Week 73: Diligence Costs

Well.... hola again.

I was under the radar there for a week. I had transfers and am now in ¨La Ceiba¨. Or.... the beach! It was a long-ish journey, and when we got to our area, I was anxious for one thing and one thing only:

Work. 

Work hard. 

I feel I`m starting yet another change, just like always. But people are now reminding me in a scary proportion how I`m at the end. When they discover I have 16 months in the mission, I get only comments of, ¨OH, you`re done! Oh, you`re going home now. Are you baggy? (the form of ¨trunky¨.)  It scares me, makes me sad, makes me nervous, makes me anxious.

I got to this area so ready to work, but my body was so NOT in agreeance with the idea. I understand now when the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. My spirit wanted to fly, to work hard, but I was SO exhausted. Just sleepy all day. I remember praying and asking only for strength to wake up the next day. 

We had a wonderful experience the other night. Our appointments were falling through, investigators were hiding from us... the usual recipe for a rough night. As we walked, we greeted a woman entering her house--and it turns out that Hermana Alfaro (my new companion) talked to her before, that she is the wife of a less-active member. We visited with her husband, her, and their children. It was amazing! He was baptized about 30 years ago, and his dad was one of the first members in the Ceiba (my new area). People were being baptized in the river, but for sanitation purposes, they built a font in the backyard of this family. The font is HUGE, and they wrote on the side of it the names of the missionaries who were baptizing and the people who were baptized, and the date. I have pictures I wanted to send, but my camera isn´t sending pics right now. And they had an older version of the hymn book, where it included primary songs and the hymns. Some of the words are different! Maybe I get excited about old things, but it was incredible to see the beginnings of what is now a stake--several stakes. His family is very receptive ,and it was the first time Hermana Alfaro was able to make contact with him since she arrived to the mission. The wife told us that many missionaries have passed by, and she´s always greeted them, but the day we passed by, she felt desirous to welcome us into her home---something she expressed has not been offered to any other missionaries.

There are no reasons why except that this is His work, and He is preparing His children.

Another miracle! We were walking, and we greeted this couple that were talking. He asked us, ¨You visit people, right? I want you to visit my boss,¨ and proceeded to give us the reference. Turns out, he is a less-active member, and we taught the family of the girl he was with, and they are VERY receptive. 

Miracles.

Attached are pictures of my last days as Sister Training Leader. With the news as they ate their first dinner, and I debated what I wanted. And with the other sisters at the airport. 

Take care of yourself and others,

Sister Cecilly Francisco