April 28, 2014

Family and Friends!! This week has had its ups and downs but mostly it has been a pretty successful week. We have 2 solid investigators right now! One is Diego, he is 10 and he is super! He comes to every lesson prepared and knows the gospel really well. We have taught him all the lessons and he knows he has to get baptized and wants to! The only problem....his parents won't allow it. Noooo! His grandparents are members and they want him to get baptized but we need permission from one of the parents in order for him to be baptized because he is under age. We have been praying for a softened heart in his parents. Our next investigator actually came and found us. Her name is Diana and her boyfriend is a member, Jaime. Jaime talked to us on Sunday and said he wanted us to meet with him and his girlfriend. Turns out she is golden! Our first meeting she said she wants to get baptized and now all we need to do is teach the lessons. One problem...they need to get married first. They are living together and don't want to leave each other so they decided on getting married May 9th and she is getting baptized May 10th! Jaime said that she helps him with the Word of Wisdom and she is a strength to him. Wow! She is really awesome! She said she will read the Book of Mormon and prepare for baptism and we will help them with the marriage arrangements! This week was the first week with piano lessons. I was super nervous about it because I didn't know if people would show up and I didn't know how I would teach in Spanish! We brought Diego to the piano class and I taught him first then 10 minutes later 3 more people came and then 5 more people came! So I ended up teaching about 6 people because that's all we had time for. I taught them the first line of I am a child of God individually. We ended up having 3 investigators show up to the piano class! My companion taught a lesson while I was teaching piano! Yayy!! So now I love the piano class. Not sure how I taught them in Spanish but everyone loved it and was so excited to be able to play a little bit! They are excited for next week and so am I! Last week we didn't have water 3 days during the week. This week we didn't have water for one of the days. I now have a greater appreiciation for running water in the house, but that's what makes the mission even better! Learning to apprecitate the little things in life that make a big difference. The end of this week was very successful. I feel like we have been working really hard and that makes me really happy! I know this isn't my time but it is the time of the Lord. I received 2 letters this week! One from my friend from Tucanos, Olivia, who is serving in Mexico! The other from Hermana Riverin! I wanted to share a quote from the letter of Olivia. It's a quote from C.S. Lewis.... "There is someone I love, even though I don´t approve of what he does. There is someone I accept, though some of his thoughts and actions revolt me. There is someone I forgive, though he hurts the people I love the most. That person is me." I really like this quote. When I first read this it made me think of forgiveness. We all have faults. We can forgive ourselves so why not others. READ THIS TALK!! Why 1820 by Hyrum W. Smith, from a devotional given at Ricks College, 27 Sept 1988. This talk gives a background history of the apostasy and events that led up to the Restoration of the church of Jesus Christ. I really enjoyed it! It' a good read! This Saturday we did a service activity with one of the recent converts in the ward. She was having a Fried Chicken lunch sale....not sure exactly how to explain it haha but we helped with cooking and prepared the food and getting members to come. She is pregnant and needs money and it was a pretty good turn out. I love service. This week that has been our goal, service. Sunday afternoon my companions foot was hurting so I went out with 2 of the girls in our ward that are around my age. It was a fun experience because I felt like I was able to teach more and since I was the only missionary teaching it made me speak more and it wasn't completely awful haha I actually got a baptismal date! His name is Ruso and he is 14 years old. He has the desire to get baptized but.....his parents won't allow it! Noooo! Not again! I don't understand. It makes me so sad but I am going to pray for lots of miracles this week! Thank you for all of your support and love. It helps me a lot to know that I have family and friends at home that love me and care for me a lot. I know this church is true and I feel so blessed to have been born into the church and know all the things I know. Read your scriptures everyday because it will protect you from the world! Love always, Hermana Kelsey Flora