This week has been
a good one. Monday our P-day was shortened because of the mission celebration,
but it was totally worth it. That night we went out to work and we were walking
on the sidewalk in a neighborhood. There was this big SUV and two little boys,
probably around 10, playing on the other side of it. We were walking normally
and talking and we walked past the SUV and I said hi and the one boy that wasn’t
facing me got so scared!! He grabbed his chest and said, “OH MY GOSH!!!” Sister
Mireles and I had a pretty good laugh. :)
Sheer terror. Priceless. I said sorry and we just kept walking and laughing for
a good 5 minutes.
Tuesday was day 2
of the mission celebration and the actual one year anniversary. It started out
with a temple session at the beautiful Gilbert temple. Oh how I love it there.
The whole mission split into 3 sessions. We were in the second one. When we
walked into the Celestial room at the end President and Sister Nattress were
there to greet us and it was so great! You could feel their love and happiness
that we had made it and that we were there with them….I kind of imagined that
as just a fraction of how it will be to see our Heavenly Parents again. I’m
sure their love and happiness will be immense. After the session we had a devotional
at the Stake Center next door with the Temple President and his wife. It was
great. They had been mission president and wife before so they had some great
advice. They talked about how we have to be equally yoked with our companions,
here in the mission and with the eternal companions that we choose. He talked
about how our companionships are divinely inspired and that we need to look for
the reasons why and learn from each other. Good advice! He also said that we
need to have a foundation in the temple so strong that our children and
grandchildren will have it too. Then I was reading my Patriarchal Blessing this
morning and I just know that no matter what, I have to make regular temple
attendance a part of my life. I love the temple. So much.
That night we had
a lesson with Patricia…and it didn’t leave me feeling very hopeful. She wants
to be baptized but isn’t married and is having a hard time making that happen.
She also doesn’t keep commitments, especially the commitment to read. So we
left the rest of the chapter to read and told her to call us when she had read
the rest. Pause on that story…
Wednesday was
interviews with President Nattress. He is just the greatest. My interview went
well with him. I was in a lot better place than the last one! He thanked me for
the work I’m doing and told me some things that I really appreciated. He told
me that I always have the Spirit with me. I’m glad other people can feel that
because that is something I always strive for! Something I will continue to
strive for. He also asked for my opinion on a few of the areas so I gave my
suggestions. He asks me every time and usually I don’t know what to say so I’ve
been thinking about it this time and came more prepared. :)
Thursday was good.
We biked all afternoon and I was so sweaty!!! We had a lesson with a less
active lady and I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror…bad idea haha.
My face was bright red, my make-up was sweating off, and I had a HUGE sweat mark
on my lower back from where my bag sits as I ride. Fun stuff :) I know that you are
pretty jealous. The funny thing is, I really do enjoy it. I love biking and
being hot and sweaty and working hard. Don’t get me wrong, I love showering off
and getting clean afterwards too! All things in their proper place. :) Edith had all 6 of us
missionaries over for dinner and it was very tasty. She is so sweet. We were
out working that night when we saw the Haboob! It was huge! I took pictures
that I will send to you today and some pretty great videos that I will figure
out a way to get to you. It was the biggest dust storm I have been it yet on my
mission. A tree fell down right in front of our car while we were driving!
Crazy stuff. Then as soon as the dust storm passed, we had a thunderstorm!!! I
love it. I think lightning is so cool and we saw a lot of it.
Friday was good. A
good Fourth. :)
We had planning in the morning and then in the afternoon we got to help this
random lady move. Another hot and sweaty and wonderful service opportunity. I
wrote to you all about that in a letter though so you can read more about it
later. That night we had to be home by 7. We read and studied and then after
planning we watched the fireworks out the window. They were much better than
last year and we could see them better. It was a lot of fun. :) The pictures are on
Sister Raubenheimer’s camera so I will get those to you later.
Now back to Patricia.
The Elders went and picked watermelon with some of their potential
investigators and they had a bunch so they gave us some. We decided to stop by
Patricia and bring her one and see how she is. She was in such a good mood and
so relaxed. She said that she’s been thinking about it and she has it all
planned out how she is going to talk to Luis about marriage again and she
seemed so determined to do it. So much better than on Tuesday. We fasted for
her yesterday and we have a lesson with her tonight so we will see if there has
been any progress.
And then our
miracle yesterday. I’ve been praying so hard for new investigators…to be able
to find those prepared for the gospel. We’ve been working hard to find and
weren’t really having much success. But we were just qualifying ourselves for
blessings. We were at church and Hna. Baldwin brought 2 friends to church and
they live in our area and are interested in learning more and are going to call
us this week to set up a time to come and meet with them!!!! God is good.
Cynthia and Moises. They are going to get baptized. I can just feel it. :)
Things are good! I’m
happy and healthy. I love my mission and all of the wonderful things that
happen each and every day. God is real and He knows and loves us. I was reading
the story about leaving the 99 sheep to save the 1 and I was wondering if I
would do it. When I thought of them as
just sheep, I figured I would just stay with the 99 and figured I was a pretty
good shepherd. But then I thought of the sheep as people I knew and loved and
cared about…my family and friends…I knew them by name…at that point I couldn’t
let 1 of them go astray…I would have to go and save it. And I think that’s why
Christ does it with each of us. Because He knows us personally, by name, and He
loves us.
I hope all is well
and that you have a wonderful week! Love you!!!
Con amor,
Hermana Baria
