Hola!
At our zone meeting last week the zone leaders issued a challenge to
us to make a goal to receive at least 3 new investigators a week. Well
since we received that challenge our zone has most certainly been on
FIRE! The zone leaders update everyone whenever a companionship adds a
new investigator to their teaching pool and everyone is doing great!
This week my companion and I were super blessed to receive 4 new
investigators.
About two weeks ago our ward mission leader gave us a referral (Marco
and Barbara) and we tried a few times to visit them but they were
never home. Last week Hermano Lugo (our ward mission leader) told us
that the daughter of this referral just had surgery and that they
requested the missionaries come to give her a blessing. So we went
with Hermano Lugo and the Elders to see Vanessa (the daughter) and she
received a blessing. The majority of that visit we really just took
time to get to know the family and it was super nice. Well last night
we stopped by their house again and everyone was home. We ended up
teaching them about the plan of salvation and it went really well.
They also mentioned to us that they have an appointment with Vanessa's
surgeon today at 2:00 and asked if we would come and translate for
them because they don't speak English. This family is very sweet and
I'm excited to keep teaching them. Also please pray for Vanessa! :)
Oh my Olimpia! She is a referral. A referral from the ward. The ward
actually told us to go visit her. Haha #district2 ANYWAY, Olimpia is
awesome! We've been blessed to be teaching her pretty regularly in a
members home (we had a on appointment with her this morning!) and she
loves the gospel. She said before she met us that she had been praying
to know what path God wanted her to follow and eventually she met
Hermana Blanca while walking her kids to school and Hermana (being the
awesome missionary she is) invited her to her home to meet with us so
we can introduce the restored gospel into her life. This morning she
also accepted the invitation to be baptized :)
This past week was pretty busy and it looks like this upcoming week
will be even busier. I feel so blessed to be able to be serving here
and for the privilege to help bring the gospel into so many lives.
My companion and I had a pretty interesting experience on Saturday
night. We went to visit our sweet little grandma investigator, Angela,
and she let us in but she also had some other visitors over. We sat
down and started to listen to what they were talking about and of
course they were discussing religion. Usually that's a pretty ideal
situation for missionaries to jump in and share some restored truth,
but this time it was quite the opposite. They immediately started
making fun of the church and raised their voices at us about a lot of
different things and made sure we didn't get a chance to respond. Well
I've never been rejected so aggressively on my mission and clearly the
spirit wasn't there. It's experiences like these that are never
desired but that I'm thankful for because of what I take from it.
After this experience I immediately thought of a couple scriptures in
1 Nephi Chapter 8 in the Book of Mormon:
12 "And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with
exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my
family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable
above all other fruit."
33 "And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange
building. And after they did enter into that building they did point
the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit
also; but we heeded them not."
I love that! "But we heeded them not." There are going to be times in
our lives where we encounter people that will try to damage our faith
and testimonies, but it is up to us to decide if we will maintain a
firm grip on the rod of iron and "heed them not." I know this gospel
is true and it will always be true. I have experienced and testify of
the "exceedingly great joy" this gospel brings and I know this fruit
will always be precious and desirable. Even if people reject me or
make fun of me, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ" (Romans
1:16).
This week was filled with so many blessings and I would love to share
them all but just know that the work is moving forward and I
absolutely love being a missionary. I love you all and hope everyone
has a great week :)
Mantener la sonrisa,
Hermana Knowles
158
Trabajemos hoy en la obra
1. Trabajemos hoy en la obra del Señor,
y ganemos así un hogar celestial.
En la lucha cruel empuñemos, sin temor,
la espada de la verdad.
Firmes y valientes en la lid,
todo enemigo confundid.
Lucharemos a vencer el error;
seguiremos sólo al Señor.
2. Nuestras filas chicas jamás desmayarán,
a pesar de las huestes que contenderán,
y del cielo, Cristo poder nos dará
en defensa de la verdad.
Firmes y valientes en la lid,
todo enemigo confundid.
Lucharemos a vencer el error;
seguiremos sólo al Señor.
3. Toda obra buena aleja el temor,
pues tenemos en Cristo un gran Defensor.
En las duras pruebas nos da el valor
de luchar por la verdad.
Firmes y valientes en la lid,
todo enemigo confundid.
Lucharemos a vencer el error;
seguiremos sólo al Señor.
I'll say it again... I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY :)
