Dear Family,
This week we were all nervous for changes. There were only 2 companionships in all of my zone that didn't have changes. And we were one of them! It was great! We are happy to still be here together. This area is challenging, but I feel like there is still more for me to do here.
Tuesday morning we were waiting for the phone call for changes and we decided to serve the District President. It is hard for me to focus when we are waiting. We helped clean their roof tiles. [I really hope that doesn't mean she was on the roof! I just wrote her and asked her to never do that again. It is supposed to be against rules for missionaries due to several being killed that way.]
Wednesday were changes. We served again. Hna. Hernandez in our house went home and our district leader left the area. My new district leader is..... ELDER ROSALES. The one that Kat knows. It has been a night and day difference. We are all happy and excited now!
And guess who is living in my house? HNA.CLARK. [They were companions for three months and in the MTC together]
I couldn't be happier. I love this sister so much. The atmosphere has changed so much in the house. There is now love and respect and laughter. I knew she would be coming. It was strange. I prayed one day in the morning and then into my mind came the thought that Hna. Clark was going to be the new companion of Hna. Gonzalez. A few days before changes I told her, jokingly, that she would be living with me soon. THEN IT HAPPENED!
Thursday we had a surprise meeting with Elder Ochoa from the area seventy with Pte. Beck from the Young men's presidency. They talked a ton about the Sacrament and asked how we will Always Remember Him?
That will be the topic tomorrow in el Consejo de Lideres. Oh, by the way, my companion and I am leading a discussion in the Consejo. That should be interesting. President called us last night to tell us. Every time he calls we get nervous.
I also ate 2 icecreams in honor of Kat's birthday on Thursday. One for her and one for me. I thought it was fitting.
Friday was an interesting day. We had planning because of the meeting Thursday. And we found a new investigator named Mildred (referral from a member) that came to church this sunday! We had 4 investigators in church. It felt good. And 3 were because they have good member fellowship. That is the only way to have investigators in Church here.
The night time was a bit rough. A few days before a less active man had given us a reference that was right in front of his house. We went to contact them and were chatting with them outside their house. Everything was going well, but then we heard screaming coming out of the house of the less active. We also heard hitting. The husband was beating his wife. It was awful. And then he left the house and chatted with his neighbors for a few seconds as if nothing had happened. And it is definitely not the first time this has happened because there was no reaction from the neighbors that we were talking to. That means it has happened many times before. But now a lot of things make sense.
But it made me realize that I have been quite sheltered. I know things like this exist, but I have never been that close to it. It was a bit traumatizing. My companion has seen a lot of it in her mission, but this was my first time. We finished talking to the couple and we turned the corner of the street and I lost it. I sobbed. It just made me so sad. For so many reasons. But more than anything it made me SUPER grateful for the family I have. The family is ordained of God. Really, Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. My testimony of this has grown so much in the mission.
I think I scared my companion a bit. I don't cry. I am never even sad. But I lost it. She wanted to go the house, but we had 20 minutes left, so we taught another lesson. I knew that if we returned to the house I would still feel awful, but if we taught someone, I would at least feel the comfort of the Holy Ghost.
Elder Rosales has given us a challenge. We are all going to find a family to baptize for October 11. We will have a white night. Many zones have done it and had a lot of success. One zone did it and baptized 36 people, including 7 families. It was incredible.
As a mission, we hit 255 baptisms. We have never hit 200 before. It has been the goal for the last few months. Now the goal is 300.
Sunday I woke up with a crazy fever. We went to Church and I just sat there dying. Then we went home and I layed down. But it was quite a miracle because the time to leave the house Sunday is 3 and to enter is 8. At exactly 3 the fever broke and we left. I had a ton of energy and I felt great. We worked hard. At exactly 8 the fever returned. I had the fever all night long. But It broke again. Right now I am doing great and we will be able to take it easy.
We were super grateful this week for the new changes and the success. I have been humbled quite a bit.
Happy birthday Grandma! I hope you partied hard. You are awesome!
Have a great week!
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