Monday, May 4, 2015

Week 56: "My banner will be clear."

Lunes, 27 Abril 2015
     After studies my comp slept.  As she rested, I cleaned up my area, wrote some cards and sang some hymns.  At 1pm, my comp woke up, so we headed to the mercado to buy the ingredients to make arroz a la cubana.  We realized why they call this "poor man's food", because the two bananas and two eggs it takes to make it only cost 2 soles...which is like $.75.  The best part is, that it is easy to make and it tastes so good!  We made arroz a la cubana for our lunch.  Then we went to internet. I found out that my home ward got a new bishopric!  Crazy.  I am excited for Bishop DougTerrill.  He is going to do a great job, and so will his counselors, Brother Jeff White and Brother Robert Edminster.
     After internet, we went home and talked about where we want to study and about our futures.
     Then we went teaching.  The only people that we found at home were Victoria and Anaximando. We tried teaching them about the Law of Chastity, but Anaximando had just taken some pills, so he kept falling asleep.  It was a hoot.
     Later, we went to dinner, and then home to plan and get ready for bed.  We made a plan to do divisions with some members here in Pomalca.  I hope we have more luck than last week...we tried to do three divisions, but all of them fell through.

Martes, 28 Abril 2015
     We had our district meeting today, and then we went to lunch.  After lunch, we went to pick up Elena (17 yrs) and Rosa to do divisions.  Elena could go, but Rosa had to bail out at the last minute. We had great lessons!  Elena is powerful!  Her testimony is so strong and the light of Christ just glows from her.  She helped every single person that we visited today in a special way.  I am so glad that she was able to do divisions with us, because she touched the hearts of everyone.
     In the night, we visited the familia Isique Garcia...and at the end of the visit, Maladiegue told me that their last name is spelled like Ysique instead of Isique.  haha oops....oh well.  They are struggling with a lot of temptations, and even though they have fallen a few times, they have gotten back up and are trudging forward.  They are great people.  Royer can't wait to receive the Priesthood after he gets baptized.  I am so excited for when he will be able to baptize Pedro!!  That will be an amazing experience.
     We headed home, ate dinner and said hello to Carlota.  She let us know that Hermes has bronchitis right now.  She also told us that they really miss us teaching them.  Then we went upstairs, planned, made some phone calls and then got ready for bed.

Miercoles, 29 Abril 2015
     This morning when we went out to teach, there were TONS of men working construction.  They always yell stuff at us in English...but we usually just ignore them....but today, Hna McGinnis looked at me and whispered "sign language" and then began moving her hands around in fake signing.  It was so great!  It reminded me of when my dad would try to speak sign language!  Anyhow, the men totally thought that we were deaf.  hahaha
      On the way to another cita, we walked past this guy with a huge tattoo of Jesus on his beer belly. He started asking us, "Are you looking for me?"  We shook our heads no and kept walking.  He called to us again all mobster like, "Are you looking for me!?"  We shook our heads no, and then knocked on the door of a family.  He realized that we were looking for Marleny, so he said, "You looking for Marleny? Because she not there....and then he made a slicing motion by his throat...she died yesterday."  Just as he finished telling us that, Marleny opened the door.  Turns out Marleny is a member!  We had a good visit.
     We had some good lessons today.  We read the Book of Mormon with a few families and the spirit was undeniable. :)

Jueves, 30 Abril 2015
      This morning was great.  I love finding out that I am an answer to people's prayers.  It happened twice this morning- one visit right after another.  Both had been praying for a sign that God loved them and then we came knocking on their door.  They are less active families that are going through some crazy problems.  By the time we left their homes, they were feeling a lot more relieved.
     Today we visited a lot of people.  One was Teodora.  We are re-teaching the lessons to her and after we were done explaining our messages, her son-in-law, Gaspar, went over and whispered something into her ear.  All of a sudden, Teodora becomes a social butterfly and just started talking and talking.  We realized that she was stalling and trying to keep us there....then Gaspar returned with a giant bottle of soda some crackers to share with us. :)
     After some more visits, we headed to the ward activity.  The bishopric was supposed to be in charge, but when we got there, no one from the bishopric was there.  The elders assigned me and Hna McGinnis to teach and run the activity.  :) We did it, and it turned out great.  Theo, the ward mission leader took over at the very end, so we could get home to bed.

Viernes, 1 Mayo 2015  Feliz dia de Trabajadores!  [Happy Worker's Day!]
     This morning we went out to find a lab so we could have some blood tests done, but today is a holiday to celebrate workers, so no one was open.  As we were walking around, I heard my name being called. When I looked up, I saw my sweet family from Motupe- Ana, Crisalina, Lucero and the rest of the family!  (She was my pensionista in Motupe).  We all got so excited to see each other again.  I ran over to them and gave them all huge hugs.  They say that everyone in Motupe still misses me and have been worried about my foot.  I told them that all is well with my foot.  I told them that I loved them and missed them, too. Then we said goodbye.
     We ended up staying in for the rest of the day because my comp wasn't feeling well.... :(
     By the end of the day, she was feeling better and so our pensionista called and let us know that she was bringing rosery chicken and fries to us for our dinner. :)

Sabado, 2 Mayo 2015
     We did our weekly planning this morning since Hna McGinnis was sick yesterday.  After we finished planning, we went out teaching.  We ended up helping an older man demolish some bricks that were outside of his house.  He was really grateful for our help. :)
     After that, we went and visited Marleny. (less active)  She was watching her grandson...when we heard a fart...and next thing, there was poo all over the floor!  All of us busted up laughing!
     Today we met a lot of new people who made us laugh so much.
     At the end of the night, we ran into the woman who speaks sign language.  I am pretty rusty, but I could understand everything that she was saying to me.  I am so grateful that I studied sign language in high school!  I could see the gratitude in her face, that someone other than her family could understand her.  She is a beautiful woman and I am so grateful that I have a chance to show her love and to be able to speak back to her.  I have had several experiences here in the mission with people who speak sign language, and I know that I was sent to meet these people to be able to add a little more light into their lives, and they into mine. :)
     When I get back home in the States, I am going to do more studying in sign language and Spanish, so that I can shine love and light to those I may come in contact with.
     I love the mission.  I love the little miracles that happen everyday.  I love my companion.  I love Pomalca.  I love God.

Domingo, 3 Mayo 2015
     I was a happy girl today at church, because we had put so much effort into getting people to church, and everyone was there!  I was super happy!
     After church, we did our studies.  I studied in Romans....that book is so intense....I love it!
     At 1pm, we went to lunch with a member.  We became buddies with her little 6 year old grand daughter.  She kept begging us to stay and hang out with her when we were trying to leave.  We couldn't stay, because we had some teaching to do.  We went to find a reference that the elders had given us.  We ended up getting called over by a woman and her daughter.  The woman's name was Rosa, and she is a Buddhist.  It was cool to talk to her about religion.  She had a lot to say, but she let us teach her about the Restoration.  She really liked it and she wants us to come back to teach her some more. :)  As we were leaving her house, a 13 year old girl came running up to us and asked us if we were Mormons.  When we told her that we were, she got excited and invited us to her house to teach her and her family.  We told her that we would go with her to see where she lived, but we had another cita, so we would have to come back a different time.
     We went to our cita with Teodora and Jose.  We taught them about the Plan of Salvation and it went so well.  Teodora understands the Plan well, and she can't wait to go to the temple to complete more of the Plan. :)
     After their visit, we went to Corelation.  We were told that Thursday, all the missionaries need to put on a skit for Mother's Day....haha...surprise! Hopefully we can think of something fun to do. :)
     Later, we ended up teaching some less actives on the side of the road.  They all appreciated us coming up and talking with them.
     When we got home, we planned and then listened to Christmas music, because we want it to be Christmas! :)

Quote that Hna McGinnis shared with me:

"I am a part of a fellowship of the unshamed.  The die has been cast.  I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made.  I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.  I won't look back, let up, slow down, or be still.  My past is redeemed.  My presence makes sense.  My future is secure.  I am finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed vision, worldly taking, cheap giving and dwarfed goals.  I no longer need pre-eminence, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity.  I don't have to be right, first, recognized, praised, rewarded or regarded.  I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk with his patience, am uplifted by prayer, and labor with power.  My face is set, my gate is fast, my goal is Heaven.  My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few.  My guide is reliable, my mission is clear.  I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided or delayed.  I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the mare mediocrity.  I won't give up, shut up, or let up, until I stayed up, stored up and paid up for the cause of Christ.  I must go until He comes.  Give until I drop.  Preach until all know.  And when He returns for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.  My banner will be clear."

                                                                   Henry B. Eyring

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