Katie's Mission Blog: March 5, 2024-March 11, 2024-Week 44-David

I am still loving my area and my companion, so everything is smooth sailing! We are working really hard to find the Lord's chosen people. We had 2 baptisms on Saturday, and we have one set for the 28th. As a companionship, we set the goal to have six baptisms. I know that when we have faith in the Lord and His timing, and do whatever we can to fulfill our part, He fufills His promises, He literally is BOUND (DC 82:10) to do so. But, Hermana Rhodes and I were talking yesterday that maybe we have already found the other "three" of our remaining six, and that God is planting this seed in them to be baptized further down the road. I know that if I give my all to the Lord -- live my covenants, talk with everyone, fulfill my responsibilities as an hermana leader, and chose joy in every moment -- the other three will be found! Something I have learned a lot on my mission is that we must be able to have the faith to receive the miracle we are wanting, but likewise, the faith to keep going, trusting in the Lord's timing if the miracle doesn't come. His time table is perfect.

We had the opportunity to go the city on Tuesday for leadership conference!! It was so good, as always! I also got to see so many friends -- which made the bus ride in the middle of the night both ways worth it. I was so slap happy this week though because I missed two nights of sleep. We talked a whole lot about having the faith to baptize, like I talked about before. I know that God works so many miracles, but only after the trial of our faith. So keep going! I always like to think we see miracles like this: WORKING and WAITING! We need to work, work, work and work with the Lord, the members, the Spirit, and ourselves. But, we also need to wait on the Lord with patience, praying for understanding, and trusting that His plan is so much better than ours...because it is. One example of this that happened this week is when we went to go visit our friend, Lis. We set up a time to meet with her, confirmed it and everything. Then we get there, with a member, and she's not there. Not answering her phone. No one's answering the door. I then say to the member "well the Lord's timing is perfect", honestly half doubting myself. She then starts showing us some houses of members, and then we pass by some recent converts, who haven't come in a while and told us that they wouldn't be home all day...but they were home!!! We visited them, had a great lesson, and then we were able to visit Lis. The. Lord's. Timing. Is. Perfect.

We also had an exchange this week, so that was fun to get to travel and see more and be with Hermana Rich. I have liked being Hermana Leader and I always think that it is a calling to be refined. Anyone could be a leader.

I hit a whole 10 months in the mission!!! Viejita (old lady)!! To celebrate, we went to the BEACH! It was dreamy and perfect to walk on the beach and I loved every second. We went with a member, who is handicapped and could only lay on the beach. She was in a terrible accident and can't bend at the hips or her knees, so we helped her rest on the beach in the shade. But, she was so cute and said she loves being at the beach because the ocean goes on forever, and how perfect our God must be to leave us with His beautiful creations. I thought about how the ocean extends out foreverrrr and everrrrr and is so deep -- how profound, deep, and infinite the love of our God is that we cannot even comprehend! He loves us so much. He is building us up to be like His Son!

Funny random moment: I am playing the piano on Sunday, like every other Sunday. I literally know no Spanish hymns since I have played every Sunday but one in my whole 10 months...lol. I really should have taken my piano lessons more seriously. But, I am playing the sacrament hymn on the keyboard and to my HORROR a metronome replaces me hitting the notes and it literally starts freaking out. During the sacrament. Que pena. Whateva

I love the mission, I love the Lord and my Savior! I am happy, healthy, miracle working and waiting!

Traveling to the city for leadership conference with Hermana Rhodes and Hermana Rich at 10:45pm (Monday March 4th)

I saw bestie at the leadership conference because she had migrations that same morning

Finish an exchange we had with me, Hermana Jurado, Hermana Lopez, Hermana Alvarado, Hermana Rhodes, and Hermana Rich

Elder Williams and Elder Fredrickson with our zone goals!!

Eating lunch with the district of Puerto Amuerlles since I was on exchange with Hermana Rich in Concepcion for the day

Hermana Aparicio!! I love her!! She is the girlfriend of a person who was in my last ward in San Vicente and her parents live in the ward I am currently serving in.

My exchange with Hermana Rich!

Deaddddddd you try to talk with everyone and you get destroyed on someone's story

Member visits with Hermana Eneida Muñoz Chavarria

Not really much context to this we just needed to take a photo for the day

Eating lunch on Saturday with the Elders of David 2, Elder Reynolds and Elder Vasquez with Hermana Eneida and Domingo

The baptism of Katherine Rivera

Katherine and her son Benjamin

Benjamin, Katherine, Miguel (husband), Rufina (mother in law)

PREPARATION DAY AT THE BEACH

Oh how I missed the beachhhhh!!! A member invited us to go, and she can't even walk that well, but her niece brought her and us. She laid on the beach while we ran around on the beach.