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| Trying to look nice for church...haha I just like that Hermana Mcdougal's hair is down. |
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| Guess who I got to do splits with this week! My best friend, Hermana Bronson!! |
First off I just wanted to share with you guys how amazing President Wilson (my mission president) is. Hermana Mcdougal knew this lady from her last area that was really sick and she wrote president and told him and asked if maybe we could go to visit her in the hospital. He called within like an hour and that afternoon he came and took us to the hospital. This was last Monday. It was fun driving around with him and his wife. When we got there they said it wasn’t visiting hours. We got a little teary eyed and I told them it was our only free day. He then told us to wait. After waiting he said that only one could go. Well, that doesn’t work. We’re missionaries, but then he just looked at us and said just make it quick. It literally was such a miracle! It was probably one of the saddest things I have seen on my mission. This woman was laying under a blanket without clothes in a room with three other roommates with just this fan to keep them cool. She just started to cry when she saw us. She said she felt like God had forgotten her in this terrible place. We told her no and we sang her “I Stand All Amazed”. It was such an amazing experience and really meant so much to Hermana Mcdougal. Our president is just amazing!
So before all that happened, at
church the Sunday before, we had asked Ivanna if maybe we could talk to her
family the next day because they have Mondays free. She called us and told us
that they could but she couldn’t come. So she was all worried we were going to
teach them more than they could take. But she kept saying “I know you guys know
what you’re doing.” haha We went from the hospital to her family’s house. These
people are really rich. They own a whole apartment complex and the whole thing
is just her family. Once we get in with Ivanna it’s just going to be a matter
of time but we taught her parents and sister about the restoration. It’s so
hard here. People really don’t have a problem understanding that Joseph Smith
saw God. They believe it, they just don’t think he restored the church. They
think all churches are good and that they are fine in theirs. It’s really hard
to explain. We did our best but I just felt like they didn’t get it. We left
and after a few hours we needed to tell Ivanna something and we called. She was
like, finally!!!! I thought you were with my family this whole time! haha (we had
been home for like an hour) We told her how it went. I told her the thing about
Joseph Smith and how it’s hard for people to understand. She was like “Yaaa
that was my problem too. I just didn’t see why we need one religion but now I
understand. It’s not like one religion. It’s the church, His church. His
gospel.” I literally almost passed out, she is so amazing. We taught her this
week about chastity and the Sabbath day and keeping it holy. She just understands
the why of the gospel. Not only that, she is so willing to follow it. It’s like
her whole life she lived like a member and just didn’t know it. I love teaching
her so much. Her date for her baptism is not set because she is going to Utah
for Christmas. It’s kind of a long story but she is going to visit the guy that
helped her come to the church and she is thinking she wants to get baptisted
while she is there so he can do it. Oh my gosh. I just realized that means you
guys could go to her baptism!!!!!!! that would be so cool, she would love that!
She already asked where you guys live. She wanted to come visit you. She is so
amazing. Ok, I will keep you posted on what she decides on that. Pray for her
family that they too can accept the gospel. That would help her so much. She is
so worried about her family.
Guess who I got to see this week,
Hermana Bronson (companion at the MTC). I did another split with her. It was so
fun. I love her so much. She is such a good missionary. It’s so cool to really
see how much we have both grown. I just feel like when I’m with her I can
remember so clearly where I was a year ago and not just Spanish, but
everything. It’s cool that we haven’t been together this whole time but we are
still so close of friends. When we get back together it’s so fun. Poor girl,
she still hasn’t had an American companion, maybe this next change. .... maybe
it will be me!!! ojala!!! (I wish)
Random miracle: There is a less
active named Hermana Bovier. Her husband is from France and her son is against
the church. I went to see her the other day during splits and she asked if we
could say a prayer for her son. He is a Marine, so he is away on a ship right
now. Later he told her he had been in a lot of danger and he prayed. They
looked at the times and it was at the same hour we were praying for him and he
said out of nowhere he was fine. That is so crazy. Prayer is so real, God hears
our prayers for others. Thanks for your prayers for me. I feel them and I hope
you feel mine.
My companion taught me something
really cool the other week about people that haven’t been to church for a while
and then they come and take the sacrament. That’s like them being baptized again....... so I started praying to help someone come back to church. Then we
had a huge miracle this week. We were walking past a less active’s house and I
thought maybe we should see if she is home. I clapped and she came out. We
start talking and her daughter, Lilly, who got sealed in the temple 9 years ago
and is separated from her husband and moved in there came out too. We shared
with them and the spirit was so strong. That same day in our district meeting
we had practiced for this exact circumstance. It was so cool. We told her God
wanted her at church. She hadn’t been in 7 months. She said she would see if
she could. I told her we would do an experiment. She would pray and we would
pray every day and see if God made it possible so she could go. Well guess who
walked in and gave me a big hug!!! LILLY!!!!!! It was so cool. So this week we
had a baptism. I felt so good and she stayed for the whole three hours!!!
Pablo and Wanilda have started to
sell cupcakes which I was kind of worried about but they actually did really well
this week. They made more money than she used to make in her old job. She said
each day Pablo was like make sure you take out our tithing! On Sunday they were
so proud to give their tithing to the bishop. I love them so much. They are
really trying so hard. They have been going to this family counselor from the
church and she is helping them so much.
I hope you all have a wonderful
Thanksgiving. I know we will! We have lots of plans to make some good food. I
just want you to all know how grateful I am for you. I’m also grateful for
water, air conditioning and a new mirror. All the things we were lacking God
fixed this week, so I feel bad for complaining. I am so grateful to be a
missionary at this time in Paraguay. There are so many people in the world that
are lost, including me. I have grown so much. I will forever be grateful for my
mission, and everything I have learned. I’m grateful for technology. Ivanna has
the church’s app and she watched a video the other day that just touched her heart
so much. We are so fortunate to be living at this time! We have so many things
to be grateful for.
Estoy tan agradecida por cada uno de
ustedes. (I am so grateful for each one of you)
Hermana Ball
Ponderize..... I forgot to pick one
this week. Just ponder gratitude and all that you have.
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