October 22, 2024-October 28, 2024-Week 77-Loma Nueve

Hey! Here is my last weekly email as a missionary! NO WAY! 

Next week, I'll end my mission on Wednesday. On Monday night I'll go to the city, have my last interview with President, then go to the temple Tuesday and have lunch with President. Then the rest of the day we are free to do as we please roaming around the city. Wednesday I will wait in the offices for my parents and Garret to come get me, I'm sure it will be the longest day of my life, full of anticipation to see my family after so long!

This week was fairly good. I feel good leaving the area in the hands of my comp. We have found lots of good people and there are six people who will be baptized in the next transfer in the first two weeks! I think my favorite part of the week was yesterday as we were visiting our friends, Sharol and Karol, who are going to be baptized. Their mom is less active, but remembers a lot from her youth of the songs of the church. We gave her a hymn book and she asked if we could sing before we left. We sang I am a Child of God. It was so peaceful and reminded me that this is really what the gospel is all about, the family! 

I feel so grateful to have been able to be a missionary and to serve, and that the Lord has trusted and chosen me to help more of His children come to Him. I am excited to keep loving and living in my covenants, serve the Lord, and draw closer to Him everyday. 

Lessons with Dinex

October 15, 2024-October 21, 2024-Week 76-Loma Nueve

 There were lots of good things that were able to happen this week, and a lot of roller coaster moments as well. We didn't have water for three days, and the power went out when the water came back, then the water went away again today, it's been raining all day from 10-10, I went on an exchange with my old comp (Hna Shirley), and our friend Anelisse got baptized!!!

We have been visiting a lot more one part of our area, called Chumical. It reminds me a lot more of my past areas, like San Vicente. It is a lot more jungly and hilly and much more poor. Supposedly it is more dangerous, but we just don't go in the nighttime. Easy solution. But, we have been going there a lot because we have twin girls -- Karol and Sharol, who are going to be baptized. They have gone like 5 times before to church with their grandma who is a member, they just live so gosh darn far and at the top of a hill that we call "los cielos" (the heavens). It has the best view, but seriously, it is a hike. My companion had never before (she claims) walked up a hill. So it is a little tiresome for her, but we celebrate when she makes it up the hill every time. Seems just like another day in Spokane or Utah for me. Anyways, the mom of these girls is also a member, but has not gone for 12 years. Guess what -- they all came this Sunday! It is a huge sacrifice too because they had to come in two taxis, wake up earlier, and make the trek to church. But they did it. I can't imagine how happy God was to see them come to church that day. So, we are helping this family come back, and what better way than to have the girls be baptized!

Our friend, Anelisse, also got baptized. She is the cousin of our recent convert, Samay. It is actually a crazy story. Their grandma, Guiellermina, actually was super inactive. Like 20 years. But, she found the church on social media, requested a visit, and boom, is super active again. This family has my heart. The granddaughters of Guillermina read the book of mormon together every day, and love all things that have to do with Jesus Christ. Anelisse made the decision to be baptized after watching her cousin Samay follow Jesus Christ. There were only some hiccups in the baptism. Our recent convert, Bernardo, officiated it. He has been a member for two weeks, and speaks medio Spanish since he's from the islands, and let's just say it was a little difficult for him to say the prayer and to her baptize. It took him a few attempts. Hopefully it was a good experience for him, not a traumatizing one. Then, the power went out. I learned real perseverance this night haha. 

I also registered for BYU classes on Friday...so the future is coming whether I like it or not, but I am really excited for all the good that is coming, amongst all the unknown. I love this quote I read this week, "I have learned that a prayer for strength never goes unanswered" (Emily Belle Freeman). I know He will always give us the power to continue, improve, and keep going! Because I am feeling it right now!

No power, no water, no problems

With Fatima, I LOVE HER

Our friends Karol and Sharol are always studying what we leave for them

The baptisms of Maritza, Nayleth, and Anelisse

The baptism of Anelisse Edith Fuertes Quintero

Samay, Anelisse, and Elianys

The view from los cielos de chumical

Salchicpapas after our baptisms

Celebrating Hermana Bran's 18 months

October 8, 2024-October 14, 2024-Week 75-Loma Nueve

I think the theme of this last transfer is what Elder Soares said in his most recent general conference talk: "faith is not faith if not tried." We are having some faith building moments to help us to continue to truly trust in the Lord. I was reminded of this principle as I read one of my favorite talks, called "But if not...". I know that the Lord will work great miracles, ones that we cannot even comprehend and many that we desire, but if it is not how I would have originally planned for, I know that is His plan. I think that is the biggest lesson I learned from general conference is that there does not exist a "my way", only "His way". I have been trying to embrace that principle in my life to be better able to see all the good and joy in every day!

We are actively striving to find all the family part members in our area, we basically found every person that lives on our side of the area. We printed out the member list, organized it well, and were able to find the majority of them with the help of members! Now it's time to put our faith in Him, and see the miracles. I know that God really is going to help us to find those who are truly ready, especially because we are trying to do everything in our part to find His children who are ready. Because after finding all these people, many were not very interested, even though part of their families are members. I was a little discouraged thinking, "Lord, I am trying to do the work in the best way I know how and how you have showed me to do it, but why are these people not wanting to hear this message?". Yet, we had three references come our way through social media! The Lord will ALWAYS work miracles, but usually not how we expect them.

Our friends Anelisse and Kerem, are progressing well. They are girls who are primary age, whose families are members. So, it has been pretty easy and makes me think about one day having a family and helping to raise my kids strong in the gospel. Definitely requires to teach much more simply and with a lot more patience at times, but they are girls who are very very cute and want to follow Christ.

I had my last zone conference this week of the mission, and it was so special because all (but one of my comps) who are currently in the mission were also in this conference! I have had a lot of reflection time at the end of my mission thinking about all that the Lord has truly taught me. In the Panama mission, we always give a "dying testimony" and I was resolved on one thing: do. not. cry. Successfully, I prayed and I just felt pure joy giving my "dying testimony". I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. Thanks to His Atonement, it really can help us be forgiven, forgive, love, endure, be perfected, overcome weaknesses and insecurities and bad habits. It covers all and everyone!! I have loved being a missionary, and in these last three weeks, I will keep loving it!

Zone Conference pictures

Hermana Christensen

Hermana Shirley

Hermana Romero

Hermana Rhodes

Oops I forgot Hermana Lunt

All my comps! Hermana Romero, Lunt, Bran, Me, Christensen, Rhodes, Shirley

 Hermana Wise, me, Elder Jensen, Elder Smith

Hermana Keeler

 Hermana Bran, Gonzalez, Christensen, Smith, Keeler

 Practices with elder Ghormley and Sierra

My Zone

Me, Hermana Goekeritz, and Christensen

Visits with Ricardo Carrera, Viviana Solis, and our friend Elizabeth

Eating ice cream with Fatima!!

Visits with Anelisse and Samay

Visits with Dinex Lopez

Visits with Celideth and Dimas De Gracia

Visits with Hermana Patricia Hartman

Fatimom

Drinking pipa with Bishop and Fatima

October 1, 2024-October 7, 2024-Week 74-Loma Nueve

This week has been good, sometimes a little harder and lonely, but I think over and over God has taught me that I never truly alone. I love the quote by President Holland that talks about there is no place where the light of Christ does not shine. And the spirit helps to illuminate my mind and remind me that God's on my side and I can have covenant confidence in His plan.

I think for a lot of my mission, I have felt I little burdened and tired and overwhelmed at times to have to be the "strong" one, like it says in DC 84:106. I don't know if that's prideful,  but it hard to be the obedient one and diligent one and the one that goes the extra mile and doesn't settle. So I've been feeling a little more tired this transfer, and things have been slower and different. I am still feeling more and more that I need to work on my humility. That this is not what I would have chosen to end my mission, but it's what God needed for ME! Every day I try and look more and more for what I needed to learn. Four more weeks!!!!

I loved how conference talked a lot about just focusing on Christ. How we really can't look beyond the mark. If we focus all on Him and make Him the center of our lives, we will always feel joy. My companion always shares how joy is enduring, while happiness is temporary. That is so true. I loved especially the talk about Being Still, because the night before I was praying with some questions, and God just told me to Be Still. Literally the next day, God confirmed what I was needing by sending this leader to talk about being still and finding Christ in every moment. 

I also weighed myself this week...only gained 12 pounds. Not too bad. A little hit of rice haha. 

Today we went to Abejas, a place where they sell chicheme and where I went every week in my first transfer and later to a pretty viewpoint in Chica! Mama Fatima took us! 

What the member uploaded on her story

Marta came and watched general conference with us

The baptism of Altamira and Bernado

Watching general conference with our friend Mirlanis and Roxana

 A little cat nap during general conference.

Viewpoint in Chica

FatiMOM and Obispo

Las Abejas