Week 49: sharing

(this email is from last week---the power went out, so we changed internet cafes. Then, the power went out again, and we decided it was a lost cause. All I needed to do was push ´send´.)

Sharing....

words spoken from my heart in an odd accent,

bags of water bought at the pulperia,

stories from a life that sometimes I doubt really existed,

fears, doubts, worries with a Heavenly Father, on bended knee

laughter at the doorstep when the doorknob breaks,

water-in-the-face in the pouring rain,

feelings I`m not even sure how to express,

hope that they`ll recognize the opportunity to be free from guilt,

...thankfully, not the bathroom--especially in Nodik time (note: Nodik is the anti-parasite medicine)....

To share this week`s experiences.....

Answers to fasting. We fasted to find new investigators, and tell you what, He answers prayers. We found 31 news this week! Our district leader asked us how. ¨Fasting and prayer, elder.¨ And they are QUALITY. Every. Single. One. Of. Them. has a part of my heart. From Manuel, whomemorizes the whole CHAPTER of 3 Nephi 11 and 2 Nephi 31 that we left as his reading. Alexis and Ada, who are members of another church, but have doubts about how people don`t live the law of chastity, F. Reyes, who have received misisonaries starting from 2 years ago, but have doubtsof Book of Mormon.. I want more and more time here. I pray that the transfers at the end of this month don`t have my name included.

Angel`s family AMAZES me. We were worried there for a day, because a cousin of his came and was contending about everything we said, planting ¨apostasy,¨ (false doctrine) in his mind. We were worried, worried. We left the appointment and just sat on a rock for a minute, processingthe super-weird appointment we just had. We tried to invite the Spirit, but there came a point when it COULDN`T dwell, and that had us worried. So, we sat on a rock and I opened the scriptures for the answer of what we could DO. Heavenly Father is funny, you know that? 

Helaman 5:47:  Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world.

We calmed down, and it turned out to be MORE than okay, because on Sunday nearly his WHOLE family came--he, his wife, and all 4 kids from ages 14-24. Very special. Even more special when his wife said, ¨Since he started going to church, I´m seeing a change in him.¨ As she bore her testimony to the contending cousin about the truth of the Book of Mormon, I was reminded that they are converts. 

As we sat on our porch eating watermelon last night as lightning lit up the sky every second, thunder shook the earth, rain poured--flooding into the floor in our house--and I did cartwheels in the street in front of our house, Hermana Zelada wisely commented, ¨I know the gospel is true. It has to be, because I see how people´s lives change because of it.¨ It is true. A hope, a belief are molded into a CERTAINTY. I am so grateful to be led to this decision in life, because it has changed my life completely. 

Usually we eat with members, but on Sunday there was a special conference and we didn`t pass around the paper to sign up to feed the missionaries. So.... we ate with an investigator several times this week--an investigator who seems like A MEMBER. She is always chock-full-of-funny-comments. We verified how she was in her reading of the scriptures. She said, 

¨I`m almost finished.¨ (at this point, we started congratulating her, because it was a lengthy reading.) Then she added, ¨I just have to start.¨ 

Another one... as we were reading a verse of scripture, ¨What did you understand from this verse, Waldina?¨ ¨NOTHING!¨ with a smile on her face.

Or... after she gave the closing prayer in the lesson, ¨ How did it feel to pray?¨ ¨TERRIBLE. Obligated.¨ 

Oh, the spiritual progress of some... those are only samples of her funnies. We really do teach, I promise. I love her! She is the one who reminds me of me... 

Then, don`t forget me teaching my latin companion very IMPORTANT English, such as...

¨Beggars can`t be choosers.
Who--you and the mouse in your pocket?

And I want a pony.¨ 

Speaking of ponies and animals.... Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb, right? Well...... not ANYMORE, because we just ate her yesterday for lunch. Don`t worry---I had no clue until AFTER we ate and they informed us. I`m sorry, Mary!