Hola Familia!
Melissa and Clarissa were just baptized yesterday! They are both so cute. Their brother Felix who was baptized about a month ago got to baptize them. It was a really incredible experience. I feel so close to their family.
Well, actually this week I realized that I probably feel a little too close, because I think that poor little Felix has a crush on me. He is 18 and just graduated from high school, so he is about the same age as James. We were focusing on him a lot this past week trying to help him feel comfortable getting ready to baptize his sisters, and also trying to get him motivated to think about serving a mission. He wants to be a doctor, so he feels like it wouldn't be smart to interrupt his schooling. We tried to show him how cool missionary work is by taking him out tracting and contacting formers for a couple hours the other day on our bikes. It was really fun, and I kept thinking "Oh, look at cute little Felix- he reminds me of my brother James. It would be so much fun to do missionary work with James." But then the next day he sent me a big bouquet of red roses, as a sort of thank you for helping him find the church, but it wasn't addressed to me and sister garcia, just to me. Plus they were like these beautiful red romantic roses. Poor guy. Sister Garcia thought is was HILARIOUS, and told me that she is never going to let me live it down. We're going to let the elders help teach him more now, and we're not allowed to take him out with us anymore. I'm not really worried about it, I just feel bad if he does have a crush on me. :P Man, and I thought that I was going to be able to come on my mission and escape from boys for eighteen months. I guess not, ha ha.
We had our last Zone Conference with President and Sister Blackburn this past week. We get a new mission president tomorrow, so it will be interesting to see how the dynamic of the mission will change. I loved the Blackburns, they were so dedicated to obedience and high standards for the mission, but at the same time so personable and loving. I wish I would have had the chance to get to know them better. Its hard though being so isolated from everything out here. I'm barely getting to know other missionaries in the mission, and that's because Sister Garcia knows everyone and is really cool and popular, so as she says I'm "guilty by association." I love that she is helping me break out of my shell, and that she is brutally honest with me and tells me when I'm awkward or being lame, or fake, or whatever.
I love the zone that we are in; everyone is really nice. We are the only sisters and so they always love to play sports. We played basketball today and it was so much fun. They have a rule though that sisters can only be guarded by sisters, and sister garcia couldn't play because of her finger, so they let me play but they couldn't guard me and I couldn't guard them. It was still fun though. It has been so long since I'd played, and I love playing basketball. Especially with guys that actually know how to play.
Well, that was my week. I actually really don't feel like writing very much today. I'm doing good. We're working hard trying to find people to teach, and spending a lot of time riding our bikes which I love. I hope you are all doing well and having a fun summer.
Love,
Sister Dansie
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Cudahy: Translado 4: Semana 2 GOOOALLLL!!! June 21, 2010
Hola familia!
Its been quite a week. In case you hadn't heard, Mexico won their game in the World cup on Thursday, and the Lakers won the NBA title. How do I know? Because the city went crazy with celebration. I've never seen or heard anything like it. The soccer game was in the afternoon, and luckily it was going on while we were doing weekly planning, because they would not have been happy had we tried to go tracting and interrupt. When Mexico scored we could hear all of our neighbors yelling GOOOOALLLL!!!!, and when they won people went out into the streets and drove around honking their horns and going crazy. Later that night the Lakers won and it started all over again, and the celebrating lasted all night. Good thing I can sleep through anything, but my poor companion had a really rough time getting any rest. Its funny because I feel like sports is kind of a religion in and of itself, and there are some real fanatics out there. I'm growing to really love and appreciate soccer. It is a big part of the Latin American culture- everyone loves it. We've been playing it a lot as a zone lately and I've been trying to learn how.
We had a really neat special temple devotional this past Wednesday where the entire mission, about 500 missionaries, came and we all did a session together. It was so powerful seeing all of the missionaries together. I felt kind of overwhelmed though being surrounded by so many people and not knowing hardly any of them. My companion likes to tease me a lot because I can be really awkward sometimes, especially when I'm in big crowds like that, and especially when I'm trying to be careful so the elders don't get the wrong idea when I'm just trying to be friendly. It is funny how weird the elders are sometimes, especially like when we are playing sports. I feel like I have a bubble around me and they are all afraid to actually play, which gets me frustrated because I always want to play like I'm just one of the guys. :)
I feel like I have been really blessed this transfer with my companion Sister Garcia, because she has really helped me break out of being another robot, super missionary that has to pretend to be perfect all of the time. She's helped me to be myself more and not be so hard on myself. It is hard to be a missionary, and its ok to admit that. I have had some really rough times, but that is all part of the experience. I think that it is also hard now that its summer and we've been conditioned our whole lives to go into vacation mode for summer, and we can think about all of the fun things that are happening back at home, but as missionaries have to keep working hard and pushing forward. I haven't been super "trunkie," I'm just saying that I let myself admit that its hard but that its ok if i feel like its hard sometimes, as long as I keep pushing forward and working my hardest, which I am.
I like how in Alma there is so much good council for missionaries, and I love reading about how it was hard for them too, but they were able to overcome it. There is a part that I just read about how Alma and his sons and the sons Mosiah all went on a mission to the Zoramites, and it says basically that all of their suffering were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. God always reimburses us more than any suffering and sacrifice that we make. I know that is true, because this has been the hardest thing I've ever done, but I've also never felt so much joy. I love the friendships I've made here and the people I've seen come unto Christ, and I love knowing that they will literally be my friends forever, and that I was a very small part of the incredible changes they have made in their lives.
I love you!
Sister Dansie
Its been quite a week. In case you hadn't heard, Mexico won their game in the World cup on Thursday, and the Lakers won the NBA title. How do I know? Because the city went crazy with celebration. I've never seen or heard anything like it. The soccer game was in the afternoon, and luckily it was going on while we were doing weekly planning, because they would not have been happy had we tried to go tracting and interrupt. When Mexico scored we could hear all of our neighbors yelling GOOOOALLLL!!!!, and when they won people went out into the streets and drove around honking their horns and going crazy. Later that night the Lakers won and it started all over again, and the celebrating lasted all night. Good thing I can sleep through anything, but my poor companion had a really rough time getting any rest. Its funny because I feel like sports is kind of a religion in and of itself, and there are some real fanatics out there. I'm growing to really love and appreciate soccer. It is a big part of the Latin American culture- everyone loves it. We've been playing it a lot as a zone lately and I've been trying to learn how.
We had a really neat special temple devotional this past Wednesday where the entire mission, about 500 missionaries, came and we all did a session together. It was so powerful seeing all of the missionaries together. I felt kind of overwhelmed though being surrounded by so many people and not knowing hardly any of them. My companion likes to tease me a lot because I can be really awkward sometimes, especially when I'm in big crowds like that, and especially when I'm trying to be careful so the elders don't get the wrong idea when I'm just trying to be friendly. It is funny how weird the elders are sometimes, especially like when we are playing sports. I feel like I have a bubble around me and they are all afraid to actually play, which gets me frustrated because I always want to play like I'm just one of the guys. :)
I feel like I have been really blessed this transfer with my companion Sister Garcia, because she has really helped me break out of being another robot, super missionary that has to pretend to be perfect all of the time. She's helped me to be myself more and not be so hard on myself. It is hard to be a missionary, and its ok to admit that. I have had some really rough times, but that is all part of the experience. I think that it is also hard now that its summer and we've been conditioned our whole lives to go into vacation mode for summer, and we can think about all of the fun things that are happening back at home, but as missionaries have to keep working hard and pushing forward. I haven't been super "trunkie," I'm just saying that I let myself admit that its hard but that its ok if i feel like its hard sometimes, as long as I keep pushing forward and working my hardest, which I am.
I like how in Alma there is so much good council for missionaries, and I love reading about how it was hard for them too, but they were able to overcome it. There is a part that I just read about how Alma and his sons and the sons Mosiah all went on a mission to the Zoramites, and it says basically that all of their suffering were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. God always reimburses us more than any suffering and sacrifice that we make. I know that is true, because this has been the hardest thing I've ever done, but I've also never felt so much joy. I love the friendships I've made here and the people I've seen come unto Christ, and I love knowing that they will literally be my friends forever, and that I was a very small part of the incredible changes they have made in their lives.
I love you!
Sister Dansie
Monday, June 14, 2010
Cudahy: Translado 4: Semana 1 / June 14, 2010
Hola familia!
So, we just had transfers, but I'm still in the same place, they just changed the name. I'm so glad I get to stay because I have come to know and love the Maywood branch so much. They feel like my second family. My companion is still Sister Garcia, the fiery little mexican. I love her, she is really loud (in a good way) and not afraid to get in there and talk to people really bluntly and honestly. The only thing that changed was that sister Cass was put in Vernon with another companion. Its funny because they are both very white and blond and learning spanish, and they're in an area with about 80 percent hispanic and 20 percent black, so they have people shouting at them and whistling and they draw a lot of attention. It was sad having sister Cass leave and feels a lot lonelier with just the two of us now, but we're excited to be able to focus completely on one area, and now that the mission has been changed back to separate english and spanish we've been made a spanish area, and so we only have to focus on the Maywood branch. it has taken a lot of stress off os us. Last transfer was really intense, and I hate the feeling of not being able to do my best because I feel stretched too thin. In the same respect it forced us to rely a lot more on the Lord, and we saw a lot of amazing miracles because of it.
I love working in the Maywood branch because they have been getting so excited about missionary work. We just had two more baptisms this past Sunday. One was Hermana Naranjo, who I told you a little about- she has basically been a member for the past couple of years but just hadn't been baptized. What finally helped motivate her and change her mind was that we found and started teaching her best friend, Maria, and Maria convinced her to get baptized together. Maria is so amazing, she just barely got baptized, but as soon as she came to church that first time she started helping with the Relief Society and all of the activities as if she was one of the presidency. She is so motivated and good at organizing events and decorating and all of those kind of things, so she is going to be a big strength to the ward. We found her because she is actually Felix's aunt, and they referred us to visit her, and the first day she did not seem interested at all and was super busy and seemed really frustrated- so it just goes to show that you need to be careful not to judge someone right off the bat. It was so amazing to see them be baptized, especially when Hermana naranjo's family has been waiting for so long for her to do it. Her 17 year old daughter and her husband were baptized about 3 years ago, so they were so happy to see her finally be baptized and see their prayers answered.
It is so sad to see families where part of them gain a testimony and join the church and are so focused on the importance of being with their family for forever, and then they have part of the family that just chooses not to accept or even try to listen. Felix has been having a hard time because his dad doesn't even want to try to come to church. He doesn't mind his kids going and that Felix has made the choice to join, but he just doesn't even want to think about changing from what he is used to. The mom and daughters also want to be baptized, so he is the only one that is choosing to be left behind and it has been a big challenge for their family. They have a lot of faith though that Heavenly Father will help them, and that little by little the dad will come around.
We also got to see Jisell be baptized this past Sunday. She was a little girl we were working with in Vernon that we finally got permission from her mom to baptize. It was sad though because her mom didn't even go to the baptism, but at least Jisel has a really strong support system from her aunt who is a really faithful member and always takes Jisel to church.
We are so excited and happy to be out here working the field still for this last transfer, because we've heard that they're trying to get all of the Visitor's Center sisters in to the Patron apartments by the temple because they are trying to open it by mid-July. I'll be glad to go there when it does open though, I'm sure I'll probably be sick of working out in the summer heat by then.
Well, have a good week everyone! Don't forget about me while you're all out having tons of fun this summer. :D I miss you all, but I'm doing great and I'm loving my mission. I know this is where I'm supposed to be. I love you all!
- Hermana Dansie
So, we just had transfers, but I'm still in the same place, they just changed the name. I'm so glad I get to stay because I have come to know and love the Maywood branch so much. They feel like my second family. My companion is still Sister Garcia, the fiery little mexican. I love her, she is really loud (in a good way) and not afraid to get in there and talk to people really bluntly and honestly. The only thing that changed was that sister Cass was put in Vernon with another companion. Its funny because they are both very white and blond and learning spanish, and they're in an area with about 80 percent hispanic and 20 percent black, so they have people shouting at them and whistling and they draw a lot of attention. It was sad having sister Cass leave and feels a lot lonelier with just the two of us now, but we're excited to be able to focus completely on one area, and now that the mission has been changed back to separate english and spanish we've been made a spanish area, and so we only have to focus on the Maywood branch. it has taken a lot of stress off os us. Last transfer was really intense, and I hate the feeling of not being able to do my best because I feel stretched too thin. In the same respect it forced us to rely a lot more on the Lord, and we saw a lot of amazing miracles because of it.
I love working in the Maywood branch because they have been getting so excited about missionary work. We just had two more baptisms this past Sunday. One was Hermana Naranjo, who I told you a little about- she has basically been a member for the past couple of years but just hadn't been baptized. What finally helped motivate her and change her mind was that we found and started teaching her best friend, Maria, and Maria convinced her to get baptized together. Maria is so amazing, she just barely got baptized, but as soon as she came to church that first time she started helping with the Relief Society and all of the activities as if she was one of the presidency. She is so motivated and good at organizing events and decorating and all of those kind of things, so she is going to be a big strength to the ward. We found her because she is actually Felix's aunt, and they referred us to visit her, and the first day she did not seem interested at all and was super busy and seemed really frustrated- so it just goes to show that you need to be careful not to judge someone right off the bat. It was so amazing to see them be baptized, especially when Hermana naranjo's family has been waiting for so long for her to do it. Her 17 year old daughter and her husband were baptized about 3 years ago, so they were so happy to see her finally be baptized and see their prayers answered.
It is so sad to see families where part of them gain a testimony and join the church and are so focused on the importance of being with their family for forever, and then they have part of the family that just chooses not to accept or even try to listen. Felix has been having a hard time because his dad doesn't even want to try to come to church. He doesn't mind his kids going and that Felix has made the choice to join, but he just doesn't even want to think about changing from what he is used to. The mom and daughters also want to be baptized, so he is the only one that is choosing to be left behind and it has been a big challenge for their family. They have a lot of faith though that Heavenly Father will help them, and that little by little the dad will come around.
We also got to see Jisell be baptized this past Sunday. She was a little girl we were working with in Vernon that we finally got permission from her mom to baptize. It was sad though because her mom didn't even go to the baptism, but at least Jisel has a really strong support system from her aunt who is a really faithful member and always takes Jisel to church.
We are so excited and happy to be out here working the field still for this last transfer, because we've heard that they're trying to get all of the Visitor's Center sisters in to the Patron apartments by the temple because they are trying to open it by mid-July. I'll be glad to go there when it does open though, I'm sure I'll probably be sick of working out in the summer heat by then.
Well, have a good week everyone! Don't forget about me while you're all out having tons of fun this summer. :D I miss you all, but I'm doing great and I'm loving my mission. I know this is where I'm supposed to be. I love you all!
- Hermana Dansie
Monday, June 7, 2010
Vernwood: Translado 3: Semana 6 / June 7, 2010
Hola Familia!
I don't know about there, but it is hot here. Hot and really humid. We've all started hoping and dreaming of the day when we can go to a nice, air-conditioned Visitors Center instead of tracting out in the heat. It isn't that bad though. I wanted to go somewhere warm, and I prefer the sun and the heat to somewhere that is cold and grey most of the year. I think in general people don't notice the weather as much as missionaries do, because we get to work outside no matter what. I've been lucky at least to be in an area where we have a lot of teaching appointments. Some of the rich areas like Beverly Hills it is literally just tracting practically all day every day, and it is so hard to find people to teach.
Tomorrow we will find out about transfers and what is going to happen. I have a feeling I'm getting moved. It was sad on Sunday at church thinking about leaving all of the friends that I've made here. I got up to bear my testimony and I felt like I knew everyone personally in the whole branch. They are all so nice and so loving. The other day Hermana Balbuena from the branch made us enchiladas for dinner because she knows that they're my favorite. Unfortunately someone else decided to surprise us and feed us right before, and it was so sweet and nice of them we couldn't refuse, so I ate two dinners and was the most full I've ever been in my life. That night I decided I'm going to start living the Word of Wisdom and I'm never going to over eat again. I just need to find a nice way to refuse the food but show them still that I love and appreciate them. On the plus side, we started running again this past week. Hermana Garcia finally got permission from the doctor. Her finger had to be wrapped before and she wasn't allowed to sweat. We run circles right outside of our apartment while Hermana Cass does crunches. She is still trying to heal from her foot injury, but she's doing better- she doesn't have to wear her huge boot anymore.
I also had my most terrified moment of my mission so far. I'll admit I got so scared I started to cry a little bit. I was at a members house for a dinner appointment, and I went to the bathroom which was in the back of their little house through a big pantry room, and when I was coming out of the bathroom I saw that their dog was in the pantry right next to the door feeding her babies. I started to go over to the door and all of the sudden the dog came at me and started attacking me, biting at my legs and freaking out. I started screaming, first of all because I was so shocked and startled. Finally Sister Garcia came through the door and I escaped with just a big whole where it had bit through my nylons. My companions and the family all started laughing at me, because I was screaming bloody murder and the dog was just a little Chihuahua. I was half laughing, half crying because I really had been so scared. It was pretty funny.
My companions have had a lot of opportunities to tease me this week. Apparently I went through a phase where whenever I was speaking in spanish it sounded like I was speaking really seductively. I've been trying really hard to get to where I don't have as much of an accent, but apparently I was trying too hard and it was weird. I also had a guy try to pick me up in the car next to us at a stop light, so I gave him a passalong card. Needless to say we have been laughing a lot this week. Those stories aren't as good though as my ultimate, most embarrassing moment in the mission so far. We where in Vernon and we were out tracting and a little old Mexican grandma let us in to teach her, and she started talking to us about all of the Christian churches she has been to and the crazy things they do. She was one of those people that can just talk forever without any kind of response from the audience, and so I was trying really hard to pay attention and understand what she was saying and all of the spanish, and so I leaned forward to hear her better and I accidently farted really loud. She didn't notice and just kept on talking, but both of my companions looked over at me and saw my face- I was mortified- you all know me- I do not do things like that, EVER in public, and so they both looked over and we couldn't help it- we all started bursting out laughing. The lady just thought that we were laughing because her story was super hilarious, so she started laughing with us. My companions still won't let me live it down, and probably never will. They like to joke and say things like, "I hope I don't pull a Dansie." Anyways, I would try to hide my shame, but Hermana Garcia is already in the process of writing her whole family about it so they can update it and put it all over her facebook, so I figured that you all might as well get a good laugh out of it too.
The work has also been going really well this week. I feel like we are finally starting to work really well together and teach in unity, which always seems to happen right before the end of transfers. We have seen a lot of incredible miracles, and I've been able to see some of the reasons we've been put in this situation. We've been working with a 10 year old girl in Vernon who has wanted to be baptized for over a year but hasn't been able to get her mom's permission. Her name is Jisell, and she goes every week to church with her aunt who lives next door. We've been teaching her for a couple weeks and trying to get her mom involved as well, and at every lesson Jisell would say the sweetest most sincere prayers asking to be able to be baptized. Finally one day we went over to the house with the permission slip and Hermana Garcia boldly went and talked to the mom and got her to sign it. The mom isn't really against it, she was just worried that it was something that would separate their family, and she just didn't have any desire to go herself. She can see though that it is going to be good for Jisell, and that its what Jisell really wants. I realized that at that moment in time Hermana Garcia was supposed to be there to boldly get the mom to finally make a decision instead of just trying to hide from us. If we hadn't had the change we wouldn't have worked in Vernon with that family. There have been a lot of little miracles like that. I love looking back and realizing all the ways the Lord works to direct our lives. There have been a lot of people in Maywood that I know I was supposed to meet and supposed to teach. I'm also really excited for whatever the Lord has ahead of me.
I love you all! Have a great week.
Hermana Dansie
I don't know about there, but it is hot here. Hot and really humid. We've all started hoping and dreaming of the day when we can go to a nice, air-conditioned Visitors Center instead of tracting out in the heat. It isn't that bad though. I wanted to go somewhere warm, and I prefer the sun and the heat to somewhere that is cold and grey most of the year. I think in general people don't notice the weather as much as missionaries do, because we get to work outside no matter what. I've been lucky at least to be in an area where we have a lot of teaching appointments. Some of the rich areas like Beverly Hills it is literally just tracting practically all day every day, and it is so hard to find people to teach.
Tomorrow we will find out about transfers and what is going to happen. I have a feeling I'm getting moved. It was sad on Sunday at church thinking about leaving all of the friends that I've made here. I got up to bear my testimony and I felt like I knew everyone personally in the whole branch. They are all so nice and so loving. The other day Hermana Balbuena from the branch made us enchiladas for dinner because she knows that they're my favorite. Unfortunately someone else decided to surprise us and feed us right before, and it was so sweet and nice of them we couldn't refuse, so I ate two dinners and was the most full I've ever been in my life. That night I decided I'm going to start living the Word of Wisdom and I'm never going to over eat again. I just need to find a nice way to refuse the food but show them still that I love and appreciate them. On the plus side, we started running again this past week. Hermana Garcia finally got permission from the doctor. Her finger had to be wrapped before and she wasn't allowed to sweat. We run circles right outside of our apartment while Hermana Cass does crunches. She is still trying to heal from her foot injury, but she's doing better- she doesn't have to wear her huge boot anymore.
I also had my most terrified moment of my mission so far. I'll admit I got so scared I started to cry a little bit. I was at a members house for a dinner appointment, and I went to the bathroom which was in the back of their little house through a big pantry room, and when I was coming out of the bathroom I saw that their dog was in the pantry right next to the door feeding her babies. I started to go over to the door and all of the sudden the dog came at me and started attacking me, biting at my legs and freaking out. I started screaming, first of all because I was so shocked and startled. Finally Sister Garcia came through the door and I escaped with just a big whole where it had bit through my nylons. My companions and the family all started laughing at me, because I was screaming bloody murder and the dog was just a little Chihuahua. I was half laughing, half crying because I really had been so scared. It was pretty funny.
My companions have had a lot of opportunities to tease me this week. Apparently I went through a phase where whenever I was speaking in spanish it sounded like I was speaking really seductively. I've been trying really hard to get to where I don't have as much of an accent, but apparently I was trying too hard and it was weird. I also had a guy try to pick me up in the car next to us at a stop light, so I gave him a passalong card. Needless to say we have been laughing a lot this week. Those stories aren't as good though as my ultimate, most embarrassing moment in the mission so far. We where in Vernon and we were out tracting and a little old Mexican grandma let us in to teach her, and she started talking to us about all of the Christian churches she has been to and the crazy things they do. She was one of those people that can just talk forever without any kind of response from the audience, and so I was trying really hard to pay attention and understand what she was saying and all of the spanish, and so I leaned forward to hear her better and I accidently farted really loud. She didn't notice and just kept on talking, but both of my companions looked over at me and saw my face- I was mortified- you all know me- I do not do things like that, EVER in public, and so they both looked over and we couldn't help it- we all started bursting out laughing. The lady just thought that we were laughing because her story was super hilarious, so she started laughing with us. My companions still won't let me live it down, and probably never will. They like to joke and say things like, "I hope I don't pull a Dansie." Anyways, I would try to hide my shame, but Hermana Garcia is already in the process of writing her whole family about it so they can update it and put it all over her facebook, so I figured that you all might as well get a good laugh out of it too.
The work has also been going really well this week. I feel like we are finally starting to work really well together and teach in unity, which always seems to happen right before the end of transfers. We have seen a lot of incredible miracles, and I've been able to see some of the reasons we've been put in this situation. We've been working with a 10 year old girl in Vernon who has wanted to be baptized for over a year but hasn't been able to get her mom's permission. Her name is Jisell, and she goes every week to church with her aunt who lives next door. We've been teaching her for a couple weeks and trying to get her mom involved as well, and at every lesson Jisell would say the sweetest most sincere prayers asking to be able to be baptized. Finally one day we went over to the house with the permission slip and Hermana Garcia boldly went and talked to the mom and got her to sign it. The mom isn't really against it, she was just worried that it was something that would separate their family, and she just didn't have any desire to go herself. She can see though that it is going to be good for Jisell, and that its what Jisell really wants. I realized that at that moment in time Hermana Garcia was supposed to be there to boldly get the mom to finally make a decision instead of just trying to hide from us. If we hadn't had the change we wouldn't have worked in Vernon with that family. There have been a lot of little miracles like that. I love looking back and realizing all the ways the Lord works to direct our lives. There have been a lot of people in Maywood that I know I was supposed to meet and supposed to teach. I'm also really excited for whatever the Lord has ahead of me.
I love you all! Have a great week.
Hermana Dansie
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Vernwood: Translado 3: Semana 5 / June 3, 2010
Hola Familia!
James, Congratulations on graduating! I still don't have your e-mail address- how sad is that? You need to send me an e-mail so I have it.
Well, i have six days left until transfers happen. Not that I'm counting down or anything. It has actually been a good transfer, we are just all pretty worn out from trying to juggle two areas. I've decided that I like being in a trio. It changes things up a little more and we have a lot of fun together, but it has been really stressful being spread so thin. I think the hardest thing for me is feeling like we have so much work to do that we can't focus our attention to doing anything really well. It has made me realize even more that Heavenly Father is in charge of the work, because even with feeling like we haven't been able to give it our best effort we are seeing a lot of success.
Felix's sisters both want to be baptized and we're working to prepare them to be baptized on June 27th. It is really neat because Felix will have his priesthood by then and will be able to baptize them. We have also been blessed that our other investigators are already basically active in the church, and are what we call "dry members," because the only thing they are missing is being baptized. The Lord is the one who prepares them for the work. Even if we work our hardest with all of our effort focused on one person, if they don't want to be baptized or they don't feel ready we can't make them. Its all about them working with the spirit, and making the choices to change their lives, and as missionaries just doing our best to be instruments in the Lords hands.
I realized while we were tracting this week that the whole finding process really is just to refine and prepare the missionary, as much as it is to actually find people, because its more like the Lord puts people who are prepared in your path if you are prepared to teach and help them. Heavenly Father will give you work and success if you show him you're willing to work and be obedient. So many people think that they can bend the rules and they don't need to be obedient, because God knows them and loves them and understands their situation, so he will rationalize with them, but its not true. I really like this talk that i read the other day in my studies. It's by Dallin H. oaks and its called "love and the law." You all should read it, its really good.
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=b02d56627ab94210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD
I am really anxious and excited to find out what is going to happen with transfers. I'm going to be really sad if i get transferred from maywood, but i'm sure that whatever happens will be good. They are splitting the mission next transfer to be separate english and spanish, so no one knows what its going to be like. We heard a rumor that they're going to call all of the visitors center sisters to the patron apartments right by the mission home, so we'll see. If they do i will miss working in the ghetto where the people are always friendly and really interesting.
Well, i'll e-mail again monday. have a good weekend!
Love,
Sister Dansie
James, Congratulations on graduating! I still don't have your e-mail address- how sad is that? You need to send me an e-mail so I have it.
Well, i have six days left until transfers happen. Not that I'm counting down or anything. It has actually been a good transfer, we are just all pretty worn out from trying to juggle two areas. I've decided that I like being in a trio. It changes things up a little more and we have a lot of fun together, but it has been really stressful being spread so thin. I think the hardest thing for me is feeling like we have so much work to do that we can't focus our attention to doing anything really well. It has made me realize even more that Heavenly Father is in charge of the work, because even with feeling like we haven't been able to give it our best effort we are seeing a lot of success.
Felix's sisters both want to be baptized and we're working to prepare them to be baptized on June 27th. It is really neat because Felix will have his priesthood by then and will be able to baptize them. We have also been blessed that our other investigators are already basically active in the church, and are what we call "dry members," because the only thing they are missing is being baptized. The Lord is the one who prepares them for the work. Even if we work our hardest with all of our effort focused on one person, if they don't want to be baptized or they don't feel ready we can't make them. Its all about them working with the spirit, and making the choices to change their lives, and as missionaries just doing our best to be instruments in the Lords hands.
I realized while we were tracting this week that the whole finding process really is just to refine and prepare the missionary, as much as it is to actually find people, because its more like the Lord puts people who are prepared in your path if you are prepared to teach and help them. Heavenly Father will give you work and success if you show him you're willing to work and be obedient. So many people think that they can bend the rules and they don't need to be obedient, because God knows them and loves them and understands their situation, so he will rationalize with them, but its not true. I really like this talk that i read the other day in my studies. It's by Dallin H. oaks and its called "love and the law." You all should read it, its really good.
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=b02d56627ab94210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD
I am really anxious and excited to find out what is going to happen with transfers. I'm going to be really sad if i get transferred from maywood, but i'm sure that whatever happens will be good. They are splitting the mission next transfer to be separate english and spanish, so no one knows what its going to be like. We heard a rumor that they're going to call all of the visitors center sisters to the patron apartments right by the mission home, so we'll see. If they do i will miss working in the ghetto where the people are always friendly and really interesting.
Well, i'll e-mail again monday. have a good weekend!
Love,
Sister Dansie
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