Hey family:
It's so beautiful to hear from you! I DID get the clothes and I LOVE them. I've worn a different item every day since I got them. I was so excited initially to get it that I wasn't looking where I was going and tripped, ripping my tights and landing flat on my back. No cuts, no bruises, even. Just my companion cracking up at me and lots of pine needles on my back.
Dad, it's funny you wrote about those verses in Romans. It's been a REALLY tough week and we were noticing last night that it seems like every missionary in our zone, possibly a great many others in our mission, and all the members of our branch are having a rough go of things.
We've been having trouble contacting our investigators, we got dropped by some, found out that one is an abusive, alcoholic drug user (we've already covered the word of wisdom, chastity, lliving Christlike lives, etc) and is getting kicked out of his house soon, we only had one investigator at church (who is also researching a ton of anti-mormon garbage, despite our warnings that hate-filled anything only drives away the spirit) we got chased away from a promising potential investigator by her mother, and I had lost my journal. which stunk majorly. BUT Heavenly Father loves me so He let me have it back. :)
We had a really great training at our district meeting by our District Leader, Elder Selk on Friday about learning through trials in which he shared DyC 101:4-5 ("For all those who will not endure chastening, but deny me, cannot be sanctified") with us. Those verses have been running around in our heads all weekend and we've been understanding and FEELING the stretching part of Heavenly Father's "grow up" plan. We've been teaching people that we're here to have experiences and become more like Heavenly Father and that even though (actually BECAUSE) not every experience is easy or fun, we have the atonement of Jesus Christ to help us. We're putting that into practice in a very real way right now. We're still feeling a little bummed, but we're both very grateful for the sacrament....and P Day (Preparation Day - the day the missionaries write letters, do laundry and relax just a little.) A chance to start over is so needed at this point and we're gearing up to be the missionaries that Heavenly Father needs. We're relying on Heavenly Father a great deal and doing our best to just go and do to be guided by Him to know what He wants. We're also becoming closer and closer as a companionship. I'm immensely grateful for Hermana Prince and for the wonderful example she is to me. I love our investigators and I'm feeling like I'm being worn down to the nubbins so I can learn to rely FULLY on the Lord. It certainly doesn't feel great, but I'm learning and I'm grateful.
So that's basically what happened this week. I got a letter from Chelsea a few months ago that has helped me a million times over and she wrote that at one point of her mission she really realized and felt "man, this is HARD WORK." I acknowledged it before, to be sure, but I'm feeling it now. I'm grateful for your prayers and letters. They help both Hermana Prince and I so so much.
Yesterday we were both exhausted physically, spiritually, emotionally, but we still had a few appointments, so we just said "Ok Heavenly Father. I don't know what you have in mind, but we're here. We're doing what you ask. Just help us keep moving."
I'm so excited to see you and squeeze the breath out of you. It will be so so beautiful to see your faces in the temple!
I have a letter full of little notes I always forget when I write emails, so I'll send that along very soon.
I love you more than P-day,
Hermana Manzana
Monday, October 31, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Lots of Work in Palmdale
Dear Family:
Please please tell Lucero congratulations for me! I'm so proud of her! (Allison's friend Lucero Barrera from our ward was called to the Provo Spanish-speaking Mission.)
Thank you thank you for the clothes! I haven't gotten them yet but I'm super excited. Hermana Prince's mom sent us a GIANT package full of vegan junk food. I know. It truly does exist. And it's delicious. We've been eating pretty well lately, but these dang holidays keep getting in the way.
We had interview with President this week and they went great! He's really pleased with the work we've been doing. The elders that they put in our branch apparently talked about how we've set a really high standard..which definitely felt good. I can't stop thinking about how glad I am for Vanessa and Raz! (Allison's cousin Vanessa eloped with her boyfriend Raz last week...we are all very happy for her!)
President also made it sound 99% sure that I'll be leaving Palmdale after this transfer's over. I've been missing the valley and being with so many missionaries, but I really love the members here and we've found some INCREDIBLE investigators this week.
I've been feeling lately like there was someone (or maybe someones) that we needed to find, so Hermana Prince and I have been trying to be more prayerful about contacting and finding new investigators this week. Maybe it was just borne of my frustration that most of our investigators stopped progressing, but in my head there was a tall thin man that was waiting for us to find him. We had met a nice couple last week named Augustin and Maria and, despite the husband's immediate wall of "I'm Catholic and I plan on dying that way" they were very welcoming and seemed pretty open. They came to English class, really liked it, and then we got to teach them about the Restoration. They had really great questions that were actually quite telling of their true attitudes and interest. At the beginning of the lesson, Augustin asked "Why do people change religions? Why do they feel so insecure in the traditions that they are raised in that they betray what their parents teach them? " but then a few minutes later he asked "why are there so many religions? Shouldn't there be just one if there is one God?" A little later, they commented on how their priests come in, give mass (or however the correct grammar would be in English), and leave. They said "That's been fine for us for years, but I'm starting to feel like those repetitious traditions aren't filling me spiritually." They opened up to us SO much, expressed concerns, asked hard questions, answered hard questions, and showed a lot of faith. They recently went through some pretty trying experiences that have brought them a new perspective on life and they are seeing that they want more answers about God and life than they have previously been afforded. They're an AMAZING couple and we're praying super hard for them. Their in-laws that they live with are very closed to other religions, so we can't teach them at their house. Please pray that they'll by touched by the spirit and the Book of Mormon!
Also, we met a lady last week named Magda...She's super sweet and has been church-hopping for a long time. unfortunately, she seems pretty skittish of churches now. We met with her yesterday and asked if she had read the pamphlet we gave her. she said "No, I read the book, but not the pamphlet" Wait.....we asked "you mean the Book of Mormon? What part did you read?" "All of it. It's not that long. And I was having trouble with some of the words...why didn't you tell me about the index? That's like half the book anyway"
Magda read the WHOLE BOOK OF MORMON! We asked how she felt about it and if there were any particular parts that had touched her...also if she had prayed about it. She answered vaguely, and said that she already knew it was true and didn't feel like she needed to pray about it, so I shared my testimony of the Book of Mormon and as I told her how I felt when I prayed--that Heavenly Father was telling me that I needed to read and apply the things in that book to every day of my life, she began to cry and said "That's how I felt too!"
We explained how the Book of Mormon is the convincing evidence that Joseph Smith was a prophet, that the church he established is the church of Jesus Christ again on the earth and how this church has the authority to baptize in His name. We then invited her to be baptized, to which she said "No. I was baptized Catholic when I was a baby." Oh. ok. Let's re-explain. Apparently we left out something. We're going back tonight to talk about the restoration again. Please pray that she'll not be afraid of coming to church and understand why baptism by the correct authority is necessary!
Also, we briefly met a man named Oscar last week, and had our first lesson with him last night. At one point, the things he was saying, combined with the feeling in the room, the way he looked, and different thought processes brought about a HUGE bout of deja vu and I realized that that moment had been in one of my dreams last week. Crazy? yes. Tender mercy from God? Also yes. He told us that he didn't particularly feel like he knew how to pray, so we taught him and prayed with him. I felt so privileged to be able to teach this great man how to speak to his Heavenly Father and to recognize that God hears him. Man alive. It was SUCH an amazing feeling.
I'm probably forgetting a million things, but I'll hand write them. I love you more than all the tumbleweeds in Palmdale!
Hermana B
Please please tell Lucero congratulations for me! I'm so proud of her! (Allison's friend Lucero Barrera from our ward was called to the Provo Spanish-speaking Mission.)
Thank you thank you for the clothes! I haven't gotten them yet but I'm super excited. Hermana Prince's mom sent us a GIANT package full of vegan junk food. I know. It truly does exist. And it's delicious. We've been eating pretty well lately, but these dang holidays keep getting in the way.
We had interview with President this week and they went great! He's really pleased with the work we've been doing. The elders that they put in our branch apparently talked about how we've set a really high standard..which definitely felt good. I can't stop thinking about how glad I am for Vanessa and Raz! (Allison's cousin Vanessa eloped with her boyfriend Raz last week...we are all very happy for her!)
President also made it sound 99% sure that I'll be leaving Palmdale after this transfer's over. I've been missing the valley and being with so many missionaries, but I really love the members here and we've found some INCREDIBLE investigators this week.
I've been feeling lately like there was someone (or maybe someones) that we needed to find, so Hermana Prince and I have been trying to be more prayerful about contacting and finding new investigators this week. Maybe it was just borne of my frustration that most of our investigators stopped progressing, but in my head there was a tall thin man that was waiting for us to find him. We had met a nice couple last week named Augustin and Maria and, despite the husband's immediate wall of "I'm Catholic and I plan on dying that way" they were very welcoming and seemed pretty open. They came to English class, really liked it, and then we got to teach them about the Restoration. They had really great questions that were actually quite telling of their true attitudes and interest. At the beginning of the lesson, Augustin asked "Why do people change religions? Why do they feel so insecure in the traditions that they are raised in that they betray what their parents teach them? " but then a few minutes later he asked "why are there so many religions? Shouldn't there be just one if there is one God?" A little later, they commented on how their priests come in, give mass (or however the correct grammar would be in English), and leave. They said "That's been fine for us for years, but I'm starting to feel like those repetitious traditions aren't filling me spiritually." They opened up to us SO much, expressed concerns, asked hard questions, answered hard questions, and showed a lot of faith. They recently went through some pretty trying experiences that have brought them a new perspective on life and they are seeing that they want more answers about God and life than they have previously been afforded. They're an AMAZING couple and we're praying super hard for them. Their in-laws that they live with are very closed to other religions, so we can't teach them at their house. Please pray that they'll by touched by the spirit and the Book of Mormon!
Also, we met a lady last week named Magda...She's super sweet and has been church-hopping for a long time. unfortunately, she seems pretty skittish of churches now. We met with her yesterday and asked if she had read the pamphlet we gave her. she said "No, I read the book, but not the pamphlet" Wait.....we asked "you mean the Book of Mormon? What part did you read?" "All of it. It's not that long. And I was having trouble with some of the words...why didn't you tell me about the index? That's like half the book anyway"
Magda read the WHOLE BOOK OF MORMON! We asked how she felt about it and if there were any particular parts that had touched her...also if she had prayed about it. She answered vaguely, and said that she already knew it was true and didn't feel like she needed to pray about it, so I shared my testimony of the Book of Mormon and as I told her how I felt when I prayed--that Heavenly Father was telling me that I needed to read and apply the things in that book to every day of my life, she began to cry and said "That's how I felt too!"
We explained how the Book of Mormon is the convincing evidence that Joseph Smith was a prophet, that the church he established is the church of Jesus Christ again on the earth and how this church has the authority to baptize in His name. We then invited her to be baptized, to which she said "No. I was baptized Catholic when I was a baby." Oh. ok. Let's re-explain. Apparently we left out something. We're going back tonight to talk about the restoration again. Please pray that she'll not be afraid of coming to church and understand why baptism by the correct authority is necessary!
Also, we briefly met a man named Oscar last week, and had our first lesson with him last night. At one point, the things he was saying, combined with the feeling in the room, the way he looked, and different thought processes brought about a HUGE bout of deja vu and I realized that that moment had been in one of my dreams last week. Crazy? yes. Tender mercy from God? Also yes. He told us that he didn't particularly feel like he knew how to pray, so we taught him and prayed with him. I felt so privileged to be able to teach this great man how to speak to his Heavenly Father and to recognize that God hears him. Man alive. It was SUCH an amazing feeling.
I'm probably forgetting a million things, but I'll hand write them. I love you more than all the tumbleweeds in Palmdale!
Hermana B
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Early October - Baptism!
Hey fam:
I don't have much time to write...Things are going really well. Guadalupe got baptized yesterday and it was beautiful. Rick is on track to get baptized this weekend, although Alexis doesn't feel ready yet (which is fair, since we haven't really gotten a chance to teach her as much as she needs). Bummer. But we'll keep trying to meet with her. It's tough because we're teaching everyone in the house, but they're all on VERY different pages and some demand more attention than others. We've been trying to be careful about how we spend our time when we're there, but I guess we haven't been prudent enough. Oh well, guess we'll have to keep going!
Our new elders are working super-duper hard and doing so great. We've gone to a couple of appointments with them to kind of make an "investigator handoff." They're both great teachers and Hermana Prince and I have a ton of respect for them. Hermana Prince and I are working hard, trying to find new investigators, and becoming closer.
We had stake conference this weekend and a Seventy, Elder Edwards, came and spoke and one of the things he said keeps running around in my head and is becoming an annoying reality: "When there has been a particular outpouring of the Spirit for a specific occasion, it will back off for a little while so that we can be tested." Satan was trying pretty hard to discourage me for Guadalupe's baptism, but it was a wonderful experience. Hermana Prince and I sang a special arrangement of "I Stand All Amazed" because it's her very favorite hymn. She loved it and cried :).
I have a card to send to you with little things I always forget during email time so I'll try to send that along this week.
Love you more than all the success our new elders are having!
Hermana B
I don't have much time to write...Things are going really well. Guadalupe got baptized yesterday and it was beautiful. Rick is on track to get baptized this weekend, although Alexis doesn't feel ready yet (which is fair, since we haven't really gotten a chance to teach her as much as she needs). Bummer. But we'll keep trying to meet with her. It's tough because we're teaching everyone in the house, but they're all on VERY different pages and some demand more attention than others. We've been trying to be careful about how we spend our time when we're there, but I guess we haven't been prudent enough. Oh well, guess we'll have to keep going!
Our new elders are working super-duper hard and doing so great. We've gone to a couple of appointments with them to kind of make an "investigator handoff." They're both great teachers and Hermana Prince and I have a ton of respect for them. Hermana Prince and I are working hard, trying to find new investigators, and becoming closer.
We had stake conference this weekend and a Seventy, Elder Edwards, came and spoke and one of the things he said keeps running around in my head and is becoming an annoying reality: "When there has been a particular outpouring of the Spirit for a specific occasion, it will back off for a little while so that we can be tested." Satan was trying pretty hard to discourage me for Guadalupe's baptism, but it was a wonderful experience. Hermana Prince and I sang a special arrangement of "I Stand All Amazed" because it's her very favorite hymn. She loved it and cried :).
I have a card to send to you with little things I always forget during email time so I'll try to send that along this week.
Love you more than all the success our new elders are having!
Hermana B
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Oh my gosh those pictures of Jared and Tiffany are so beautiful! I cannot WAIT! It's going to be such a wonderful, incredible day!
I'm so proud of you for going out with the sisters, Mama! Members who are willing to go out with the missionaries are THE BEST and we appreciate and love them immensely.
This is the end of Hermana Prince's 1st transfer and we're so so happy to be staying together. We're also going to be splitting our area and getting some bike elders to come work in the northern chunk of our area. We have about 50 square miles that we haven't even touched, so hopefully now we'll have time to explore and teach down there.
I love conference! We had 4 investigators come to various sessions and they each had some big questions answered. We worked hard to help everyone we met be excited for conference and even just helping people prepare for conference provided for some great teaching opportunities. We're very excited for our upcoming baptism this weekend and we're praying hard for her to come closer to the Savior every day. We made a "baptismal countdown" paper chain with different little spiritual thoughts and challenges every day. She's so great! Her grandsons were baptized not too long ago and we're excited for them to grow together as a family. Her husband is coming closer and closer and trusting us more to answer questions, although we always refer him back to Heavenly Father to confirm truths we teach.
Elder Yamashita's talk was a tender mercy. I've been feeling great and optimistic, but yesterday afternoon right before the last session of conference, I got really discouraged and felt totally inadequate and frustrated with various aspects of our teaching (specifically that our investigators don't seem to fully grasp the importance of the gospel, even when they're willing to take huge steps of faith). But his talk specifically addressed my momentary frustrations and sadness and even more than his words, I felt Heavenly Father's love sosegarme (I don't remember how to say that in English)( Mom: it means to be calmed, quieted.)
Speaking of Spanish, Hermana Prince's Spanish is coming along great. There are sometimes when she's teaching and the Spirit is super strong and she starts speaking like a native....past present future subjunctive included. So cool!! We're studying, working hard, loving our companionship, the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and life in general!. We're so excited to have new elders in our branch and I can't wait to see the miracles they bring to pass in our little branch, too!
Jesus (our investigator) tried to come to conference on Saturday but he tried to walk there. He got all confused and wandered around palmdale all day long. I guess that's what we get for telling him how to get to the stake center while he was drunk. He was sitting next to me while we watched the afternoon session on Sunday and he smelled strongly of old lady perfume....which makes me wonder what he had been drinking. ..... hmmmm....
ANyway.
As far as things I need, clothes would be lovely. I always thought my other companions were just whiners when they talked about how sick of their clothes they were....but I'm getting there too. Anyway. If that could be arranged, that would be wonderful. :) I'm sending pictures this week, but I have one that's specifically for Jared. Can I get his address?
I love you more than all the conference talks that touched my heart and shook my soul awake!
Hermana Manzana
I'm so proud of you for going out with the sisters, Mama! Members who are willing to go out with the missionaries are THE BEST and we appreciate and love them immensely.
This is the end of Hermana Prince's 1st transfer and we're so so happy to be staying together. We're also going to be splitting our area and getting some bike elders to come work in the northern chunk of our area. We have about 50 square miles that we haven't even touched, so hopefully now we'll have time to explore and teach down there.
I love conference! We had 4 investigators come to various sessions and they each had some big questions answered. We worked hard to help everyone we met be excited for conference and even just helping people prepare for conference provided for some great teaching opportunities. We're very excited for our upcoming baptism this weekend and we're praying hard for her to come closer to the Savior every day. We made a "baptismal countdown" paper chain with different little spiritual thoughts and challenges every day. She's so great! Her grandsons were baptized not too long ago and we're excited for them to grow together as a family. Her husband is coming closer and closer and trusting us more to answer questions, although we always refer him back to Heavenly Father to confirm truths we teach.
Elder Yamashita's talk was a tender mercy. I've been feeling great and optimistic, but yesterday afternoon right before the last session of conference, I got really discouraged and felt totally inadequate and frustrated with various aspects of our teaching (specifically that our investigators don't seem to fully grasp the importance of the gospel, even when they're willing to take huge steps of faith). But his talk specifically addressed my momentary frustrations and sadness and even more than his words, I felt Heavenly Father's love sosegarme (I don't remember how to say that in English)( Mom: it means to be calmed, quieted.)
Speaking of Spanish, Hermana Prince's Spanish is coming along great. There are sometimes when she's teaching and the Spirit is super strong and she starts speaking like a native....past present future subjunctive included. So cool!! We're studying, working hard, loving our companionship, the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and life in general!. We're so excited to have new elders in our branch and I can't wait to see the miracles they bring to pass in our little branch, too!
Jesus (our investigator) tried to come to conference on Saturday but he tried to walk there. He got all confused and wandered around palmdale all day long. I guess that's what we get for telling him how to get to the stake center while he was drunk. He was sitting next to me while we watched the afternoon session on Sunday and he smelled strongly of old lady perfume....which makes me wonder what he had been drinking. ..... hmmmm....
ANyway.
As far as things I need, clothes would be lovely. I always thought my other companions were just whiners when they talked about how sick of their clothes they were....but I'm getting there too. Anyway. If that could be arranged, that would be wonderful. :) I'm sending pictures this week, but I have one that's specifically for Jared. Can I get his address?
I love you more than all the conference talks that touched my heart and shook my soul awake!
Hermana Manzana
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