So last night we had a Sister Sleepover! We drove down to Ogden with three other misioneras and stayed in the mission home. We watched The Errand of Angels! I remember watching that a little while before I left and thinking about how crazy it would be to do all of that, and how I hoped I would be able to be that excited about missionary work and have those kinds of experiences. And now that I'm here I realized that the work is so much better than in the movie! And it's really easy to love this work and be excited about it. Most of the time. But it is always good :)This week was hard because as the days went on we had to drop more and more people, to the point where now we are kind of back at square one as far as investigators go. It's really not that bad to find out that people don't want to visit with us anymore, because if they don't choose to keep their comittments and aren't in it with a sincere heart and real intent, its really useless for us to be there. Because the spirit can't do anything unless they allow it, and we can't do anything without the spirit taking our words and making them mean something. So dropping people isn't too bad. But the hard part is having the faith that when we drop someone who isn't ready, God will lead us to someone who is.
A few weeks ago we met a girl about our age who seemed really interested. She was keeping commitments and had all sorts of questions. We know she felt the Holy Ghost, but she canceled three lessons in a row on us. So we get there the fourth time this week and she has some excuse for not being able to meet with us and then I found myself just asking her if this is something she really wants right now. She said that she didn't want to do this right now because her family all goes to a different church and she doesn't want to split them up. The Spirit right then and there confirmed to me that she knows that the Church is true, but is choosing not to do anything about that knowledge right now. Dang. But someday I'm sure she will be ready to act on the knowledge she has. After that we went out and knocked some doors in a neighborhood we were positive had mostly hispanic people. Every house in that row was non-hispanic people – and not very nice people at alllll. And it was raining. And all of our lessons fell through that night. And yeah, I was feeling a little low. But I have the best trainer in the world and she just said "Thank you Heavenly Father for sending us these experiences, we know it is because you love us". And bam. Right then and there I felt so strongly the Love God has for me and for my companion and also for the people in this area. Somehow a bunch of hard experiences became a precious gift from my Heavenly Father, a reminder that He really is aware of me and loves me so much.
This scripture came to my mind.
"Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God." D&C 101:16
Also this week we had an experience where we were talking with this lady who is really active in the Catholic church. We meet a lot of Catholics, but Catholics who are Catholic for tradition and who don't really know what they believe. But this lady actually practiced and knew the Bible and everything. I found it so much easier to just confirm things she believed, and tell her that I think it is great that she is so committed to her faith. I was taught by the spirit that that isn't good enough. We have the truth of the restored gospel! The truth found in other churches is true, but there is more! There is truth restored to the earth today that changes lives for the best. Honestly I think my favorite place on earth is inside the DC Temple (specifically with my mom and grandma :) ) and that joy and love and perfect peace is only found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It doesn't matter what truth is there in the world already, there is more and it is precious! And the restored truth is what the world, individuals, and families need more than anything else right now. So it has been sooo great to testify with "abandon". I know the testimony I have is from God and I have the words directly from Him. Every person I meet needs the truth and I have been given power and authority from Jesus Christ por medio de un profeta viviente, and I love it!
Also while tracting the other day we ran into a lady we have met three times but hadn't asked if we could teach her yet! It was definitely Heavenly Father telling us "look, she needs to hear this". So we started talking to her, and her kids are so cute, and she was soaking up everything that we had to say. We didn't want to invite her to be baptized because we were nervous about some things going on in her life, but the spirit wasn't nervous at all and it hit me that baptism is what we have to offer people, it's the first covenant. All the steps before baptism that we invite and help people to do are good steps to come closer to Christ, but really baptism is a Saving Ordinance, and the gate to receiving all the help our Savior has to give us. He has carried all of your burdens. He knows you and what you are going through perfectamente, without flaw. And baptism is the act that allows Him into our lives to heal us, change us, and help us. So it's been so clear to me this week that we can't progress with a person unless they have desires of working towards baptism.
Along with the pump up of testifying with boldness, and inviting everyone to be baptized, we've got a new song we listen to when we are being tempted to be discouraged! It's on a CD we found in the Mission Office. It's a gospel choir singing about John the Baptist. And it starts "I've testified from my mother's womb, of He who's sandals I'm unworthy to loose" And then the chorus, "ON THE WATERRRRRRRR OHHHHH ON THE WATERRRRR COMING IN WITH THE FIRE....something something something" but it's so fun to sing to xD
We got Mexican Pastries this week! I thought when I left Mexico I wouldn't ever have the chance to buy mexican candy again. But we stumbled across a little mexcan market and there are all kinds of good stuff there. It made me think of my mom, buying french pastries and stuff on her mission. And mexican pastries are wayyy different. But I love that I get to be a missionary like my mom was :) And while I'm on that train of thought we moved! I promise it's not actually that random. The house we moved to used to be an English Elder apartment, and there was TONS of stuff they left behind. Lots of english stuff. But we also found a Thai book of Mormon! And Spanish isn't a whole lot like Thai but I feel really cool to be in the states speaking another language like my dad :)
We hope the apartment has been sucessfully de-Eldered. whooooo!! #sistertakeover
And yes, I made tortillas today! Like real ones! We were teaching this lady, and she has recently been very sick, but we've been visiting her and teaching her how to rely on the Savior during difficult times, and we've become really good friends with her. She takes care of 6 little kids all between 1 and 12 and we love them all. But one day we went and she was feeling so much better! So she invited us to come over today for our pday and learn how to make mexican food with her. We were so excited she has invited us over every pday so that she can teach us how to do it! mmm so good.
Love you all!
Hermana Ogden
A few weeks ago we met a girl about our age who seemed really interested. She was keeping commitments and had all sorts of questions. We know she felt the Holy Ghost, but she canceled three lessons in a row on us. So we get there the fourth time this week and she has some excuse for not being able to meet with us and then I found myself just asking her if this is something she really wants right now. She said that she didn't want to do this right now because her family all goes to a different church and she doesn't want to split them up. The Spirit right then and there confirmed to me that she knows that the Church is true, but is choosing not to do anything about that knowledge right now. Dang. But someday I'm sure she will be ready to act on the knowledge she has. After that we went out and knocked some doors in a neighborhood we were positive had mostly hispanic people. Every house in that row was non-hispanic people – and not very nice people at alllll. And it was raining. And all of our lessons fell through that night. And yeah, I was feeling a little low. But I have the best trainer in the world and she just said "Thank you Heavenly Father for sending us these experiences, we know it is because you love us". And bam. Right then and there I felt so strongly the Love God has for me and for my companion and also for the people in this area. Somehow a bunch of hard experiences became a precious gift from my Heavenly Father, a reminder that He really is aware of me and loves me so much.
This scripture came to my mind.
"Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God." D&C 101:16
Also this week we had an experience where we were talking with this lady who is really active in the Catholic church. We meet a lot of Catholics, but Catholics who are Catholic for tradition and who don't really know what they believe. But this lady actually practiced and knew the Bible and everything. I found it so much easier to just confirm things she believed, and tell her that I think it is great that she is so committed to her faith. I was taught by the spirit that that isn't good enough. We have the truth of the restored gospel! The truth found in other churches is true, but there is more! There is truth restored to the earth today that changes lives for the best. Honestly I think my favorite place on earth is inside the DC Temple (specifically with my mom and grandma :) ) and that joy and love and perfect peace is only found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It doesn't matter what truth is there in the world already, there is more and it is precious! And the restored truth is what the world, individuals, and families need more than anything else right now. So it has been sooo great to testify with "abandon". I know the testimony I have is from God and I have the words directly from Him. Every person I meet needs the truth and I have been given power and authority from Jesus Christ por medio de un profeta viviente, and I love it!
Also while tracting the other day we ran into a lady we have met three times but hadn't asked if we could teach her yet! It was definitely Heavenly Father telling us "look, she needs to hear this". So we started talking to her, and her kids are so cute, and she was soaking up everything that we had to say. We didn't want to invite her to be baptized because we were nervous about some things going on in her life, but the spirit wasn't nervous at all and it hit me that baptism is what we have to offer people, it's the first covenant. All the steps before baptism that we invite and help people to do are good steps to come closer to Christ, but really baptism is a Saving Ordinance, and the gate to receiving all the help our Savior has to give us. He has carried all of your burdens. He knows you and what you are going through perfectamente, without flaw. And baptism is the act that allows Him into our lives to heal us, change us, and help us. So it's been so clear to me this week that we can't progress with a person unless they have desires of working towards baptism.
Along with the pump up of testifying with boldness, and inviting everyone to be baptized, we've got a new song we listen to when we are being tempted to be discouraged! It's on a CD we found in the Mission Office. It's a gospel choir singing about John the Baptist. And it starts "I've testified from my mother's womb, of He who's sandals I'm unworthy to loose" And then the chorus, "ON THE WATERRRRRRRR OHHHHH ON THE WATERRRRR COMING IN WITH THE FIRE....something something something" but it's so fun to sing to xD
We got Mexican Pastries this week! I thought when I left Mexico I wouldn't ever have the chance to buy mexican candy again. But we stumbled across a little mexcan market and there are all kinds of good stuff there. It made me think of my mom, buying french pastries and stuff on her mission. And mexican pastries are wayyy different. But I love that I get to be a missionary like my mom was :) And while I'm on that train of thought we moved! I promise it's not actually that random. The house we moved to used to be an English Elder apartment, and there was TONS of stuff they left behind. Lots of english stuff. But we also found a Thai book of Mormon! And Spanish isn't a whole lot like Thai but I feel really cool to be in the states speaking another language like my dad :)
We hope the apartment has been sucessfully de-Eldered. whooooo!! #sistertakeover
And yes, I made tortillas today! Like real ones! We were teaching this lady, and she has recently been very sick, but we've been visiting her and teaching her how to rely on the Savior during difficult times, and we've become really good friends with her. She takes care of 6 little kids all between 1 and 12 and we love them all. But one day we went and she was feeling so much better! So she invited us to come over today for our pday and learn how to make mexican food with her. We were so excited she has invited us over every pday so that she can teach us how to do it! mmm so good.
Love you all!
Hermana Ogden