I have so much to tell yall it´s
crazy! Dad I´m so glad all went well with the surgery! AND LIL BABY DYER
IS ALMOST HERE IM SO EXCITED!! Ok get ready for this email!
What an incredible experience I was able to have in
the devotional in Chiclayo with Elder Nelson! I have been upflifted,
changed, and strengthened-it was an experience I will never forget.
We got to wake up at 4:30am
and ride a bus con dos pisos! It was so fun seeing my former companions
hna rosas and gutierrez. It´s so fun being able to talk to hna g in
spanish :) We were all seated in the stake center there-it was our
mission and the mission Chiclayo, about 400 missionaries! We sat there
waiting for 30 min for Elder Nelson to walk in. When he finally did,
wow, he was literally glowing! I was so happy-we ALL had the opportunity
to go up to the front and shake his hand! It reminded me in 3 Nefi 11:15
when las nefitas came up to touch Jesus Christ- one by one. What Elder
Nelson did is exactly what jesus Christ would have done! My half second I
got to smile and shake his hand and look into his eyes is something
I´ll never forget. I know he is an apostle of God!
He and his wife spoke such inspired words. They both had
translators since they don´t speak Spanish. They are hilarious by the
way. Sister Nelson talked about how miracles can and are occuring in our
missions. They happen through our exact obedience which brings the
Spirit, and our faithful prayers which call down the powers of heaven.
She talked about as missionaries, we are fulfilling our convenant we
made in the pre-mortal life- to serve a worthy mission. What a
responsibility that I have! I also loved what she said about prayers and
the other side of the veil. She said about a year ago she got more and
more into family history work, and that she was led by the Spirit to
pray to be able to fnid those ancestors who had taken the gospel
discussions and were desperately waiting for their work to be done. She
applied this to our missions. We can also pray to be led to the people
whos ancestors are ready and waiting for their convenants to be carried
out in teh temple. She said they are saying, ¨go go go get-em-go!!!¨It
was great how they translated that one. :) The other side of the veil is
working just as hard as this one-so as we seek revelation we will be
one in this work-those that are in teh spirit world and us here on
earth.
Elder Nelson brought down the house. He said, ¨As missionaries, we
are the linkage between the people and the purposes of the Lord.¨ The
Lord´s plan wouldn´t work without missionary work! We are helping
fulfill the purpose of God as we help others prepare for Eternal life.
We help them do this through ordinances of slavation-baptism and
confirmaiton- and exaltation- the convenants in the temple. He said we
are here to fulfill our purpose to invite them to come unto christ
through faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the holy ghost, and enduring
to the ENDowment and temple sealing. (his joke only worked in
english..haha) He said ¨we endure to the end so we can return to
father.¨Normally we put ¨the¨before ¨father¨The way he said it though
with such respect and love made me see and feel how he is litteraly MY
father. Like when we refer to dad. :) I also love what he said about how
it is important to build from centers of strenght. The church, our
testimonies, our areas, our lives. The more spread out we are, the more
we try to do at once, the less effective we are. As we focus our efforts
in centers of strenght, we will continue to be strengthened and
strengthened. By small things great things come to pass!
Finally he ended with his testimony. Most powerful part by far! I
was probably the most simple testimony I have heard an apostle share-and
he did it in Spanish! i have never felt the spirit as strongly
listening to a testimony as i did in this devotional with Elder Nelson.
His words weren´t just a list of memorized spanish sentences. There was
power and truth behind every word he said-it made me cry! Im so grateful
for this amazing testimony buiding expereince. I also have a testimony
of this gospel. Yo sé que Jesucristo vive. Sé que la iglesia es
verdadera y que José smith fue un profeta. Sé que el Libro de Mormón es
la palabra de Dios. Sé que familias puedan ser eternas!
Sorry I couldn´t just pick one favorite part to share. It was all
so good! :) In the total of 8 hours we were on the bus, I found my inner
Elaine, and well wrote a poem about life in the mission. Thanks grandma
for inspiring this poem, and dad, of course. :)
Una Misionera en Perú
Every morning I wake up to the crack of a rooster crowing in the room next door,
I hop down from my bed and pray, and get ready for what the next 24 hours has in store.
I do some handstands, listening to MOTAB, eat some juicy fruit (not the gum) and take a quick shower,
Then it´s time to study and gain some spiritual power.
I read the Book of Mormon, the Bibile, Preach my Gospel, and words of Living prophets of God,
I put on his armour,and learn to apply and cling to the iron rod.
With my companion we study together to learn in unity and love,
We pray a few more times to our Heavenly Father above.
Now we are prepared to leave our room and to go and teach the word,
We tap with our pens on the doors, harder and harder until we are heard.
In the morning we are lucky if someone will open up their door,
Everyone is either in the market, preparing lunch, or has talked to missionaries before.
But we keep going in the sun, dodging the many dogs, talking to everyone we meet,
Eventually it´s time for us to go to our pensionista to eat.
Rice, potatoes, chicken, tomatoes in lime juice,
Chica Morada, Piña, or papaya to drink-it´s ours to choose.
After lunch we return to our room while everyone shuts their eyes,
But we instead study language, ¨Chau¨is the word we say for ¨bye.¨
After we study once again it´s time to go out and proselyte,
We don´t stop moving until it reaches night.
We share our testimonies with all who have ears to hear,
We know as we pray for strength and are obedient, the Spirit for our guide is always near.
Visiting recent converts, less actives, members, and new investigators,
Sometimes appointments fall through, so we set out on new endevours.
Teaching English, music, helping clean, or painting a wall,
As servants of the Lord we show him we are willing to give our all.
Carlos, Elver, Mayumi, and Marilú,
All of God´s children we are helping to come to Christ-to name a few.
As we walk we laugh, talk, and my companion helps me with my Spanish pronunciation,
I help her learn words in English- we make a good combination.
Far away from our families, each other is all we got,
We serve each other freely, and fan the other when we get hot.
Once the many twinkling stars come out we wave for a moto to take us home,
Back in our room we eat some bread or cereat quick, we have no time to Roam.
Now we plan for the rext day in our niftly planner,
Meaningful appointments and plans are what fill every hour.
It´s getting late, but we are not done just yet,
We fill out teaching records of who and what we were able to teach, so we don´t forget.
At last it´s time to get ready for bed-we pray and give thanks to be forgivn of our many sin.
A good nights sleep is what we need, because tomorrow we are getting up to do it all again.
A missionary in Perú-it´s who I am and what I´ll be-
For 18 months seeing the Lord work miracles in all of his children- and well, in me!
Hope yall have a little better idea now what missionary life is like here! It is so great. Guess what! Sunday
I directed the choir we put together for branch conference! Nate I
really wish I had had your baton! Never thought I would do this. haha
but it was great! And also at the releif society conference I played the
piano and accompanied Diego on the violin! Can now check that one off
the bucket list. haha kell me and you despues the mission. Oh yeah, also
it was hna canaquiris birthday this week! she turned 21! And we got the
same great cake i got for my birthday! I made her some happy french
toast in the morning. :) haha Oh yeah, and this week lil Diego Bayona
Benites, he is 2, started saying actual words in his prayers for the
first time, not just mumble mumble, Amen! But he prayed for me-he can
say my name!! That made me so happy! haha Today we went to the same
beach, Congrejos, that we went to my first week here. As the whole zone
was stuffed in a bus over there, I realized I am the ONLY missinoary
still in the zone from when I was first here. I lucked out getting to be
in Paita for 4 transfers!!
Ok I think that´s all. Makes up for last weeks
carta. Hope yall have a great day and week! Feliz Día de Gracias!
Hermana Marilú made us turkey today! haha. I am so thankful for each one
of yall!!!
les amo muchísimo!
Hermana Garlick
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