Happy Valentines Day! Hope all is well at home, Muchisimas Gracias for the cards, the CHOCOLATE:) and the love from the primary...everything. I am so GRATEFUL for the support I get from all of you. I Love You all, Les quiero mucho! This week was AWESOME. Una semana de milagros!
Humility, Patience, Love...Listening...finding out what people believe and why they believe it...what motivates them...I don't know how to give this week justice in words. Missionary Work is so cool.
Maria Gonzalez who I told you about last week (Bob Marley loving lady). Her and I have a cool relationship. We seem to just get eachother. And really, Maria really showed us this week she wants to know. She has this deeply rooted belief that there are many prophets in the world. There isn't really one single true church. So, she usually gets pretty defensive when we talk about this. The other day we were teaching her about prayer, reading the Book of Mormon...the things we have to do to know. I opened to Alma 5:45-46 and had her read. Right there was her answer. She turned to us and said, well...I haven't fasted yet. I guess that is what I need to do. So yesterday Maria fasted with the question in mind, is this really the only church on the earth with the true authority of God. She wants to know. She is actually trying...and I know when someone is really sincerely trying they will receive and answer. The day this happened...was also a day where we taught like 8 lessons...talked to lots of people and could see Heavenly Father blessing us with work.
Yesterday at church we were just sitting singing the Sacrament Hymn and I felt someone put their arm around me from behind. I turned around and there was Noemi with her little Bella wrapped in a blanket in her arms. Funny how the investigators you do the least to help them get to church actually COME. Turning around to see Noemi was the coolest feeling..I can't even describe it. Because you pour out your heart for these people. And to see them follow through is incredible. Noemi was my very first lesson when I got to New Mexico. She faces a lot of opposition from her family. But she knows what she needs to do and two Sundays in a row now she has come to church. She is starting to see the blessings we've been promising her all this time because she is doing something. I still can't get over how much I love her and that feeling to see her just come sit by me at church unexpectedly. Heavenly Father gets people to church not us.
Last night turned out to be really interesting. All of our apointments canceled. And so we were following up with people who didn't come to church..WHERE WERE YOU? :) We were outside Margaritas house and decided to say a prayer to find out what we should really do right now. After the prayer we both looked at eachother and the name La Familia Marquez was running through both our minds. So we talked to Margarita then headed over to the Marquez Family, a less-active family in our branch. We got there and saw Hna Marquezs' car wasn't there so we were kind of bummed because we can't go in if just her husband is there. We figured we would try anyways and share a scripture with her Husband. I thought...Alma 7. So we knock on the door and a sleepy Hno Marquez answers the door. He proceeded to tell us Hna Marquz was with the kids in Santa Fe and he and his wife were separating. It took us a while to understand what he really meant. Like getting a divorce. He was really down. Said he was heading to Mexico in the next few days and they were going to decide who would take the kids. Oh MY GOSH. This is a big deal when the branch is your Family! We tried to stay composed and shared a message about the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ...Alma 7:10-13 and on was the perfect thing for Him. Because we really can't relate to how he feels. But Jesus Christ can, because he has felt his pains. We asked to just leave him with a prayer he asked me to say it. It amazes me everytime I pray for someone who is hurting so much how much Heavenly Father wants them to feel his love. My words in Spanish are by no means perfect, but the message is always conveyed when it needs to be. I looked up at Hno Marquez after the prayer and tears were running down his face. He needed to be reminded of his Savior's Love. Last night was a cool experience because I realized something. I have been trying so hard to learn how to listen to the spirit to always follow it...not convince myself oh its just me...but last night the impression was so clear. We listened. We went. And I saw a result. After the trial of your faith. I've felt a little as though my whole time on a mission thus far, I have been running on Faith...and will continue to. Because I have not seen with my eyes a result of my efforts to help others. I have felt themt though and learned also it is so much how you look at things. Really, I am just so grateful for that miracle I was able to see last night in an effort to help a family on the brink of breaking apart. Tonight family friends of theirs and the branch president are going to have a family night with them...see what they can do to help. I don't know what will happen, but I know they are reminded of what is important right now when it is so easy to forget...The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Funny how the night before we were celebrating at the Branch party the temple sealing of a family who I LOVE! It was so so so cool. There is so much more to life than these moments we have on the earth. There is a whole eternity we are living for right now. I realized last night, I will not give up on my own family when that day comes. Easy to say now...but to see the pain of a family about to break apart who was baptized a year ago and trying to prepare for the temple BROKE MY HEART. Hna Jarman came home and just paced the apartment. She didn't know what to do with herself. This is crazy work. You develop a love for strangers that is so indescribable.
The struggles of this transfer are so different. Learning how to work with a different companion. Learning through mistakes. Forgiving yourself. Learning to put all your focus on the people. Learning how to become a master teacher..in English and Spanish. Learning at every door to talk to someone about what they believe...find out why they believe that..teach to their specific needs. Humbly accepting correction ALWAYS. Putting aside my desires in the moment for something more important.
I have learned some important lessons this week. And i've probably been the happiest through the work i've ever been. Because of new approaches we've taken. Following up DAILY if possible with people (Seems annoying but so important) ...people are starting to actually progress. Hna Jarman is teaching me some very important skills as a missionary.
Con todo de mi amor en este dia de amor,
Hermana Holland
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