Hola y'all!
This week was great, as usual, though not a lot happened.
First off, we had my first Zone Conference which was incredible. It was a little taste of the CCM again :) President Adler is very good at rebuking and chastising, but making you feel completely empowered and ready to go by the end. He kept saying in his wonderful German accent "You signed up for this! don't tell me otherwise!" It was great. Sister Adler also spoke with him and she is the sweetest lady. She encouraged us to help push each other to the end, whatever that may be. Then we had testimonies of departing missionaries and they were amazing. I look up to them so much. My zone leader, Elder Zeisiger, is going home this transfer. He told us to "be the missionary the Lord wants to use, not the missionary the Lord has to use." I really loved that and think it can apply to whatever situation we're in. We're all servants of the Lord right? Are we the servants He wants to use, or is it a burden for him?
After all the chastising and telling us to be better and work harder, President Adler said very tenderly (in his accent, just like President Uchtdorf) "If you do your best, you are always good enough." The Lord knows our best. He knows our worst. If we are doing what we can, it's good enough for Him. Que wow. I'm surrounded my some pretty incredible people folks, and it's a very amazing experience.
This was some guy's front yard.... there were about ten other cars behind me
and a few parked on the street... que loco
I died when I saw this picture! It totally made my day!
We were out tracting one day, and we knocked on a lady's door. She was about four feet tall and about 90 years old. She didn't look too happy to see us, but she came outside, crossed her arms, and said "Entonces? (well?)" we asked her if she'd seen missionaries before and she went on to tell us that she was Pentocostal, and that she knew we were Satan worshipers and we had rock bands in our churches. Then she said "Y la Biblia es suficiente." The Bible is enough. We were kind of confused, so we handed her a Mormon.org pass along card and told her that that is where she could go to get correct information. If her grandson hadn't been screaming at the top of his lungs we would have taught her something.... but that was my first run in with the whole Bible thing so that's exciting!
Okay, let me tell you about the subject line! I made it my personal goal to speak to anyone who'll talk to me. Yeah, it's rough, but it's working! I've given out quite a few pass along cards and most of the people were really nice about it :) Anyway, we pulled up to get gas one day, and an old man pulled up to get gas in front of us. Of course I went up to him, said hello, and asked if I could give him a picture. "Why of course, sweetheart!" he said in the greatest Jamaican accent (no he's not from Jamaica but that's what it sounded like). Because of that, he talked with us for a half an hour. He told us "well, I'm a Methodist, but when you go to your church, you tell all the peoples there that Emil from Suriname told you to be nice to everybody! Just like you're nice to everybody! if da whole world could be like you, this world would be a better place!" He was SO great! He was so expressive, and he loved the picture of the Salt Lake Temple I gave him, and he told me he'd visit there someday and say hello to me. When he finally finished talking with us, he kissed our hands and said "I love you so much! I will pray for you every day and I will never forget you!" It was such a tender mercy for me simply because I get scared to talk to people, and he looked a little scary, but it was a highlight of my week :)
It rained a bunch this week which I loved! Yesterday it poured and we had to go to the office to print something off, so we got drenched despite the rain coats and umbrella! It was SO fun!
I couldn't see anything because, though it was raining basically all week,
the sun was still shining and VERY hot....
This is when it poured and I could wring out my shoes... It was SO fun!
Last week we went to a greenhouse to see if we could buy something for one of the people that we're teaching (object lesson on faith that still hasn't happened...), and I about died. I'd completely forgotten how much I LOVE the plants and dirt! So I got excited and got two succulents and a little fern and I named them all... I'd been feeling particularly lonely and those little plants have totally changed my life! They're great. And yes, I named them so I could talk with them :) Their names are Guille, Carolinita, y Madalee. I read my Spanish scriptures to them every morning and they're so cute.
Me at the Greenhouse.... I was in Heaven!
Yes, I named the plants. Guille, Carolinita, and Madalee
Life here is so good. Most people are so kind and love to talk about Jesus. I heard something this week that I loved, and it was that if you want to punch Satan in the face, open your mouth and testify. It's true :)
Heavenly Father is so good to His children. He loves all of them and wants all of them to have the opportunity to hear His word. I'm so humbled and grateful to be apart of this work! Things always work out, folks :)
....and loving it :)
Hermana Belliston
More Carolina Sunsets :)
