Monday, May 30, 2016

Spiritual paydays

¡Hola familia y amigos!

Another week has come and gone in a blink of an eye - it's really true when they say the days feel like weeks, but the weeks feel like seconds or however the phrase goes.

This week has been pleasantly normal and full of work for us here in Salado. We put a focus in our weekly planning to get more members to visit with us and we were able to go out with at least one, if not two members everyday this week! It was a little crazy and we had more than one occasion where Hermana Noorda and I would've put the speed-walking Olympiads to shame, but we did it and we had various members who brought or were at least assigned to bring our investigators to church. Even though it took a little more thought, phone calls and punctual planning, it was worth it and has made our job a little easier. I now have a testimony of member involvement in missionary work - it is essential! It really makes a difference when we are able to really work with the ward instead of just in the ward - it takes a little bit more effort on both sides, for members and missionaries, however in the end it's easier and brings more joy in the work. This has probably been one of the more joyful weeks of my mission, or better said one of the more fulfilling weeks.

On Friday we had a late Mother's Day activity and the youth, some of the Priesthood and even us missionaries put on skits and sang songs. We did a last minute skit with the Hermanas and Elders "swapping" roles, acting out how we thought the Elders exercised, studied, contacted and cooked and them vice versa. It was pretty funny, especially for being so spontaneous.

Saturday was a very special day. Around the beginning of May Hermana Noorda and I met three women in the street looking for water. The next day we came back, taught, invited them to be baptized and they accepted. The following visit we put a baptismal date and witnessed a miracle happen to them. A few days later they moved into the Elder's area and we, choking back the tears, passed our golden investigators into their hands. Since then we have seen Isidora and Monse at almost every church activity - including Sunday reunions - and Milagros every now and then. We've witnessed them making changes in their life and Saturday Isidora and Monse came to the waters of baptism.  They were looking when we found them, they chose to follow what we&the spirit taught and now they have entered through the door of baptism and are on the way back to the presence of our Heavenly Father. As a missionary, and friend of Isidora & family, it is a great privilege to be part of their conversion. Sometimes, as missionaries, we reward ourselves with working for good numbers, Amandau ice cream on P-day or mate dulce, but the real pay day comes when we get to see our efforts really take part in the work of the Lord.

With love sent from Paraguay,

Hermana Carr