Steep Challenges"

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