6 Months
Easter Sunday 2014
Hermana Baca, You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Uruguay Montevideo West Mission.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Fun news this week:
- I sang a solo in church for Easter Sunday. ( I know you´re all thinking ¨ You sing???¨. Yeah, I don´t but with lots of practice and the other Sisters, I did it!)
- I´m use to giving hugs to everyone and automatically tried to give a boy a hug the other day.... then freaked out like an awkward little girl.
- After freaking out, I also threw an egg I had in my hand at him. ( by accident.)
That about sums it up.
I am just loving this work. Teaching has become one of my favorite things to do. I love being able to feel and follow the spirit. I know the Lords right next to me teaching these people. It´s just a glimpse of what it felt like to live with him and I know I lived with him. My purpose as a missionary is to help others feel and remember this too and I love doing it.
One of the strongest tools to help others feel that same spirit to help them remember what we can´t is through members. When we teach investigators and less actives with members the spirit is able to testify stronger.
Wednesday, we went out with members all day. The spirit we had with us this day, was special. It was the best day of my whole mission. L, was one of the members we had for the whole morning. She was able to testify in every lesson, and she did it with power. I know she touched the hearts of these people and it strengthened her too. Right before leaving, she couldn´t stop hugging us and thanking us for the wonderful experience. She also said ¨ Now, I´m at your availability when you need me.¨ She needed that experience.
We had the spirit with us all day and I know it was because of the members. Toward the end of the day we had a lesson planned in the church for an investigator and her inactive family. The plans quickly changed though when the investigator couldn´t come, but her aunt said she would still come with her boyfriend. Then, the member we had, cancelled on us.
I was a little discouraged, but I was so grateful for the spirit we had. We both felt prompted that we needed to change our lesson plan. The only thing was is that I felt strongly about one lesson and Hermana J felt strongly about an other. So what did we do? Prayed! Within 3 minutes before they arrived we planned a mix of our 2 lessons.
We didn´t have a member, but we did have the spirit STRONGLY with us, because of the testimonies of the other members we had felt during the day. It was a lesson completely guided by the spirit. It was the Lords lesson. I know it didn´t work out how we had planned, but it worked out the way he planned it to be. It was what they needed to hear and now they are going with us today to start the marriage process, to prepare for the temple.
Investigators, less actives, and even strong members need spiritual experiences to progress, to remember what they know to be true. It´s so important that they experience this and what other greater way than through these missionary discussions.
I know my Heavenly Father knows this too. That´s why he gave us the revelation through a prophets words that ¨ Now is the moment that members and missionaries work together in the Lord´s vineyard. I feel the love he has for each person when we are sitting in a lesson teaching together. I I feel like when he gave us this revelation that it was his cry saying ¨please work with the missionaries, because it´s the only way to strengthen all parts of my vineyard. Member or no member. My children NEED to feel this.¨
I know this is my Heavenly Fathers work. I know that I lived with him once before and I´m going to live with him again. I can´t wait for that day. There´s no way to describe how you feel when you help the children he loves come closer to him.
¡HOY ES EL DìA!
Love, Hermana Baca
Sunday, April 20, 2014
It´s getting cold!!! This winter is going to be very cruel due to humidity, rain, and wind. Despite the cold I had a great week and weekend.
Friday was the baptism of our investigator, P. He is 80 years old and is SO funny. He breaks into tears every time he talks about Hermana Jordan and I . The other day he said ¨ I have a question.¨ and we said ¨ Yes P.¨ and then he said with tears in his eyes ¨ Can we take a photo so I can put it above my table to see everyday?¨
Then another time he asked me ¨Are you going back to the United State tomorrow?¨ as he cried :( and I said ¨No, no P, not for a long time.¨ and then he smiled and laughed. haha He makes me want to stay here forever.
His baptism was so spiritual and went so well! Usually baptism days are crazy , but not for him. Although, the week before we had the craziest things happen and it got worse everyday. Despite all the trials he had during this time, he made it to his baptism day!
While I was in Rivera, another ¨state¨ in Uruguay, this weekend he kept asking ¨Where´s La Vaca?¨ ( where´s the cow?) haha
Rivera was so fun! I went with Hermana Olson to help out with their stake conference and I got to see my MOM! ( a.k.a. my trainer) It was so nice to spend time with her after not seeing her for 2 months. I also got to meet the family of my mission president. Then on the way home we traveled through Brazil and it was sooo pretty! I was lucky. :)
I am loving it here and I love teaching this gospel. The pounding spirit I feel when testify of these things is what I feel everyday. EVERYDAY and that´s why I love it so much. I could do this forever. I KNOW that this gospel is true and I know that we have so little time to help others know of the truth fullness. I know it so much that at times I get overwhelmed and stressed with how much work there is to be done. I can´t imagine how Heavenly Father feels. I know of the love he has for his children and I feel it everyday.
Miss you and love you all!
Love, Hermana Baca
This week I´ll have 6 months in the mission!!!!! I refuse to say I have that much time. One sister in my ward has a son who left the same day as I did and she always tells me ¨ NO HERMANA YOU HAVE MORE TIME!¨ I don´t want to have this much time though. It makes me sad.
General Conference was so good. I am so grateful for the prophet and apostles we have today. I learned a lot of things,but what I got most out of it was PREPARE YOURSELVES. We are in the last days and I know we´re getting closer and closer to the day that the savior comes again. It is only going to get harder from here and having a firm foundation is essential. The foundation we need to keep us firm when the storm comes should have been built yesterday. More than ever this foundation needs to be established within our homes and families. If we build strong houses, we will be prepared for when the hurricane comes.
We can´t follow the worlds views when establishing this security in our homes. I was reading today in 2 Nephi 28:31 and it says ¨cursed is he that putteth his trust in man.¨ ( pretty direct, I know.) It´s true though. We can´t follow the worlds view on things. The minute we´re disobedient is the minute we give Satan power over us.
I know with all my heart that today is the day the Lord is hastening his work, but so is the adversary. That´s why it is so important to follow the counsel of the prophet and his apostles. They´re the cement and bricks we need to build our foundations. I KNOW this church is the church of Jesus Christ and true happiness can only be found by living it´s teachings. I love you and miss you all!
Love, Hermana Baca
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)