What a week it has been! Full of tons
of experiences-fun, hard, spiritual, and new experiences, and I love
everyone of them! From helping a blind man walk to his house as he
called out for a hand, to traveling to piura (and once again we are here
for the last doctors appointment for hna Villena we hope!), it has been
another great week!
First experience was a great learning one. Last
monday we went to Piura for the doctor too, and we also had leader
council martes, and we had to bring our carpeta de area, or areabook.
Incase yall dont know what that is, well its really important. Its where
we write down all the informantion of the less actives, converts, and
investigators we are teaching. It also has all the information that past
missionaries since forever have written in there. So its kind of really
important. Just lots of almas. So I put it in my backpack I had packed
in to stay the night. When we were waiting in the doctors office in
piura, I looked down to grab something from my backpack, and it wasnt
there!! Hna Villena and I started to trace all our steps in teh
hospital, and it was no where to be found! My journal, and preach my
gospel were also in there! But we were most concerned for teh carpeta de
area. WE went back to sit down and wait, didnt konw what else to do.
Hna Villena tried to calm me down, and said it wasnt as bad as the 116
pages of the book of mormon martin harris lost! That made me laugh But
it was still pretty bad and made me feel sick. We concluded that I had
left it in the moto, which would be most likely impossible to get back.
Hna villena said we were going to stay up all night and rewrite all the
forms for tomorrow.
haha we were silently praying, and I realized, sometimes things just
get lost and what else can we do? then the lady came up to us and said a
moto came back with a mochila azul!! :) We ran down and thanked the man
so much for coming back!! we payed him 5 soles for doing that and, wow,
we sure were revealed. I know the Lord answers prayers, and gives us
experiences to grow. Im going to be more careful with my things now. :)
We had lots of time waiting in teh doctors office,
and I read a lot from the Liahona from conference. Sus cuatro minutos
por obisbo stevenson still is my favorite! In the perspective of
eternity, our life is just like 4 minutes of performance in an olympic
event. I havent done math in a while, so thought that would be fun. i
felt like I was you dad as I started doing all these mathematics im my
ensign. mi compañera was a little confused about what i was doing but i
asurred her it was because i was studying the talk. haha anyways, this
is what i learned. If we live to be 80 years old and lifetime is 4
minutes, 2 years of our lives, or a mission for elders is only 6
seconds!!! and 1.5 years of a mission for sisters is only 4.5 seconds!!!
It was crazy to figure that out. (and i sure hope thats correct, if not
thats a little embarrassing but thats ok.. Jared or dal you can check
me:) Anyways, taht leaves me just about 0.75 seconds of my 4.5 second
mission! I love what elder stevenson says in the talk. We are going to
have ETERNITY to think about what we did in this life! Each decision we
make each day is so important. Im thankful for this time, although it is
short, to serve the Lord here in Peru. I know as we live each day with
this perspecitve, it will help us to make right choices, progress, and
be happier now, and for the eternities!
OUr learder council and zone meeting were so great!
We are focusing a lot more on retention now as a mission. Helping those
converts to stay active, and those that have gone inactive to come back!
We are doing this by focusing on reading the book of mormon. This book
really is the key of our religion, and is true! Reading this book
changes lives. It has changed mine and I know as we focus more on this
as we teach, we will see more lives changed. In weekly planning, we
normally plan for converts and less actives in step 9 in preach my
gospel. But now we ahve changed that step to number 2. We are first
focusing on retention and activation, and then on to those investigators
progressing. President compared it to Naaman in the bible. Sometimes we
may not understand we have to do things, like how naaman didnt
understand he had to wash 7 times in el río jordán to be healed, but he
obeyed and was healed. So as a mission that is what we are doing.
Teaching more lessons with converts nad less actives, and as we do this
thet Lord will bless us even more.
We had a great experience this week teaching Deisy
de Garcia, a less active member whos about 60 years old. Her mom
recently passed away, and because of this for the first time wants to
talk to us! She told us all of what she is going through, and how she
feels, and how she wants to understand more about teh plan of salvation
and what is death. We taught her the doctrine of the resurrection and of
teh atonement, and shared testimonies of this plan. Hna Villena was
able to bear such powerful testimony, since she has also been through
the passing of her mom, just last january here in the mission. I know
God has a plan for each and everyone of us, and although we may not
understand exacly they why, we can understand the for what. and its so
we can progress, and return to live with God, and with our families one
day! And to bring others with us as we do. It was a sweet experience
this lesson, and everyone!
Last experience Ill share of the week, it has to do with prayer! (like almost always.) All of our appointments fell through friday
night. We decided to pray to know where to go, and both felt we should
knock the door of our neighbor wendy, who we have talked to once. So we
did, and she was there with her sister hillary. (they are 20 and 18).
She said they didnt have power, so we couldnt enter, but we insisted and
then the power worked again, and she let us in! :) They are super
receptive, have had trials in their lives like everyone, but want to
learn more! Then, on Friday,
the same thing happened in teh afternoon. All our appointments fell
through. We decided to pray, again to know where to go. WE both felt we
should go visit juan, and his mom diana, who live in front of la
iglesia. They almost are never in their house, but Diana´s sobrino was
there, and said, ¨pasen!¨or, come in! But Diana was on the couch and
yelled out, no, she has to clean and do other things, and cant receive
us right now. we left from there, and I had learned a great lesson! the
spirit always leads and guides us, but there is a factor that we cant
control, and that is the agency of others. We just keep doing our job,
working through the spirit, and pray that others will choose to accept
christ and the restored gospel in our lives. We have to keep going!
So great to hear yall are all great and happy and so
fun to see those pictures of yall all together! I have the best family
ever and am so grateful for each one of you. Have a wonderful week!! make
miracles!
love
love
Hermana Garlick
No comments:
Post a Comment