Confía En Esperar

Hola a todos!!! Feliz lunes!

Another 2 weeks without an email holy cow, and now we're coming up on transfers! I'm in denial of it all, I'm never gonna be an actual adult I've decided, mission bubble is bliss hahaha. But it was such a good week! Two things of notice: my new nickname is muñeca don't ask why, and I've decided to forget it's february and pretend it's summer, nobody wreck my dreams. Also im currently being taught salsa dancing, so pretty much almost latina yall. 

Ok so first of all, we had another zone challenge and this time it was to have 100 mpls (member participating lessons) in one week, which based on our past numbers was gonna be hard, but because im blessed to serve with the most faithful, hard-working missionaries there are, we reached 107 this week! Big things

One of those mpls was with our amazing friend Maite, goodness I just love that girl. She came to church for the first time last Sunday and loved it. We asked what she thought of the sacrament, she said she had never done anything like that before and it was just beautiful. Made me want to cry. We explained the symbolism and everything and she thought it was so cool. For the lesson we talked about our baptismal covenant and you could tell she was just hanging on to every word and really listening and answering sincerely, thats what really makes my heart happy, when they take it seriously because they know how important it is. Anyways, we invited her to be baptized, she wasn't scared or anything, but she said she wants to know more and she wants to have that as a goal someday! Our member Sister Bates was there, she's literally our other comp hahaha, and she shared her testimony and we shared ours and you could just feel the peace in that room. Those lessons just make being a missionary so worth it!

Also other lesson we had with our friend Abner, he was invited to be baptized before I got here and he said then that he wasnt ready yet. Well we brought it up again, and he said that he still didn't feel ready, but it was because he knew how big of a commitment it was and how sacred a covenant is, so he wants to make sure he's ready to be all in. We started going through bap interview questions with him and didn't get past number two, but then had a really good discussion about Joseph Smith, so now he's actually going to pray to know he's a prophet! Super elect guy, only thing is he might be moving to evansville cryyyyy.

Other crazy momentos 

- visited a monastery in ferdinand and I think I might become a nun

- overcoming my fear of heights and climbed a fire tower which was absolutely terrifying, I was gripping that raíl so hard, yall shouldve seen how sketchy that thing is

- gave a talk in English for the first time

- tried to have a lesson with a friend in person with a member, but the guy lives really far away and come to find out he lives in a warehouse in the basement with other guys in a very sketchy part of town, also it was night, so pretty much we did not go inside lol

- had a really good ZC about baptism, I love zone conference so much, also made me cry cause my old comp Hermana Peine gave her farewell testimony

- tried papusas for the first time, 10/10 highly recommend

- English class is really picking up which is amazing!

- hit my 1 YEAR MARK!!! You guys I don't know where the time has gone, it's not even funny, but I will say shout out to all the friends, comps, family, and members who made this past year incredible!!! I love each and every one of you and I am SO grateful to God for putting you in my path and in my life. I've learned so much and grown a ton. The days haven't always been easy, but I look back and I see grace through it all. Those memories are some of my very favorites, and a lot of them are because of you all! So thank you for being mi gente favorita en todo del mundo! 

- ate at a fancy german restaurant Schnitzelbank and shared a 30 dollar appetizer, don't eat their horseradish mustard, that stuff tastes like the stuff the dentist uses to numb your teeth, nasty, but the rest of it was fireeee! Especially potato cake with Apple butter oh my

- two people taught me salsa today, im getting better yall, one of them was a random guy in english class lol

Spiritual thought 

For my talk I decided to use the story of Peter walking on the water to Jesus in Matthew 14. I broke it down into two types of trust, trust to wait and trust to walk. I want to focus on that first, trust to wait. I love the wording of verse 25: “And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them.” Not the first, or the second, or the third, but the fourth watch of the night. I think we all have been in that boat, it feels like sometimes we are left to struggle in our storms for longer than we can bear. Just left waiting and wondering and doubting and asking why. And then all we get in response is to wait. Its kinda frustrating isn't it. When in the moments you feel like you need Him most, the direct answer, some sign that there's an end in sight, and all He says is to wait. When Jesus asks us to wait, He's asking us to trust Him. Trust that answers will be given in time, trust that He hasn't and will never leave you, trust that He is working all things for your good. I'm gonna attach a poem that my brother sent me a while back that really opened my eyes to the sacredness of waiting, but here's a small section I shared in my talk:

“Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate, 

As my Master replied again, “wait.”

So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,

And grumbled to God, “So, I'm waiting…for what?”

He then seemed to kneel, and His eyes met with mine…

And He tenderly said, “I could give you a sign.

I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.

I could raise the dead and cause the mountains to run.

I could give all you seek and pleased you'd be.

You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know me.”

Knowing our Savior sometimes means enduring the smallest part of what He endured. Trusting our Savior sometimes means holding on a little longer, praying a little louder, and trusting that the fourth watch will come. And instead of asking why now, or why me asking for what. I can't tell you all that I'm the perfect example of this, far from it. But I've had a few 1st watches and 2nd watches and 3rd watches, and sometimes even 4th watches. Missionary work itself is full of trials in trust. You have to depend completely on the Lord's will and way and timing, and that isn't always easy, especially for stubborn people like me. But even though the work we do isn't easy, it's been one of my greatest, most treasured blessings. Because it's only when you completely put your trust in the Lord that you come to know Him. 

I love you all!!! Have the best week!!!

- hermana neil 

Pics and the poem