65: Fe. Esperanza. Caridad.

Not a lot to say about this week, lots of curveballs. Emergency divisions left and right, extra sisters staying with us, up all night puking, a baptism falling through. Thankful for many things this week, but two in particular:

1. The Spirit. We had a lesson with Jorge on friday night and it was very apparent that he was not ready to be baptized the next day.  I was upset, testifying to him with everything I had of the reality of prophets as a sign onf Gods love for us and the importance of acting in faith, continuing to repent and getting baptized. At the end I shared Alma 34:26 with him...

"Mas esto no es todo; debéis derramar vuestra alma en vuestros aposentos, en vuestros sitios secretos, y en vuestros yermos"

He said right then "I feel like if I accept all of this, the church, Joseph Smith, everything, that Ill be failing someone". He pulled out a picture that he carries in his wallet of a bishop that taught at the catholic high school he went to. This bishop has been like a second father to him, he taught him the good priciples he keeps up to this day. I was so happy I was in tears as he finished explaining himself. The Spirit inspired him to tell him what is keeping him from pouring out his whole soul in prayer! He has had a hard time recognizing impressions from the Spirit, but now we know he is receiving them without a doubt. We have a family home evening tonight with him in the bishops house, so were excited to see where we go from here.

2. Our zone leaders. When we explained to them the situation with Jorge, that he would not be baptized, they sent a message to the whole zone asking them to pray specifically for Jorge, so that he could be baptized this Sunday, and if we didnt have faith, that we read Moroni 7. We read the chapter, prayed, and went to bed. Im not kidding, the next day I woke up a new person, partly because I was no longer so sick, but mostly because I had a new hope about the situation. I was calm, I was happy, I was at peace. For circumstances out of our control, we could not get that baptism to happen this sunday, but it will happen! We are a lot closer!

1. La Conzita

2. My companion for a day and half, Hermana Gonzalez!

3. The two newest sisters in the mission: Hermana Rosales and Hermana Gonzalez

64: Las Golondrinas

Jorge is getting baptized this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He has been an investigator for at least two months, we started teaching him when Hermana Bissell was here and he has started to recognize the answers God is giving him. And we have seen pure miracles, a lot of obstacles that before kept him from going to church the full amount of time, or going at all, are gone. A lot of it came from a fast we did with him. He was really hesitant to do a fast, we planned it a few days in advance and he called us the morning of and said no. Even though we were upset, we went to his house to try and start this fast. And he did it, and we did it. He went from being agnostic a few years ago to calling us and praying with us on his knees at night. He knows he has a Heavenly Father, and he knows He loves him.

This morning I started the day the happiest woman alive. We had planned with our zone and zona Esperanza to go to Las Golondrinas in Valle de Angeles, and while waiting for the rest of our zone at the bus stop, Dennis Tercero  sees me and stops to say hi. He is the dad from the family that got baptized in my old area in January. We were talking and he said "were just waiting to finish the year out so we can go to the temple and get sealed" !!!!!!!!!!!!! He talked about how theyre planning a trip to the temple and are working on their family history to take names to the temple !!!!!!!!!!!! Tender mercy.

I was a little stressed this week, we have been busy teaching classes in zone conferences, reviewing area books of all the hermanas with their zone leaders, helping hermanas struggling in their areas, trying to baptize. But were getting there. Every day is a new day. Every day I can repent and come closer to Christ, leaving those stresses behind.

Cristo es el camino, no hay otro nombre por el cual podremos salvarnos. El es el que carga nuestros pesares y nos da vida eterna.

Lean el libro de mormon, oren, ayunen, asisten a la iglesia, preparense para hacer convenios aun mayores.

1. Took a wrong bus in divisions and ended up in Comayaguela...whoops

2. Divisions with Hermana Clark

3. Divisions with Hermana Crespin

4. EL GRANDOTE

5-6. My surprise this morning going to Valle de Angeles...Dennis Tercero!

7-14. Las Golondrinas

Pictures from Honduras

Pictures sent from Cristina Rodriguez

63: Día De La Madre

Not much to say this week either...mostly just going to catch up on pictures.

This weeks highlight was mothers day :) this time calling home was a lot more calm. The other times Ive been nervious or anxious, but this time I felt really normal and calm. Thanks to everyone who was there, I love you all!

We did divisions with Girasoles and Valle de Angeles this week. Oh how I love girasoles! Even just the smell of that house makes me happy. If I could I would finish my mission there, I love that ward and that area. GRateful I can go back and do divisions there every now and then. 

And Valle de Angeles! If I cant finish my mission here or on Girasoles I definitely want to finish in Valle. It is up in the mountains, a lot cooler, lot of pine trees, and just beautiful. I was with Hermana Molina who recently came back to the mission after going home sick. I want to be her companion so bad! She is fire but sweet as ever.

We have two pending baptism date for the 26th of this month, Rene and Jorge. Neither of them could go to church tomorrow, so were still working with them on how to get them not just to baptism but to conversion. We havent been able to see either of them much but were hoping that this week we can see them progress a lot more.

Happy week!

1. Las Gringas de Consejo

2-3. Divisions with La Esperanza

4-7. Pday with zonas Uyuca, Villa Olypmpica, and Guymuras

8. Dinner with DENNIS!!! In Girasoles

9-11. Divisions in Girasoles

12-13. Divisions with Valle de Angeles

14-15. Mothers day ward activity: a real mariachi band!

16. Monserrath

17. Nohemy and Yanina

18-19. Hermana Rosa, has my whole heart here in Prados

20. We may be in the city but somehow a cow got onto the church property, que buen vaquero es Elder Case!

21. Felices porque llamamos a casa :)

62: See You Later Alligator

A short email this week, and without pictures since this computer isnt working well...

We started the week in consejo de lideres and then zone conference, and then interveiws and divisions. Its been a long week! We didnt have a lot of time to search for new investigators, but we had some awesome lessons with our investigators!

Rene is the only nonmember from his family and is progressing toward a baptismal date for the 26th of this month. I have to give props to Hermana Bissell because she left a set of scriptures for them and Rene has been reading the scriptures she marked up like CRAZY. But seriously Hermana Bissell, youre the best. He bought a cover for them and takes them to work every day. Those scriptures called him to repentance and he really feels the desire now to ENDURE to the end, which has been our main concern with him. He told us he has a small problem with smoking ( maybe once a day or every few days he smaokes) but before inviting him to syop smoking he committed to leave that habit. He really is showing fruits of being converted.

Nicole is from a family that showed up to our ward a couple weeks ago and we hadnt been able to teach them until this week. Their sister, a member from barrio Hibueras, goes to teach with us. She is super positive! We are hoping to invite her to be baptized for the 19th tonight. Prayers please!

Having a latina companion after 9 months is the best!!!!!!! We speak a lot of spanglish, and I teach her a lot of phrases  like "see you later alligator" "in a while crocodile". It is a blast being with Hermana Conza, this is going to be a super fun change.

Happy week! And happy mothers day to all the missionary moms that get a call from their misioneros cipotes this week!

61: Venid en pos de mi, y os haré pescadores de hombres

Feliz P Day! Wow what a week, where do I start???

Last pday after writing and dropping off Hermana Bissell was pure craziness and a few tears but all is well. I got to talk with Hermana Gonzalez for a long time too before she left and I love these sisters so much. They truly have changed my life. 

But all is well in Los Prados, Hermana Conza is awesome! She is from the jungle of Peru. She is hilarious, sweet, loving, and hard working. She has 9 months in the mission and came from the south in Marcovia, Choluteca.

Our goal for baptisms this month is TWO, but always with the hope of thousands. We have some really positive investigators right now, we have 6 that could be baptized this month. But as there havent been baptisms here since november, we are going one step at a time trying to strengthen this ward. We prayed and thought about it for some time yesterday and really felt the confirmation that two baptisms is a good goal.

One thing that really made me happy this week is the Lopez Bustillo familia. They are a part member family that we have been working with, and need to get married in order to get baptized. We showed up on Saturday and were helping the hermana finish her work, and she said her and her husband have been making plans to get marred, SOON! We havent even taught the law of chastity or focused on getting them married, but the Spirit has been guiding them to make these righteous decisions. That was a testimony to me of the power of the Spirit in inspiring us to do good. 

I studied the phrase "venid en pos de mi, y os haré pescadores de hombres" a lot this week. How perfect of a teacher was Jesus Christ? He saw men fishing, and was inspired to say a phrase that would directly apply to their lives and invite them to repent and become more like Him. A lot of times when I am in divisions we talk about the importance of "menos palabras, más poder", because it is something I so desperately want to acheive. Espero que algún día pueda yo llegar a ser una maestra al nivel del Maestro de los maestros, Jesucristo. El vive, su evangelio es sencillo, y realmente nos lleva hacia la vida eterna.

1. Familia Caceres Baca

2. Karla and Itzel

3. Se va la Bissell :(

4-8. :'(

9. No electricity, no water, and two extra hermanas for the night, que pijamada!

10-11. Some of us in the bus going home from church, the one next to me is our investigator Daiysiy