April 28, 2014

Wow... what a week!!

So, a funny side affect of missionary work is found in Ether 12:17 - If you come unto Christ, He will make your weaknesses made known unto you. Consider our purpose.. which is to invite others to come unto Christ, which can't happen unless WE come unto Christ. So, as missionaries, we are constantly having the pleasure of being made aware of every single one of our weaknesses. Sister Patterson calls this "growing pains." I would agree, we experience spiritual growing pains all the time. Also, the most joy in the whole world combined, but stretching and growing pains are there as well.

We have begun teaching a young girl named Bulou (pronounced Below). She is a referral from a member, and is AMAZING!! Wow. We taught her the restoration in our first lesson, and asked her how she felt afterwards. She started talking and said, "I feel so happy, i don't even know what I'm saying right now, i don't even feel like I'm inside my own body." She began to cry, and wiping away big tears off her cheeks she said, "I've never felt this happy before, even if it doesn't look like it," as she examined her tear-stained hands. We set a date for baptism with her right there. After our lesson she texted all her friend who are part of the church about how happy she was. Wow. If you want to feel real, abiding joy, it can be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which has been restored in its fullness to the earth!!
We met with her again on Sunday night, and she told us about an experience she had Saturday night; She was invited out with her friends, and she said yes. As soon as she arrived at the house, she just immediately felt "dirty." She was there for maximum 2 minutes, and she then got up and told them she was going home. Her friends asked her, "what are you doing? You JUST got here!" She replied, "Yeah, and i shouldn't have come - i need to go." She left and felt the biggest victory because she felt clean, she knew she was following a prompting of the Spirit of the Lord and did what He asked her to do. SO COOL!

Also, we brought someone back to church after visiting them ONE TIME. What?? How does that even happen? The spirit!!! My companion is the man.

We're teaching another Colombian!! Her name is Diana and she's about my height and rides a bike that's made for a 12-year-old. Now how cute is that??

I know this church is true because I feel so good when I talk about it. It's not easy, but I love it and i am grateful for all of it - the good and the bad.
i love you all!!
Sister Rose

April 21, 2014

Hello everyone! 4 day weekend here = emailing a day late. Happy Easter! :D

Wow. SOOO many miracles this week!! Have i mentioned that I love my companion? She has so much faith, so much spiritual fuel, HOW AWESOME!! :D

This week we contacted a referral from the zone leaders. She was very rude, but agreed to let us come back on Easter. We came back a few days later, and as we got out of the car we muttered that she probably isn't that interested. But surprisingly, she let us inside! She has members of her family that are members, and wasn't interested in the restoration. However, when we changed the subject to families, she began to open up. We shared some concepts from the plan of salvation and she was still skeptical. We then asked to sing her a song - families can be together forever. She started getting all weepy, and FINALLY agreed to take the lessons!! She is going into chemotherapy for a while, so we won't get to see her for a bit - but it was SOO cool to get to see the spirit work in her. This gospel literally is for every single person. Not religious? Cool, it's still for you. Have your own religion? Great, it's still for you. (People laugh when i say this to them, but it's true.) I love that we have the spirit on our side because this is the TRUTH! Don't be afraid to share it, because it's the truth :D
love you all! Read your Book of Mormon this week, and give one away to someone you want to see in the Celestial Kingdom (aka everyone)!

Sister Rose

April 13. 2014

We had transfers this week - so now i'm leading the area! This area is massive, and i've only been here 6 weeks, but i feel like Sister Hann prepared me pretty well. I am still sister training leader. I'm serving with Sister Patterson from Alpine, Utah. She is an answer to my prayers. I have been wanting so badly to just sprint to the finish line, but sometimes it's hard to be the motivator all the time, you know? This sister.. wow. She has SO much faith. And faith IS motivation. We have seen so many miracles already and she's only been here 4 full days. WOW!!! I am so glad I'll finish my mission with her (and i'm glad I'm not training because that is just a little bit exhausting, let me tell you).

On Friday morning i was reading in 3 Nephi 17. This is such a tender side of our Savior. He heals the sick because of their faith and says to them, "Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full." (3 Nephi 17:20). His joy is full because He sees their faith grow, and He sees theme exercise their faith. THAT is was real joy is - missionary work, seeing people come to Christ. Later that day we went to see Pearl - her daughter got baptized and now after seeing the change in her daughter she wants to be baptized and to take the lessons (yes, in that order haha). At the end of the lesson she gave us the date she had picked and closed by saying, "Yeah, I'll try praying even though I've never done it before." As we closed our eyes and listened to her humble prayer, I felt a little taste of what the Savior talked about with the Nephites; my joy was full, seeing her step out of her comfort zone to express her faith.

We have seen so many miracles. Wow. Sunday night we got to see REAL member missionary work - getting invited to dinner with a family that has befriended two girls, took them to conference, and now one not only wants to get baptized, but to serve a mission! (The members talked to her about this when we weren't there) We got a call from one of the members this morning, telling us about all the things they talked about last night with the girls - Joseph Smith, the plan of salvation, etc. Wow. Now THAT is was Elder Ballard had in mind when he gave his talk on Sunday morning!
Also, general conference was AWESOME!!!!! Saturday may or may not have felt like a bold call to repentance, but Saturday morning was just so uplifting. Also, saw a miracle trying to get Viviana (who only speaks spanish) to wellington to have a mexican sit with her. Umm i love missionary work! Go share the gospel, you will grow in gratitude for the Lord, for your knowledge of the truth, and for the Spirit. And your "joy will be full." From the mouth of the Savior himself, He promises that to us.

I love you! I love missionary work! I'm also exhausted!
Sister Rose

April 6, 2014

With the month leading up to Easter, our mission has an extra focus on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We have all received a book that has talks we can read every day from apostles and prophets about our Savior's great sacrifice and His resurrection. This has caused me to think more heavily upon the topic. I feel like the one thing I can do to thank my Savior for what He's done is to share it with other people - to serve a mission, and to just open my mouth about who He is to me. The funny thing is that I've never used the Atonement more than as a missionary. There are moments when i just have to go to the bedroom and kneel down and just pour out my soul because things are hard, we experience trials as missionaries, and we see people suffer the consequences of not wanting to come closer to Christ (aka consequences of sin). I feel like Christ is literally kneeling down next to me. I can feel Him there on the foot of the bed, telling me He understands and He's there to help; I don't have to do it alone. I've never felt Him so literally close to me as I have as a missionary. The one thing I"m trying to do to say thank you, I still cannot do on my own. I still need His help. It's funny, I'm coming to understand more and more that we can never repay Him and He doesn't really ask us to. He just asks us to rely on Him and come closer to Him. Wow. I love my Savior. "I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell." In the words of a hymn, "Never can I repay thee, Lord, But I can love thee."
Also, that couple i mentioned last week has a baptism date for next month!!! :D So exciting!!

For those of you looking for a laugh, a few weeks ago i was riding down a busy street and a car opened their door and i flew off my bike, skidding to a stop and trying my best to pull my skirt down over my biking shorts as i flew across the road. I'm okay, and she said she might call us for a return appointment. A man stopped because saw it happen. We ran into him a number of days later and it turns out he's a mercenary? Interesting. Still coudln't get him to take the Book of Mormon even though  it's all about war.

i love you all :)

Sister Rose