Week 53: Treasures

Every DAY we are finding treasures along the trail of the mission.

One year ago this journey began. One year ago I sat in the office of the stake president and affirmed that, yes, I wanted this. One year ago I was set apart, given a little black nametag that now means the world to me. I entered a new world, completely foreign to me--the MTC. I knew so little, have learned so much. Started with a heart ready to serve, unsure what to expect. Have been filled so completely with a love I don´t know how to express.

To celebrate one year, we bought a half gallon of ice cream---cookies n´cream, stuck my favorite cookies in the ice cream carton, added a full-size-candle in the middle (the kind we use when the power in the house goes off. Yes, we are creative.), sang, and dug in with spoons. (sorry, dad! I know you tried to teach me in these last 22 years not to eat ice cream from the carton with spoons. Someday it´ll stick! J)

Other treasures from the week included the baptism of the family Funez. (Happy birthday, Tate!) Naturally, it was special. We sang the primary baptism song with two of his daughters, who are not yet members, but we are working with them for July 6^th. They are so special to me. My heart feels like it´s brimming with love. Today I feel nervous because they announce the transfers at the end of the day. I don´t know why I´m nervous—we´re pretty sure Hermana Zelada is leaving, because she feels it, and when she feels it, I believe it! This little Guatemalan is so spiritually intune it amazes me. I am striving to develop that attribute! Still, I can´t eat anything because I feel sick with nerves. I felt like this is Castaños when I had transfers, too…. Ahhh!!!

The treasures of finding prepared people that WANT it makes this time so WORTH IT.

We had an incredible experience. We contacted a couple on the street who turned out to be our neighbors (we live in a nicer colony where the houses have gates, etc. and we´re not allowed to knock doors. So, those we know are those who we find outside their house and we can talk with, etc.) So, we found this couple. She´s from Florida, but her family grew up here, she has spent a lot of time here, and is going to get married in about 3 weeks. So, we had a lesson in ENGLISH. Oh. Incredible. She, Miriam, is so prepared, so amazing! That´s something I´ve learned. At first, I was scared to invite someone to be baptized in the first lesson. I was struggling to understand how and why we invite in the first lesson. I know if Preach my Gospel says it, it´s WORD, but I didn´t FEEL why. But now, I understand. Everyone is prepared to a different level. If we don´t invite, we´ll never know how prepared they are. Those who accept the invitation are prepared for this moment. Those who don´t simply need more time to be ready. And our time is so precious, so short that we need to find and focus in those who accept the invitation, because there are MANY many ready. She´s one. The lesson in English was incredible, she accepted the invite, and ohhh so refreshing to express so sincerely why I believe this. Why I know it will change her life.

We found another man, Amilcar, in a new colony that we´re working in. A nicer colony. He received the missionaries 15 years ago and was going to be baptized, but there was a confusion and at the end wasn´t baptized. But he came to church yesterday and was all ready waiting for us to pass by! Cried in his first prayer, expressing how he needed this. My heart was changed.

Amazing changes are happening in the stake, and I hope I can stay to be a part of it. I love the learning every day The devotional yesterday was INCREDIBLE, no?! Ahhh, makes me so excited for this marvelous work!

The treasures will keep coming, I´m sure!

Love you all!