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| In the Flood!!! |
Hola familia!!!
I´m so happy to be writing you still in Francisco de Orellana and still with Hna Johansen!! Last night was torture waiting for the transfer calls to come and we are SO grateful they didn´t come! I still don't feel completely ¨safe¨ yet but for now I have one more week here with these incredible people and my absolutely incredible companion!!
Thank you for all of the support, prayers, love, thoughts, emails, etc. I love you!!!
This week was up and down like all weeks here, but incredible, and the Lord has blessed us immensely. I don´t know if I mentioned these last few weeks that we have basically had nobody to teach and been contacting for hours and had everything fall through so that's been stressfull but we knew things would work out and how quickly it does when you have two people together who have all the desires and love to be here and want to work! I feel so grateful!
Monday was a fail of a P-day haha nothing was open, everything failed and we were in a bad mood until we visited Miguel and he was so excited to see us. We had prepared a lesson on forgiveness about forgiving his brother in law, etc. and before we could say anything he said that he was reading the Liahonas and BOM and old letters and came across some scriptures and when he read them, this huge feeling rushed through his body and he knew he had just forgiven Alvaro. He was so happy and it was so crazy I started busting up laughing that he always does that--finds things out on his own--the things we prepare for him. That means he doesn´t really need us as much and that really just is the definition of conversion--Miguel. He wrote a letter to Pres Amaya expressing his feelings, quoting the general authorities and scriptures and felt like he should do that.
We then enjoyed Carnaval in our house on Mon night and I kind of am the culprit of the whole thing. Ok not kind of--I am. But it was fun :) And then we had a horrible phone call with our district leader and I was so frustrated and disappointed and he wanted me to prepare a lesson for our District Meeting of how we could improve our district or things we need to work on and I wrote a ton about our lack of trust, charity, and love for each other. I quoted the Manual Misional and scriptures and just asked some questions to them like if they could look around at all of us and say they really loved us? Or they really were concerned for our well-being, our trials, and our successes? It was kind of a heavy environment but started a great discussion and Elder Rubio promised to change and we all promised to change and be better.
So that was Tues morning. Tues night there was a huge huge aguasero--is that like torrential rain storm in English? Don't know but it was crazy and we were like wading through water everywhere we walked and absolutely soaked!!
Wednesday we went back to 2 jovensitas (Alejandra and Camila) we had contacted last week and they let us in and it was a bit awkward at first but we made it through and the enviornment just felt familiar and nice. And we were so excited about that and excited that little by little the Lord is blessing us! We then learned that pride is the downfall of so many people and so many of us, and is the stumbling block on the road of salvation--we have had to drop some investigators who are SO prideful it's ridiculous! Beware of that pride :) Then we found out Miguel fasted for 4 days straight. Like he would eat lunch every day and begin fasting again with a prayer, etc. Wow.
Thursday we had an amazing comp inventory and the things Hna Johansen told me touched me so much. She pulled out a piece of paper and said that during the week she was writing things down that she admired and was amazed about and she didn't want to forget to tell me. She is amazing and I feel so blessed to have her as a comp! We then were making comp goals and revising old planners with old comp goals and we realized that the things we used to set as goals we don't even need to work on because without our realizing it, those things naturally happen and we naturally do them because of our great relationship. How neat! Thursday was an awesome day and Christian accompanied us all day--it was so fun and then English class was hilarious and just awesome. Waiting for English to start, another miracle from the Lord happened. 2 ladies walked into the room and straight to us and one introduced herself as a member from a different ward and stake but that her friend, Maria, had recently moved into our ward and wanted to receive the lessons. We were shocked that they had just walked into the church because we hardly are ever there and just at that time they decided to come in. We happened to be there and could talk to her and comfort the friend and give her the Plan of Salvation pamphlet to read. It was awesome.
Friday we had SUCH an awesome lesson with Alejandra and Camila and it is absolutely INCREDIBLE the questions they have. All of their questions were about things the Restoration or Plan of Salvation answer, and they are so mature in thinking and actually interested in religion and wanting to know the truth. The Spirit was so so strong when we explained the Restoration and they understood and asked questions and got so excited when we gave them the Book of Mormon and they just are incredible. That was such a blessing from God. Friday we also had another lesson with Julio. Julio is someone we have been teaching since Hna Hernandez and I, but didn't have faith in himself and didn't ever want to commit to come to church. Well last Sunday he came!! Julio has polio and can't use his legs so he has this reclining bike machine he uses and uses his hands to pedal it and get him around. He came alone last Sunday to support us and hear our talks and stayed the whole time and that in and of itself was a MIRACLE and I know the Lord had His hand in that, and I also know that Julio needed Hna Johansen here too to progress. I forgot to say that last week. So Friday we brought a member over with us and the lesson was awesome and Julio promised to come to church again and that he wanted to go alone. Wow! Friday night we got really sick--like infection sick but knew the Lord would bless us for working.
Saturday was a fail of a morning--we felt so sick and during comp study Hermana Johansen just burst out, ¨MAN, this SUCKS!!!¨ hahaha that pretty much described our morning. But we knew we just had to make it until we could visit Maria. We went in and her friend was there too and the Spirit was SO strong the entire time. It was incredible. Maria had underlined and underlined so many things in the pamphlet and expressed to us that she was up reading it that same night we gave it to her until like 2 in the morning because she said until this, she had such a hunger and thirst but that NOTHING would ever quench or satisfy that, and that in one little pamphlet, she found like all of the answers she was looking for. She said she didn't know why she felt such peace and calmness even though she has so many problems in her life but that finally she does and that she knows it will only get better from here on out. Everything she said was incredible---stuff you always hear about but that never seems to happen in real life---that was how it was. What a prepared person and what a special experience to be able to be there. That totally changed our day around! What a blessing. We left her house and Saturday afternoon and night it just poured and poured and poured---so hard!! Harder than I´ve ever seen it here and it was so hard that we couldn´t even hear what each other was saying while walking next to each other in the streets! We just could look at each other barely and bust up laughing because umbrellas do absolutely nothing in that case and luckily we brought our rain jackets! It was SO hilarious and then the streets all flooded so we were literally like swimming in the water while walking through the streets and people were staring at us like WHY are these crazy gringas still out here in this storm and flood trying to visit people?! It was hilarious and such an experience/adventure. We visited an investigator who was really impressed that we still came and told us that is the meaning of love--that even floods and rains, etc won't stop us from visiting them. I have included pics of our swimming adventure :) We also went to visit Julio during the storm and he was really touched because he had just been thinking about us wondering where we were in the storm and we could sing a hymn together, share a few minutes, and pray. That really touched him.
Sunday was a wonderful day and I felt so sad all day at the thought or possibility of being transfered because I literally have come to LOVE these people and LOVE our investigators and their situations and of course I love my comp!! I took advantage of every opportunity to take pics with my fav people :) So miracle from the Lord. At the beginning of this week, we had nobody in our program. At the end of the week, 7 people came to church. SEVEN!!! That has never happened in my mission ever. It is amazing what happens when you mix the blessings of the Lord with hard work and unity in a companionship! People have started to notice that too--like members in the ward commenting on our companionship or special spirit or investigators, etc. I just feel blessed and happy. Julio came to church 30 minutes early so he could rest for a bit after pedaling hard with his hands to get him there! What an INCREDIBLE person!!! Maria came, Alejandra and Camila came--their mom was so happy to let them go with us and have us take them back home. Miguel of course came and a few other people. After church on the way back to their house, Camila was talking to me a ton and telling me that they are going to move to the US in May but was telling me all about her classes. She then asked me all about the mission and how that works because she said a girl at church was talking to her and it really interested her. But Camila was worried because she said, "But like if I become a member here and want to prepare to serve a mission later on, I´m moving so how do I do that?!!" I was shocked and just loved bearing my testimony about missionary work, the Gospel, and that OF COURSE the church is in the USA--that's where it was restored! She was like oh yeah!! and I told her it would all work out :) Alejandra was saying how cool it was that their class related to something they had been reading in the Book of Mormon and that you really should prepare like that to go to church. These girls are only 12 and 15 years old but really really special spirits and people. How amazing. We had a wonderful lunch and lesson with the Diaz family--they are like our family here in Francisco and honestly remind me of Modern Family hahahaha I LOVE them! Sebastian is 9 years old but acts like he is 45--no joke. He is SO witty and mature and just cracks us up. He´s the Manny of the fam. We all got really teary as I related my experience to them of being able to go through the temple for the first time but having all my family with me and feeling/seeing a piece of what the celestial kingdom must feel like--having all your family with you for eternity. They have a goal to be sealed in the temple and it was so special to be with them.
We then had a fun FHE and then anxiously awaited transfer calls and those dumb leaders I swear call 100 times more often on transfer Sundays for different things than other days hahaha they like to freak us out.
Today we are going to Malecon and Las Penas--my first outing on a Pday really hahaha we usually just chill and don't have time to do things cuz we have a lot to do but we are excited! One because we all love each other and two because Hna Ward is going home in 2 weeks and we want to spend time with her too.
At the end of it all, I want to testify of the amazing blessings and miracles of the Lord but the importance of doing your best, working hard, and relying on the Lord to take care of the rest. I don´t know how we started the week with nothing and how we have a lot more now but I know that the Lord is blessing us. This church is true! The gospel changes lives and people can feel it! Christ lives! He loves us and wants the best for us. I know the righteous desires of our hearts will be answered in the Lord´s timing and in His way--don´t give up! Learn to patiently wait on the Lord, always maintaining faith and hope. I know that families can be together forever, I know the Book of Mormon is true and that we can find any answer to life´s problems in that book! I know we have a prophet today and I know that though we are imperfect and should always strive to be better each day, our Heavenly Father blesses our efforts. This Gospel is a Gospel of change, of love, of mercy, of peace, and eternal blessings. It´s worth the wait, the price, and the sacrifice. Share your testimony with those around you this week and I promise you will feel of this marvelous work!
This week while reading the Relief Society book they printed this year, I found a quote from Joseph Smith that I love. It´s so simple but has been something I´ve been trying to do lately. He has counseled us all to, ¨be at peace with the Lord, with those around you, and with yourself.¨ It´s as simple as that and I feel like if we feel that peace in those 3 aspects of our life, we are on the right track.
I love you all so much and pray for you daily! LOVE YOU!!!! Have a wonderful week.
Love,
Hermana Bryan
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| With Julio |
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| With the Diaz Family |
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