February 26, 2015

These past couples of weeks have been fun and busy. By the end of last week I was sick. I didn`t have too much energy and felt a little down. Although I wasn`t feeling to well I tried to keep working and prayed that I could get back to my usual way of working.

It`s cool to see the Lord answer prayers. Hermana Galvàn was heading back to Artigas on Monday night and was giving me feedback before she left. She helped me understand the importance of trusting in the Lord during hard times. She explained to me the importance of not only learning and studying the scriptures, but putting what I know into practice. It was great advice and it helped me to have a stronger desire to never become desanimado.

 As she was telling me that we received a phone call from the secretaries saying that I would be going to pick up the new missionaries from the airport. My body was overtaken by excitement when I heard that! They told us that we would not only get to pick them up, but that we would get to be with them until they met their trainers. All I kept thinking was what a privileged.

The next day we headed to pick them up. I don`t know why, but just being in the presence of new missionaries gives you energy. They are so excited to learn everything and get to work. We spent the day in trainings, listening to president, and we ended the day in a baptism. If I didn`t have energy before, by the end of the day my spirit was so lifted.

At the end of the night I just felt so blessed and like I had received light, not only light of excitement, but light of revelation. That night I was thanking President Smith for such the big privilege it had been. He told me that it`s a privilege because I had worked so hard and the Lord always blesses us for our obedience.

At times I do feel a little discouraged, but the Lord always has a way of showing me that he is pleased and helps me keep working. I am grateful for the tender blessings of the Lord and that we can start this new change with a new energy. I testify of Christ and that he loves us. I know if we trust in his strength to keep us going, he won`t let us down.

Love,

Hermana Baca

Picking up the new missionaries! 

New parents!

We just love spending time with Presidente and Hermana Smith

Only in Uruguay would you find a sign like this on the bus. 

February 16, 2015

We learn with the spirit so when the spirits not with us it is hard to ``know the truth of all things.`` Moroni 10:5. Many times when we teach someone who doesn`t have the holy ghost in their lives it`s hard to have patience when teaching them. It`s important to trust in the spirit and that it will enlighten their understanding. The spirit has to be there to help someone who`s so far driven from the Lord understand the truthfulness of the message we share.

There came a point in the Book of Mormon where the Lamanites wanted to fight the Nephites because they felt like God had punished Laman and Lemuel since the beginning and Nephi was his favorite.  

``12 They were a wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, believing in the tradition of their fathers, which is this—Believing that they weredriven out of the land of Jerusalem because of the iniquities of their fathers, and that they were wronged in the wilderness by their brethren, and theywere also wronged while crossing the sea;

 13 And again, that they were wronged while in the land of their first inheritance, after they had crossed the sea, and all this because that Nephi wasmore faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord—therefore he was favored of the Lord, for the Lord heard his prayers and answered them,and he took the lead of their journey in the wilderness. `` Moroni 10: 12-13.

We know that it wasn`t that way and that Nephi was blessed for his obedience, but because the Laminites didn`t have the spirit in their lives they were easily influenced by the thought of Satan. I imagine it would be hard to teach a Lamanite who`s so caught in the power of Satan. Although, as missionaries we face people who have harden hearts just like the Lamanites every day.

The other day we had a meeting in the Church at 10 in the morning with our ward missionary leader. As we waited for him to show up there was a group of people showing up at the church. We had no idea what the group was for until one sister came to us and started talking. She told us that her and her husband had came from Australia and got all the members of the church who built our church building 50 years ago for a lunch.

It was like a family reunion was happening. She also told us that even though those members had built the church many of them were inactive. She invited us to have lunch with them. The interesting thing is that both the elders and us just happened to not have lunch that day, because the families cancelled. I was grateful that the Lord worked to cancel lunch and not have our ward missionary leader show up so that we could be part of that special event. The Lord is amazing.

When we went to lunch I knew my purpose. I eagerly sat right next to a couple of inactive members and started to casually talk with them. One of them is Nestor. He went inactive when he was in his 20`s and has had a rough life since. He recognized that unlike all his other friends who stayed in the church he wasn`t happy. He explained to me that he is fighting with God and that God has been punishing him for all that he`s done. ( Kinda of like something the Lamanites said ;).)

Luckily for Nestor all of his friends were listening to him talk and they all started testifying of the gospel to him. It was a miracle that he even showed up to the activity and just being there feeling the love of his friends helped him feel Gods love for him. As I went on listening to him I tried to be patient and just let him speak. I could easily interrupt him and answer every one of his doubts, but the spirit kept whispering to me to just be patient and wait. When the time came the only thing I did was testify of Christ. I felt so much power as I testified and I know he could feel it too.

After I testified he asked me `` Why is God punishing me then if he loves me?``. In that moment the Lord endowed me with power to explain to him the law of Justice and how our loving Heavenly Father sent his son Jesus Christ to pay the price of our sins so that we can be let free from guilt and the consequences of our sins. Alma 43:20 It was something so simple and clear that he understood. The spirit illuminated his understanding.

He then gave us his address and phone number to go visit with him, because he said that he liked talking with us. He like feeling the spirit and being able to have a better understanding through the spirit. I know that the spirit is key to changing hearts. I know that our Redeemer live and he lives because we have a Heavenly Father who loves us. I know that the Book of Mormon is a true book and that as we read it, it can illuminate our understanding.

Love,

Hermana Baca

February 9,2015

I spent my birthday in the same place as I did last year. 

My birthday and Carolines birthday. 12 and 21

Our little family.

A super Juicer a member gave us. This was a tender mercy from the Lord for me. Not only did she give us the juicer, but she gives us BAGS of fruit all the time and even the other day we ate lunch at a members house and they also gave us BAGS of fruit. I feel like it`s the Lord showing me that he is aware of me, my needs, and my wants. 

Ciudad Vieja

So today we took a train to Ciudad Viaja in Montevideo. It`s an old city that`s very touristy. It was fun.

Montevideo is BEAUTIFUL

Hermana Galvan

ARTIGASSSSSSSSSSSS

Hermana Hafen and I are MOMS! The new hijita Hermana Galvàn 

Doctrine and Covenants 101

Happy Birthday to Hermana GALVAN

February 9,2015

 I am still getting use to be in Montevideo and not Artigas. Who knew a country could be so different from one end to the other. I`m not use to being turned down so much and on Thursday I felt very down. We have been being very obedient in all things with the new plan we have for the mission, there isn`t a lesson or contact that we do without asking for references, and there isn`t a person that we pass without talking to them. On one side I feel good knowing that I am doing all that I can to bautizar, rescatar, and retener although, I have felt very down because in Montevideo the people aren`t as kind. I felt a lot of pressure to not only give the members a good experience by working with us, but also to Hermana Galvan (our corto plazo hija). 

The next day I had divisiones with Hermana Buno. I prayed that the Lord would help me feel more animated during the day. When the afternoon came around Hermana Buno explained that she had been feeling the same way. After talking we both came to realize that the spiritual experiences we have in lessons give us a lot of animo to work, but because it`s a lot different here we have to work harder and prayer for those spiritual experiences that keep us going.

After having an inspired experience with Hermana Buno I realized that even though we didn`t have a ton of lessons during the day to show Hermana Galvan, we did have an excelente companionship study. That same Thursday we taught Hermana Galvan lesson 1.1. We taught her not as an investigator, but has Estefani Galvan. It was a spiritual experience for all of us. I realized that I really needed to start praying for spiritual experiences and give thanks when we do have them. I went on working the rest of the week with a lot more animo. By the end of the week we saw miracles. 

During the week we had visited an inactive member who lost her only daughter 5 years ago and hadn`t been to church since. We have been visiting the family, their home teachers, and they are on the list from the high priest to work with. This past week we visited her with Kris (the Relief Society president and the daughter of Bishop Sandes). Kris hadn`t been to the house since the daughter died, because it was hard for her to go. When we asked Kris to come visit Hermana Perez with us to wish her a Happy Birthday we had no idea.

Even though it had been 5 years the visit was very successful. Kris ended up asking flat out ``Why don`t you two go to church`` La Familia Perez didn`t say why, but Kris told Hermana Perez that she was going to pick her up Sunday to go to sacrament meeting. Sunday came and Kris called her to say she was on her way, but when Hermana Perez got on the phone she told her that she wasn`t going, because she was having a panic attack. Kris told her she was coming anyways with someone to give her a blessing. Not only did she receive a blessing, but Kris was there to help her with her nerves, because she had suffered from the same thing. I have no doubt Kris needed to be the one to help her on Sunday.

For the first time in 5 years Hermana Perez came to church and partook of the sacrament. Hermana Perez commented that the last talk given was just for her. She said `` I knew the day I went back to church God would speak to me and he did during that talk``. All the members felt the same way. Everyone was so surprised, but the best part was that all the members that had visited her or had gone to visit her saw  the fruits of THEIR labor. They all hugged her and showed her love. Then when we did the huddle we talked about how great it was to see someone from the list progressing.

I know that as we are obedient and diligent we can see the fruits of our labor. I know that this plan that we have been putting into place is a truly inspired plan. I know that the members are an essential part of this plan and as we work together we can see miracles. I am grateful for the members here in Barrio 7. They helped us have a spiritual experience this week and we have so much animo to start a new week now.

Love,

Hermana Baca

HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY SISTER KAYLEE JUNE BACA

My surprise from Hermana Hafen. Her surprise actually worked, I had no idea. She dido't set an alarm in the morning so I wouldn't wake up (sneaky) and she woke up and made banana bread, natural juice from carrots and oranges with our super juicer a member gave us, my favorite banana candy, and when we were in divisions she bought balloons and a gift. #bestbirthdaycompever

 #meowMy cat ring holder Hermana Hafen got me 

Banana candy. 

Sweet tan lines. 

January 26, 2015




Good news! We don´t live with a cat lady anymore. Even more good news WE HAVE A WASHING MACHINE. For the first time in over a year I don´t have to wash my clothes in a bucket. We will only be in this house for a month so in the meantime we will continue our search for a new house and take advantage of the washing machine. I am loving my new area and Hermana Hafen. Go team.

With Hermana Hafen I feel like we are really working together. We are a team and she has the desires to just be obedient and work while having fun as we do it. We are just always in tune with the spirit and the lessons we have are great. I´m grateful for our companionship and for the companionship of the spirit.

We are given the promise that we will have the spirit with us, but actually having the spirit with us is a constant battle. One day Hermana Hafen and I went to visit some of our investigators. When we showed up to the house the grandma came out and told us that we weren't allowed to visit them. She then went on to tell us that ´´Mormons´´ are bad and that we don´t help anyone. We were very frustrated and hurt by just listening to her when we walked away.

After a couple minutes of walking Hermana Hafen said ´´ We don´t have the spirit. Should we pray?´´ (This is why I love her) So, we stopped behind a tree and said a prayer so that we would be able to continue working with the spirit. The spirit is EVERYTHING and without the spirit we are nothing. The spirit teaches the lessons and people and without the spirit the people we are teaching do not learn.

We felt better after the prayer and continued working. The next lesson we had a member take us to an inactive family. When we got to the house the brother was talking about his excuses of why he stopped going to church. He said that other people of shut of the light in his life. I felt like he was saying that others stopped him from having the spirit with him, but I know it´s not that way. We are in control of whether we have the spirit with us or not. When we don´t have the spirit we become confused and unstable and that´s when with fall into spiritual darkness.

This brother was living in spiritual darkness and we explained this to him using Alma 5:7. The spirit guided our words through the lesson and we analyzed this verse with him to help him understand. In the end of the lesson he said the prayer and his eyes filled with tears. Because we taught with the spirit we brightened up his understanding.

Many times the people we teach don´t have this spiritual light to guide them. We teach investigators who have never felt the light and we teach less active members who need help turning on this light again. I know that through the guidance of the Holy Ghost we can guide them to their Heavenly Father, but if we want to help others we have to have this light first.

That´s why I am so grateful for Hermana Hafen. She understands the importance of exact obedience so that we can work with the spirit and not against it. There´s a quote from Elder Ezra Taft Benson that says ´´When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power.´´ We seek to be obedient and we are a powerful companionship.

I am grateful for the spirit in my life and for spiritual experiences. I know that I have a loving Heavenly Father that has given me the gift of the Holy Ghost to guide me.