I guess it's important to remember that missionary work doesn't have to start in the mission. It can start at a young age. One of my teachers in the MTC was converted when he was 13. He said that he was feeling lonely at church and so he helped convert all of his friends and family!! Young people can make a huge difference!! I think that the most important thing that members can do to be missionaries is MAKE FRIENDS...don`t focus so much on the words that you share when you`re talking about the gospel...be the best of friends with the investigators that come to church, invite them to your house and other activities, and invite your friends to come to your house so that they can see the difference that the gospel makes on a family. I`m really learning that it's not so much the words that we say but the example that we show that speaks the loudest. I really want to be a member missionary when I get home...and the most important part of that is just being social. Sometimes we get caught up in our own routine that we don`t think about visiting a neighbor or a friend, or going to a church activity...but the reality is if we don`t go we won't be able to make a difference in the life of someone else. And every person can make a huge difference. So don`t be afraid to speak up and get out and be social! Also it's fun!! We want to follow the example of Jesus Christ...how many people do you think that he talked to in one day? Let's make friends and talk to people!! Haha I hope you enjoyed my pep talk :)
This week has been absolutely amazing. I am seeing so many blessings in each day. In our nightly planning session with my companion we've been talking about the little miracles that happened during the day. I've been writing them in my agenda with a red pen. I've begun to see a correlation with obedience and success. The days that we obey with exactness...sticking with the schedule and everything...we have so many more little miracles than the days that we slack a bit here and there (now everyone knows I`m not perfect :o) haha but really obedience with exactness makes a huge difference.
We`re beginning to see so much more member support in this ward. Last Sunday I was able to be in the room when my mission leader was set apart. That was definitely a unique experience. Before he was set apart we had zero communication with the bishop and the members...okay we were communicating but it was a lot harder. The mission leader is ESSENTIAL!! and it's amazing how much they can do when they put their minds to it. We've started having meetings every Thursday. It feels so good to be able to report our progress to a ward member. He is super excited and animated and willing to work work work even though he also has his own work. (He works at the Canal...super cool right??)
It was sooo neat to see that the Relief Society meeting was focused on missionary work...well I know that it was mainly about covenants but how neat to have the missionaries sing all of the hymns...it was so beautiful and they looked so empowered...it was really neat. I think that it was a great prelude to the meeting that we had on Sunday.
Our sacrament meeting was focused on service. When we serve others we are really serving God! One of the people that spoke is a recently returned missionary. One of the things that stood out to me that he said was that there can be inactive active members! We have to make sure that we do everything with real intent. He shared the scripture in Genesis 3:8-9 and shared that frequently he asks himself, ¨Donde estás?¨as a reflective question....like ¨Where am I?¨and ¨Where do I want to go?¨ I think that it's important to frequently have a little self analysis. Like...¨Where is your heart..what are you focused on...how are you using your time?¨ Something else that he shared that I really liked was the scripture in 1 John 2:3-5 which basically says that you can`t know God if you don`t keep his commandments. A lot of the time people claim that they know God, that they have religion, that they don`t need to change...but they`re not keeping the commandments. It just doesn't make any sense. To know God, keep his commandments!!
In the second hour of church we had our first Doctrine of Christ class!! (before our investigators were just going to the other classes, or we were teaching the class) It was put together and organized by our mission leader. What a blessing!! We had two investigators in the class. One of them, the mom of the family that is like my family, and the other was brought by a member that doesn't even go to our ward. (That made the miracle list at the end of the day!) During the second hour we gave a DVD to a member to give to the bishop for the third hour...why? because the night before he asked us if we had a DVD about service and if we could bring it to the church...so we brought ¨Work of Love¨.....well I can`t really remember what the title is in Spanish so I just tried translating the title into English but I dont really know...but yeah anyways so it turned out to be absolutely perfect for the lesson. The lesson was focused on missionary work and service. The bishop asked me and another missionary (The other Hermana Chavez...the one that wasn't my companion before) to talk a bit about what its like to be a missionary. It was a great experience!!
After church I was super pumped to get to work and do some service!! We went to one of the farthest away parts of our area to get to know more of our area, contact, and find a less active family. Along the way we found a lot of really positive people...and ran across some guys that were wandering around alone looking drunk...but we talked to them and gave them pamphlets about the Word of Wisdom and we didn't get robbed so all is good!!
I want to share a spiritual experience....so I have a really bad memory and it's super hard for me to memorize scripture references...I've got the doctrine down but finding the scriptures to back it up is a wholeeee other story. So yesterday in the lesson that we had with the less active family I wanted to share a scripture but I didn`t have one in mind...so I flipped open the scriptures with a prayer in my heart andddd I opened right to Jacob 5....buttt I knew that this chapter was the story of the olive trees. At that moment I felt in my heart and in my mind a feeling of great comfort and I felt more than heard, ¨You know this¨...to me meaning that I know the scriptures...and so I opened up to 2 Nephi 9 and found a scripture to share with the family that was absolutely perfect for them...all this in seconds and in a foreign language. Blessings from the spirit?? I think so!!
Another experience from yesterday...we were on the bus headed to dinner...I asked the man sitting next to me a few questions about what bus stop he came from and we chatted for a bit...it was a super neat experience. I learned that he is from Columbia and that he likes traveling. He said that Columbia is the best country in the world because there are no rules. We had a great friendly conversation where I shared what I think about rules...that they`re there to protect us. He said that he likes having fun...he talked about how in Columbia you can drink and party and have a great time....I talked about how I think there are two different kinds of happiness... there's the happiness of the world which is temporary, and then there's the happiness of God which lasts forever...I told him that I prefer the second. Then he asked me what the difference is about my religion compared to others...so I talked about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the importance of this. I talked about baptism and how its important to be baptized in the way that Christ was baptized and by someone that has the authority and power to do it. It was a really neat experience. I have no idea if he`ll ever meet with the missionaries....but I think that it was important that I talk to him.
So there you have it, just two of the many spiritual experiences that I've had this week....trust me there are many more but these are the ones that stood out to me the most.
Well folks I`m about out of time...so I LOVE YOUUUU!! Mom please send my love to everyone!
I miss you guys and am thinking of you...but not too much haha I have lots that I need to focus on here...but loving your family and friends isn't bad :)
Lots and lots of love haha
Hermana Hannah
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