Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Santee - Week #67 - August 12, 2014

Talk to everyone, even cows.


Familia!

What. a. WEEK. I don't ever want to leave this place. Missionary work really is the greatest work in the world. 
My new companion is the GREAT, the BEAUTIFUL, the ASIAN... Hermana Fairbourn!! Weighing in at 120 lbs of love, laughter, and the Spirit. I LOVE this hermana so much. When we found out we were companions, we jumped for joy. She was born in Japan but her family has lived in Draper, Utah for the past 4 years. She's going to BYU when she gets back. We flew into San Diego on the same plane! Anyway, we're happy.
I'm still saying this every week, but we saw so many miracles this week, it's insane!

One of the most obvious miracles I've ever experienced:

--A few days ago, we decided to contact this referral we've tried for weeks and haven't had any luck. Anyway, before we got out of the car, we prayed that there would be some way we'd be able to get into the locked gate that surrounds the entire complex, and that we'd be able to find Breanda home.  So we got out, tried the first door and it was locked. Then we tried the second door... also locked. We almost lost hope until all of a sudden, the big gate for cars miraculously opened, with no one in sight! We walked in, no questions asked. It seemed as though Heavenly Father was like, "Hermanas, it's time to find Breanda." Haha so we tried knocking on Breanda's apartment door... no answer. "No! This can't be!" we thought. Then, a split second later, we looked to our right down the stairs, and there was a lady walking up the stairs and we both knew it had to be her.
"Are you Breanda that lives here?" we asked, con mucha esperanza.

"That is my name, but I don't live there. I live two doors down," she replied. Oops. 

So miracle #2, Heavenly Father placed her perfectly in our path because otherwise, we wouldn't have found her because we had been knocking on the wrong door all those weeks! Anyway, we were able to talk to her, teach her, and then she told us to come back! We bothed walked away from that apartment complex with the biggest smiles on our faces. Later that night, we found another prepared soul who is living with a member family (who didn't think he was ready yet) and he's super excited to learn so that he can get baptized. Obedience brings miracles and blessings, like awesome, prepared people!

--Gonzalez-Ambriz are doing well! They continue to come to church every week. It's been a crazy week for them, but keep them in your prayers!

--Hermana Solis (member) set up an appointment with us, her, and her nephew so that he could start receiving the missionaries! Go Hermana Solis! The members in this branch are rock stars.

Yesterday, Hermana Fairbourn and I got to teach a portion of zone meeting. We talked about the concept of "Get on your knees and pray, then get on your feet and work." We focused on talking to everyone. Sometimes we pray to be able to find prepared people, but we forget to "get on our feet and work" when we expect those people to just come to us and don't take the opportunitiy to talk to everyone with the fear of inconveniencing or annoying them. We won't know they're prepared until we get on our feet and talk to them! We did a super funny skit with some of the other missionaries in the zone at the beginning to illustrate it. But it's true, even for members. We are so afraid of offending people sometimes that we fail to give them the opportunity to partake of the greatest gift in the world. It is always worth it to try! Maybe I sound all preachy and what not, but I dare you all to talk to one new person this week, whether it be a less active or a non-member. Even just a simple act of service softens people's hearts to the Gospel. You got this!

I love you! 

D&C 123:17

Hermana Barnes

Las fotos:
1) We ate dinner with the Oteo family who basically live on a farm. They have 6 of these cow dogs! (great danes)

2) The cow was after us more than his hay!





No comments:

Post a Comment