So this week has been wonderful and hard too like always but what a difference it makes when your companion is amazing!!! Sis Johansen is from Chandler, Arizona. She knew the Hyers cuz she lived in the same ward as them at BYU. She quotes Nacho Libre all the time so I´m sure you can already see this is a heaven sent companionship haha (hence the title of my email) really though sometimes we laugh because we are the same person. We have the same sense of humor and it´s just great to go through the trials of the mission with her! It makes all the difference in the world. I feel so blessed by my Heavenly Father for this change. She had a rough couple of transfers with her comp too so we both feel like we can finally breathe, that we´re tired but not emotionally drained all the time, but that we both need to re-gain who we are because we lost a little bit of that these last transfers. It´s dumb how much comps can affect you and then you have to pick up the pieces and find your true whole self again but so wonderful when you CAN pick up the pieces and breathe and find that person and missionary again!
Tuesday the Zone Leaders had me share my testimony for the zone about how we had been working and finding new people because we had found more than almost any other area and it was a nice opportunity to share the simple truths of missionary work and the gospel. The Lord blesses us for even just opening our mouths and getting out the door and getting to work! Also the Spirit being present is the whole key to missionary work. We are NOTHING without the guidance and company of the Spirit. We also gave Elder Rubio a belated bday gift and it was hilarious cuz I put it in the heart bag you gave me, Mom and he started freaking out and yelled NOO when we tried to give it to him and almost ran away. He came back and Hna Johansen was shocked cuz that was her first impression of him hahahaha. I love making him embarrassed--he told us it was the bag that made him react that way and so we have decided to do a heart themed gift almost every week now bahahaha.
Wednesday during personal study I was reading the 4th missionary talk that Dad sent me and I started crying a lot because it shared exactly how I was feeling and answered my questions or doubts about who I´m trying to be and how I feel. Wednesday was kind of frustrating and disappointing because ever since this new change, everything has been failing and falling through and now all of a sudden, Jacinto changed and doesn't want to be baptized, etc. what?! We are trying to figure out what happened. So because everything has been failing, we have been contacting SO much and it's so tiring but the Lord blesses us each day for working and being happy and staying strong in the work!
Thursday we had SUCH a wonderful comp inventory--I love Hermana Johansen! We were meant to be comps and I feel like my total self around her. We had a wonderful English class and we just love Miguel! He is getting tired of waiting though and we just want him to be happy. He told us and asked us afterwards why the time with us always goes by so quickly?! We love him so much and he was willing to get fired from his work to try and have his interview--wow but once again the mission office couldn't do it. This whole situation has really really bothered me and Hna Johansen so badly because supposedly the mission wants to meet our goal of baptisms right? Well we have a beyond golden investigator with a strong testimony waiting to be baptized and nobody is doing anything to help us get him baptized! And poor Miguel has been waiting for forever! He has so much patience, faith, and hope and is doing so many wonderful things in his life. I can´t help but think the Lord is trying him. Supposedly Pres is going to interview him on Thursday (3 days from now) so we are fasting right now for that and that he will be able to finally enjoy these blessings in his life. PLEASE pray for him!!! and that the mission will help us with him.
Friday was INCREDIBLE. Miguel took off the whole day because he thought he was going to have his interview and we felt so badly about that and especially because we know he hates being home and with nothing to do because of his horrible brother-in-law and also he hates feeling alone. So we passed by his house and he came home right at the same time we went. We apologized for everything and offered him to come accompany us all day if he wanted to and he said he really did and that would be wonderful. We were so excited! While waiting for him, I wanted to give him the article ¨Waiting Upon the Lord¨ by Elder Hales so I asked him if he had the Liahona I had given him. He got surprised and embarrassed and said no but he had already read it so it was ok that he got rid of it, right? I didn't answer and he said he had used it to clean the windows and then asked, is that bad?? He then saw our reactions and started busting up laughing and pulled out a binder with his stuff and each Liahona had a different sheet protector hahahaha we love him so much. We asked him what he had done after English the night before and he said he came home and started reading the BOM in English to practice his English but still feel of the Spirit and also practiced his prayers in English. Who does that?! Wow.
So he accompanied us and it was incredible!!! I´ve never even seen a member be like him. He jumped in on contacts and especially in lessons in sharing his feelings about the church, eternal families, the blessings that can come from being baptized, and his favorite scriptures, etc. I couldn´t help myself but each time, I started smiling SO bigly and proudly and unbelievingly! He found the perfect scripture in D&C 6 when we were with Jacinto about not fearing to do good and we could just tell he loved feeling of the Spirit all day even though it was very tiring for him haha.
We then went to the temple with him in the evening to show him the grounds and have a lesson and prayer in the waiting room area. He could feel the peace and Spirit and we told him a story and lesson about trials and motivation and he said he was going to keep waiting and pushing because he wants this so badly. It was so neat to be there and watch him feel of that special Spirit the temple brings. He is just so amazing and invited everyone to go with him to institute or to a FHE or to church, etc. We´re always so amazed and feel so blessed to know him.
Saturday was a fail of a day hahaha Hna Johansen started keeping a list of all the things that went wrong that day cuz it was just so funny. haha We had a bad lesson to start off the morning, Pizza Hut failed times 4 for lunch, we had dog attacks like always, weird creepy guys who profess to be the perfect teachers and have Osama pics on their calling cards, almost sprained my ankle, etc. haha It was a funny day. But ended so amazingly. We went to Miguel's house to have a FHE with him and Mayra and supposed to be Jacinto but Jacinto wasn't home. So we decided to just do it anyway. We had to wait outside in the rain for his sister to get home and he kept apologizing and then when they got home, Mayra's RM super rude and ungrateful hubby entered and he was so dumb about everything. He locked himself in his room and then left and never says anything to us, etc. He is ruining their lives and treats them like crap all the time. But we didn't let that bother us! We entered and tried to dry off our feet on the mat and Miguel searched in his suitcases and brought out a towel and asked us to remove our socks and shoes so he could dry off our feet for us. We got really embarrassed and suprised and he said that Christ did it so we should let him do it. Wow. Words don´t have description to the meaning and feelings we felt seeing him wanting to serve us in that manner. Marya ended up drying our feet and each and every toe. Wow--what incredible people they are. So Christlike and they really are converted and live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They loved 17 Miracles and were bawling and it was so sweet! Miguel wouldn't let us call our taxi and he got soaked doing it and he just kept apologizing and apologizing for his brother-in-law but we told him we don't go there for his brother-in-law! We are there for him! and for Mayra! We came home and just wanted to cry and cry thinking about he and Marya--the best people I´ve met and they have to go through SO many things right now and it doesn't seem fair! I know the Lord will bless and provide, but man sometimes it´s like, how long is it going to take?? I love him and Mayra so so much. He kept telling us how much he loves us and I just can´t ever stop praying for a miracle in his life! I trust in the Lord and in His timing though. Miguel and Mayra Sarmiento are some of the most incredible, loving, Christlike people I´ve ever met and have changed my life and heart forever.
Sunday was wonderful because the talks were exactly what Mayra and Miguel needed to hear. They also talked to the bishop about their home situation and the bishop is so fed up with Alvaro´s attitude and is going to tell him like it is. I´m glad they have the ward's support and help in this. Also Mayra shared her testimony in Relief Society and reminded me of Nephi when he says oh that I were an angel...she said that she leaves the BOM out at her hair salon and each customer always ends up staring at it or asking a question so she shares her testimony and then encouraged the ward that we can always share the gospel but there comes a time when they need to refer to the missionaries! We were like..what?! How is it that these two people are so so strong and valiant despite their difficulties? There was also a neat experience in our Gospel Principles class where a mom of a member stood up and started crying thanking us for the examples the members set and saying how much she´s been able to feel and see in our church and families and it was incredible to see how much that affected her and has touched her life! The Gospel changes lives and it´s something and a change you can see and feel. What a blessing!
Well today is our 7 month anniversary!! Crazy! I miss you all like crazy and love you so much! Please keep praying for our investigators and program and I am always praying for you. I´m so grateful for your examples and love. This church is true. Christ lives and loves us. The blessings of the Gospel are not replaceable and cannot be found in any other church or any other part of the world! The Lord is waiting for you with His loving, wounded hands ever outstretched and all we have to do is come! I invite you to do so and live in a way where you can help others do the same. I love my Savior and I love my Heavenly Father and am forever indebted to them and grateful for this opportunity I have to share my love and joy and testimony with everyone here in Ecuador. I love this quote-- ¨We are the followers of Jesus Christ. And we have been followers and have loved Him for a long, long time. Nothing is more important than working and sacrificing and enduring for Him.¨ I bear testimony of that!
I love you!!! Never forget that :)
Love,
Hermana Bryan
 |
| Me and My Companion, Hermana Johansen |
 |
| Hermana Johansen, Miguel, Me |
 |
| Me, Miguel, Hermana Johansen |
No comments:
Post a Comment