Week 63

This week was AWESOME!

So, to start off, Olga came to church for the first time ever yesterday!!!!! 

According to her teaching record (which we found in the Area Book after thinking that she was a new investigator. Whoops.), other sisters had been visiting her for about a year, but she never came to church. But we had a lesson with her this last weekend and we told her that we promised her that she would receive the answers that she was looking for if she would come to church. So we went to pick her up Sunday morning, we showed up right when we said we would, and she was already waiting for us in the doorway with a blouse and skirt on! Wooooooooo!

We were SOOOO happy! 

And the next miracle: We've been working with a less-active family since the beginning of the transfer, and we had a Family Home Evening lesson with them where we talked about temples and eternal families and how those things were only possible if we were doing our part. 

The wife had already been coming to church alone or sometimes with her two kids since the beginning of the transfer, but her husband was "very hard to convince" according to her. But he came!!!!!!!!! And he came in a white shirt and tie and everything!!!!!

I seriously wanted to take a picture of their family sitting together in church today. It was the most beautiful sight! Hermana Darrington were doing cartwheels inside our minds pretty much the whole day through.

Also, we have been inviting people to baptism in the lessons at every chance we get. What I love about Hermana Darrington is that she always knows how to set the mood for a baptismal invite, even when there's all kinds of distractions like fruit trucks advertising their goods with a megaphone during the most spiritual part of the lesson. Or when the kids suddenly start screaming and running around like crazies. But somehow, she ALWAYS manages to bring things back. She has a gift. It's like maaaagic! =D hahaha!

But anyways, so we invited a lady named Marina to be baptized, and she told us that she would be baptized only if she receives an answer that this is the true church. But she told us that she doesn´t know if she'll actually receive an answer because she "already has her traditions in her heart." We're trying to help her to understand that truth does not change with circumstances. Truth is eternal!

We also went to visit a lady named Juana. I don't know if I´ve mentioned her yet, but we explained The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to her and asked her if she would follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by somebody who has his authority. She smiled really big, and said yes! She looked really happy when she accepted! Hermana Darrington had one of those moments where both of our heads were in the clouds, and we were both having a silent "squeeee!!!!!" moment on the inside, but we kept things professional and calm and told her that we would be with her every step of the way to help her prepare. 

We haven't been able to visit her this last week (though we've tried), but we've called her at the very least. She still seems pretty chipper. =D We´re going to try to visit her tonight and see how she's doing.

So as I was writing this email, somebody came up behind me and put their hands over my eyes. I plied the hands off my face and it was Hermana Alvarez!!!!! My trainee!!!!!!! I didn't think I'd cross paths with her again before the end of my mission!!!!!! My goodness. Just getting surprises all over the place.

On Friday, Hermana Darrington and I both went to the sector of Hermanas Cottam and Aizama, split the sector, and worked on finding new people to teach. I went with Hermana Aizama. We didn't end up having any sit-down lessons because our appointments cancelled and nobody we contacted let us into their houses, BUT we found people in other ways. We came across a really nice lady in an almacen and her cousin actually turned out to be a less-active member. We asked them if we could visit them during the week and they said yes! We also found a less-active who wants to start going back to church and then become a missionary! We gave him the time when church starts and the address of the chapel. We also found some interesting people in the street as well. We topped off the division with some homemade pancakes and called it a good day. Cause it was =)

Oh! In other news! I would highly recommend that you guys read the talk "The Bitter Cup and the Bloody Baptism" by Jeffrey R. Holland. It´s my all-time FAVORITE talk. Seriously. It changed my perspective on so many things and helped me to understand the importance of trials.

I love each and every one of you so much, and I hope that you have a fantastic week. Keep praying! Prayer works! I promise you! ;)

Chaooooooo!

-Hermana Darley

Look who I found in the ciber! Hermana Alvarez my greenie! =D (Who is actually training now. I´m so proud! T_T)

After the Pday activity with the zone, we went to Sushi n´ Sandwich. I love this place. Foooooood!

Hermana Darrington and I in the bus. I can never get this girl to do a normal face!

Here´s a picture of Denise. (An investigator) from the last transfer. Hermana Chapman wrote me and told me that she came to church last week! WOOOOOO! I love her so much!