Dear Family,
Happy March!!! It's been "cold" here the last few days. Don't know why. Sister Carolan told me it's humid, I just can't tell, even though the temperature isn't low like what we'd be used to at home, it feels cold! As in... I had to put on a sweater. So how y'all enjoying the snow at home? :)
My week... um, we are right on the verge of having so many new investigators. People are coming out of the wood work and we think that this week progress might be made and everything will work out for us to teach them. So that's exciting. We have yet to teach Tanya so I'm pretty sure she won't be baptized this Saturday. But we have an appointment with her tonight that we think will hold.
We taught Claudia and Greysi once this week. We taught them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We made footprints, each labeled with a part of the Doctrine of Christ. They had "Faith in Jesus Christ”, “Baptism”, “Gift of the Holy Ghost”, “Enduring to the End”, and “Eternal Life." We laid the footprints out on the floor in order, then we moved every one between faith in Jesus Christ and Eternal Life and had Greysi try to get from the first to the last. She of course couldn't jump that far. Then we put all the footprints back in between and had her walk on them one by one as we taught about each one. We really felt like it helped them. And it was great because more of the focus was on Greysi, but we also did it that simple for Claudia. Her mind is so young, and yet her Spirit so wise at the same time.
You know, she also told us she's always wanted to be a lawyer? And I think she has the sass and the smarts to do it too. Also, I won't go into the very complicated and controversial issue of illegals in this country, but I will just say I cannot BELIEVE what she is having to go through to get citizenship. It's the craziest thing. She's at a critical point of it all right now with her lawyer. We thought it was to find out if she was approved to stay here. Nope. It's just to find out if she's approved to apply to stay here. If it's a yes, she has to go back to Honduras (who knows what will happen there) and apply. I know it's the big bad world out there now, and the system is in place for a reason, but I wish so badly that Claudia could come here and enjoy the freedoms of what this country is supposed to be about. That's what my ancestors fought for and payed the price. She literally escaped at 16 from her emotionally, physically, and sexually abusive family to come here - it was her best option if she wanted to stay alive. She's done everything she can to learn English, she almost has her GED, but she can't even drive or get a job, let alone fulfill her biggest desire to go to school, because of the system in place. What happened to the principles the country (like capitalism) were founded on - if people work hard, they reap good things. Well, it's not a fair world, and I suppose we all deal with "unfairness" every day. So I see that side of the issue very up close and personal because it's the people I love. I also see people almost everyday who I wish weren't allowed to stay here, I mean, quite frankly we don't go into the best areas and have to be so careful.
On another note, we biked more this week! That was fun! Wednesday we figured we went a solid 20 miles just to get to one place and back. But we felt good! There was just this one part where we had to cross over this 8 lane road, and there are of course no sidewalks, so we were forced to do it with traffic. I would give anything to have a video of that! Later we were sitting in the car at that light, and I told Hna Carolan to imagine two girls biking for all they were worth across that road right then. That gave us a good laugh! :) But the elders in our district saw us that day, sweaty and with mud on our skirts. I think they now have a different level of respect for us. haha :)
It's interviews with President this month, and we had ours this last week. President and Sister Wall actually came to our apartment for it, and it was so great! I just love and respect them so much. When they got there, they told us their purpose was to bring hope and love to us. They sure did, just feeling their spirits in our little home was so powerful!
In a finding effort, and to work on teaching / contacting skills, we have a goal as a district to dedicate one hour every day to just that. Nothing else. I don't care how long I am a missionary and talk to so many people everyday, my heart still races a bit when we contact... you know, in SPANISH! :) But we started this last Tuesday. We planned our time to be in a trailer park that we found that is almost all Spanish people. Gold mine!! We went right as kids were getting out of school knowing that we would see more moms out. So we just parked, bags on shoulders, Book of Mormon's in hand, and started walking. We had some great experiences that day! And we were so nervous! But the Lord blessed us for our obedience to his commandment to "open your mouths" and blessed us with a positive experience. More than that, He blessed us with people to talk to who responded well and feel prepared. I don't have time to recount them, but I will say that we placed more Book of Mormon's in that hour than we ever gave on any other day together, taught about it, and have return appointments. The rest of that day was different. More people started talking TO us! Librarians, cars that would stop as we were walking, etc. I'm gonna repeat something I heard a little while ago, "when we are obedient, the Lord brings us to people to teach, when we are perfectly obedient (i.e. opening our mouths at each opportunity that the Spirit directed) the Lord brings people to us to teach”. So yay for continually working to overcome fears and seeing that the Lord is always just waiting to bless us!
... I'll share a little something that Sis Carolan and I were talking about this morning in companionship study. It's out of John 15, verses 14-16. Well the whole thing! But mainly 14, "ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." Verse 15 goes on to talk about why, and it is so powerful. I testify that our Redeemer and Lord really is our friend. Sis. Carolan and I were sharing goals Saturday night, and I was talking about my ever increasing desire to become a better disciple of Christ, worthy to represent Him. Out of the blue, I had to biggest smile, and even a tear in my eye, as I felt my testimony of the Savior literally burn within me. I haven't had many moments like that ever. My conversion is full of very quiet whisperings of the Spirit, but here I felt the burning power of the Holy Ghost. As you know, there are not words to properly describe those feelings (in any language!). So it will be sufficient to say that what I do know is that Jesus Christ lives. There is no greater peace that comes than knowing that. His love changes the world, and it changes our lives in a very personal way, if we let it. Search for that love and friendship in your lives each day, as I will, and we will be able to "put off the natural man and become a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."
I love you all!
Hermana Marks