all of it in Spanish this time, and it was absolutely amazing!!!! We really do receive the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues here in the mission. Which talks did yall like most? Did yall receive answers to your prayers and or questions? I certainly received many answers. I especially liked the talk by Elder Scott in the Saturday afternoon session. I am studying about how the Savior loved, and how I can love everyone more and this talk answered many of the questions I had. I also loved the talk by Elder Packer. One day I hope to have the faith and testimony that he so beautifully shared with us. To me, it seemed like the theme of conference was obedience and love. That is what the Lord has been telling me at least lately. It was amazing to learn from the chosen servants of the Lord on the subjects!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
General Conference was also amazing because Ghislaine came to three sessions (she even brought her friend to one of them) and also 6 other investigators came to at least one session. It is truly amazing! It is a lot more stressful when multiple investigators come at the same time, but it is a stress that we as missionaries gladly accept haha. Ghislaine´s baptism is this Saturday and she will be confirmed Sunday. The Del Castillo family (they are reactivating) are going to baptize their two sons, Martin and Bastian, the 27th and Juan Carlos, another investigator agreed to be baptized we just have to put a date, hopefully for the same time as the Del Castillo family. All of a sudden miracles are happening here in Trinidad and it is humbling to see it all happen. We truly dont do much as missionaries, the Lord does it ALL. He just lets us enjoy the work too. Marcelo, another investigator struggled this week with his committments but we think that we finally found the right family to befriend him and work with him so we have high hopes there.I love being a missionary and seeing these changes that are happening in my fellow brothers and sisters. I am starting to feel a little bit of the love that Heavenly Father has for this wonderful people.
A cool experience that happened to me was one morning, I got a little frustrated with my companion. We have been together for almost 7 months now, all day everyday and sometimes we can get annoyed. I knew that I was being dumb, that I shouldnt react this way. I did not want to feel this way but I did not how to change, how to get rid of the mini turmoil inside of me. All I could do was pray. I remembered a talk in the last General Conference about Corrie Ten Baum who was able to forgive a guard that worked in her concentration camp, but only as she asked the Lord to give her HIS love. She was able to forgive him, and feel the love of the Savior for this man, a precious child of God. I prayed for that too, that the frustration and impatience I was feeling could be taken away from me and that I could feel the love that my Savior has for my companion. After sincere prayer, the Lord answered my plea and all the frustration and impatience disappeared and I felt even more love for my companion than before. Though this was something really small, the Atonement still covered it and I found relief through my savior´s sacrifice. I am so grateful for the Atonement and that it covers EVERYTHING even the little things and helps us overcome them.
Thanks so much for your prayers!!!! In all honesty, they work. I have no doubt of that. Keep on reading your scriptures, saying your prayers and having family home evening!!!! I love yall!!!
con amor,
hermana taylor
P.S. Did yall like the talk by Elder Ballard? I hope that you all liked it as much as us missionaries did and that yall can apply it!!!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope that your anniversary tomorrow is fantastic! Thanks for choosing to get married. Us kids wouldnt be here without yall! Thanks for all that you have taught me and helped me with through life. I am truly blessed to have yall as my parents forever.
General Conference was amazing right?!?! It does not matter the language, it is always amazing! I watched almost all of it in Spanish this time, and it was absolutely amazing!!!! We really do receive the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues here in the mission. Which talks did yall like most? Did yall receive answers to your prayers and or questions? I certainly received many answers. I especially liked the talk by Elder Scott in the Saturday afternoon session. I am studying about how the Savior loved, and how I can love everyone more and this talk answered many of the questions I had. I also loved the talk by Elder Packer. One day I hope to have the faith and testimony that he so beautifully shared with us. To me, it seemed like the theme of conference was obedience and love. That is what the Lord has been telling me at least lately. It was amazing to learn from the chosen servants of the Lord on the subjects!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
General Conference was also amazing because Ghislaine came to three sessions (she even brought her friend to one of them) and also 6 other investigators came to at least one session. It is truly amazing! It is a lot more stressful when multiple investigators come at the same time, but it is a stress that we as missionaries gladly accept haha. Ghislaine´s baptism is this Saturday and she will be confirmed Sunday. The Del Castillo family (they are reactivating) are going to baptize their two sons, Martin and Bastian, the 27th and Juan Carlos, another investigator agreed to be baptized we just have to put a date, hopefully for the same time as the Del Castillo family. All of a sudden miracles are happening here in Trinidad and it is humbling to see it all happen. We truly dont do much as missionaries, the Lord does it ALL. He just lets us enjoy the work too. Marcelo, another investigator struggled this week with his committments but we think that we finally found the right family to befriend him and work with him so we have high hopes there.I love being a missionary and seeing these changes that are happening in my fellow brothers and sisters. I am starting to feel a little bit of the love that Heavenly Father has for this wonderful people.
A cool experience that happened to me was one morning, I got a little frustrated with my companion. We have been together for almost 7 months now, all day everyday and sometimes we can get annoyed. I knew that I was being dumb, that I shouldnt react this way. I did not want to feel this way but I did not how to change, how to get rid of the mini turmoil inside of me. All I could do was pray. I remembered a talk in the last General Conference about Corrie Ten Baum who was able to forgive a guard that worked in her concentration camp, but only as she asked the Lord to give her HIS love. She was able to forgive him, and feel the love of the Savior for this man, a precious child of God. I prayed for that too, that the frustration and impatience I was feeling could be taken away from me and that I could feel the love that my Savior has for my companion. After sincere prayer, the Lord answered my plea and all the frustration and impatience disappeared and I felt even more love for my companion than before. Though this was something really small, the Atonement still covered it and I found relief through my savior´s sacrifice. I am so grateful for the Atonement and that it covers EVERYTHING even the little things and helps us overcome them.
Thanks so much for your prayers!!!! In all honesty, they work. I have no doubt of that. Keep on reading your scriptures, saying your prayers and having family home evening!!!! I love yall!!!
con amor,
hermana taylor
P.S. Did yall like the talk by Elder Ballard? I hope that you all liked it as much as us missionaries did and that yall can apply it!!!
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
March 31, 2014
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| The missionaries of Trinidad |
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| me in Santa Lucia on March 24th |
How are things going up there in Texas? Nathan Hales sent in his misión papers?!?! Man do I feel old. Yall will have to tell me where he gets sent. What else is going on there. Do yall have cool plans this summer or easter. To be honest i have no idea what is going on up there in the states because the seasons are backwards and the school year is backwards here too. The kids just started last month after summer break.
So this week was pretty awesome! We have been working with a Young women named Ghislaine (it is pronounced kind of like Ghisley) who is going to get baptized not this weekend but the next. We had a family home evening with some YSA leaders in the Ward and her and also another family that has been befriending her. She just soaks up everything we teach her. It is kind of amazing. She reminds me a Little bit of Emily Hales and makes me laugh sometimes because of their similarites. We also went to the temple with her Saturday to take a tour, and she just loved every bit of it. At the end we watched the last scene of the Testaments, when Christ apears to the Nephites in the americas, and she was mesmerized! She is counting down the days until her baptism the 12th of April.
My birthday was amazing too. We had a few teaching appointments, and the last appointment was with a family that is returning to teach and we are teaching their 11 year old son. It was our last appointment. When we got there the lights were all dark but we shouted anyway. Hermana Del Castillo just yelled, Come in, and when we walked in they turned on the lights and had a little birthday party for me. They had birthday hats, cake (i didnt eat any) and chips. Of course, we shared a Little scripture and prayed in the time we had. It was awesome because no one knew it was my birthday all day, and I am not sure how they remembered. The best news about this family, (the Del Castillo family) is that the parents received callings this sunday, their son Martin is going to get baptized the thirteenth, and that the whole family has completely changed as they have returned to church after 11 years. They are examples of how many people just need the invitation to change their lives.
We also had a meeting yesterday with all of the missionaries in our misión, and also all of the bishops with our misión president (President Wright) and a seventy but I do not remember his name. We talked about how the work is one work, that the missionaries will have more success with the bishops and the bishops more success with the missionaries. We talked about how we can unite and how the bishops can use us missionaries even more to their advantage. One thing that stuck with me, is that he challenged all of the bishops to pray kneeling and ask for opportunities to share the góspel. That if the leaders in the church (bishop, relief society presidents, etc) take the lead in sharing the góspel, the rest of the Ward will continue. Also, he talked about how it is time to invite all of those less actives to come back to church and that the people are prepared to hear. We just have to invite them to listen. It is true. People are prepared in everywhere. We are realizing that as missionaries we cannot do it all either. We need to members to teach with us, and befriend the investigators and less actives. We just are not sufficient.
This morning I had a cool experience during studies. We have been learning a lot about the responsibilities we have as missionaries, and it is a lot! I was feeling a Little overwhelmed because I am not the best missionaries. I have a lot of weakness, a lot to improve upon, etc. As I was praying during my personal study the Lord kind of said to me, "Havent I told you before. You are not doing this alone. I am here." Then I remembered the story in the last general conference about the Little boy that was trying to push a rock out of the way and he tried and tried but he couldnt do it. When his dad came to see how he was doing, the boy answered that he had tried and couldnt do it. The dad said, but you havent used all of your forcé yet. You havent used me. Together they moved the rock easily. So often that is how I am. I try to do things myself and in my own way and Heavenly Father just waits until I humble myself to ask for help, or until I wait to open my visión haha. I am so grateful that He is so patient because I am a slow learner.
I know that the Lord is hear to help us always if we will just let Him. I know that Jesús Christ lives and that he really is my savior. I know that he loves me.
I love yall a ton!!
con amor,
hermana taylor
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