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| My new Mission President |
So ya we had kind of a crazy week. Tuesday
my comp was like we are going to go see Gretel, an antiguo, that knows the
church is true. She just can’t be baptized until she quits rugby. She plays
every Sunday and can’t come to church. We went and she told us that this Sunday
she could come to church. We were sooo excited. We challenged her to be baptized
Saturday and confirmed Sunday. This may seem kind of psycho to you guys especially
because I had just met her in this moment, but we totally bonded over our
shared love for “Greys Anatomy”. So we were best friends from the moment we
met. But really, I have never met such a prepared person. She is great. She
reads the Book of Mormon all the time, she prays, she just can’t come to church.
We read Alma 32. It’s great. It talks about the poor who can’t go to church. She
told us she wants sooo bad to be baptized, she just doesn’t know. So then we
told her to pray and ask God and we would come back the next day.
The next day I was in divisions and,
of course, I was the one in our area. I was kind of freaking out that I was going
to blow it and that we shouldn’t be committing her to baptism. It was a lot of
pressure. I was also with a sister who has more time than me, so I felt kind of
pressured to be a super leader to help her. Anyway, it was basically one of the
hardest days in my whole mission. Literally everyone rejected us. I don’t know if
you guys have been to South America, but we don’t really get rejected that much.
I mean they always listen and offer us water and food and then kindly say they
don’t want the message. But we got really, really rejected, multiple times. One
lady was like “Yeah, I talked to my husband and we just don’t want to meet with
you guys anymore.” So by 5 I was out of people to go see and ideas. We tried contacting,
it didn’t work. No one wanted anything. We tried looking for members I didn’t
know, but I don’t know the street names so good to find them. haha I told Heavenly
Father in my head that if he sent us anyone, I would talk to them. I saw a
group of punk kids. I went and invited them to our English classes. They said
some gross stuff. Then I saw an old man. ahah I walked past him at first and
then I did a little circle back and we had a good 5 min of testifying to him,
but in the end he wasn’t interested. I was bummed and just relying so much on this
appointment we had with Gretel at 6:30. I called her and she said she couldn’t
meet, but she would come to our classes of English. I was crushed. I went to English
classes so bummed. I was trying to just focus on the Hermana and love her but I
was pretty sad.
Gretel never showed up to the
classes, so I decided to call her. She said we could come by, so we did. We
read with her from Alma 32 when there are some pretty poor people and they can’t
enter the church. Alma says “Do we just worship God on Sundays?” I told her
that she was going to be such a light to her teammates and to her friends. We literally
had such a spiritual lesson. Hermana Pineda and I taught great together. I was
so grateful that it was her that was with me. We went over the baptismal interview
questions with Gretel and she had a couple problems. Really she just has problems
from the past and she is scared she is going to get baptized and she will fall
after. I told her that she will for sure sin after her baptism, but that’s why
we have repentance. Well, and the sacrament, but that was hard because she can’t
go to church always. Anyway, the moral was that it went great and the spirit
was literally so strong. I could see satan fighting with her doubts. It was so
hard. I thought for sure she would say yes, but in the end she was still really
unsure. It was hard. We went back the next day with Hermana Austin and she was
the same.
But it was a huge faith builder for
me. Just that God really sends us when they need us. Hermana Pineda at the end
of the day told me that the day we had was just what she needed. I was shocked.
She told me my attitude was exactly what she needed. She said they are struggling
right now too and she just saw how we should respond when we are struggling. I
was so humbled. I was about to have a really mad talk with God about why he didn’t
help me out today. haha But instead, I told Him I am so glad He is in charge of
everything because he really knows so much better than me. It was a hard week.
We had a lot of rejection, but we worked really hard and I am just so grateful
to be here in the mission.
Quick story, we found a girl last Monday
who was great. We put her with a date and came back to meet her mom and her mom
was like “We are Catholic”. haha So then we started teaching them both. I can’t
tell you guys how drastic was the change in her mom. She told us she would come
to church and they did and afterwards she said she loved it!!! GOD REALLY can
change hearts ... but sad news. They moved today, but she said she still wants
to come to church next week. We will see.... It’s kind of complicated. I was kind
of bugged with God but then I realized at least they got a change to go to the
true church and feel the spirit and love. She said that everyone was so welcoming
and I just know she felt the spirit. I don’t think they will get baptized with
us, but I know that all of that wasn’t for nothing. I am so grateful we just
get to be examples every day!!!!
Fun fact: It’s still really freakishly
cold. I don’t know if you guys know, but I never sleep with pants at home and
here I sleep with pants, socks, a long-sleeved shirt and a hoodie and like 3
blankets. It’s insane and our hot water stopped working.We woke up without
water so we had to wash our hair with a bucket... good times. I am just loving
the mission and my comp. I hope she doesn’t get changed this week. I will
cry!!!!!!
I love you all so much. Just enjoy
every day and look for the milagros (miracles).
xooxoxoxoox
Hermana Ball
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