Week 14

HEY EVERYONE. this week is such a blur as always hahaha I love my comp. she is seriously so funny. she speaks SO FAST but I'm always able to catch when she says, "como, en serio" which is "like seriously" so she just makes me laugh. She always jokes that I will be speaking like a Nicaraguan after our time together. I hope so! People are even saying that they are seeing a difference in my accent. I just tell them I'll take any accent except a gringa accent. Not much to report this week just that I am happy and loving being a missionary! Something that really hit me was something that happened in one of our appts with our investigator alfredo. Okay so as a missionary, sometimes it seems like you aren't always seeing the fruits of your labors. We were teaching alfredo about sacrifice and the spirit was strong and talking about how he needs to make changes and pray in order to be able to come to church on Sundays. I was feeling kind of discouraged because I felt like a broken record ya know? and I wasn't seeing any results. And I was just feeling like maybe it was my fault as a missionary that nothing was happening. At the end of the lesson, Alfredo prayed beautifully and Hermana Detrinidad commented on how he gives such beautiful prayers. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, "I had no idea how to pray before this missionary came to me and taught me. Shes an angel!" It clearly was not just me. I remember the first time sister boudesocque and I taught him and he wouldn't say the prayer after the first lesson. And I remember again that he would be so nervous to pray that we would use a paper to help him pray. And now he is praying so well and praying daily! He is also reading the book of Mormon everyday! He tells us at the beginning of every lesson where is his in the book of Mormon and the new things he learns. He is in Alma in like chapter 40 i think and talking about how he didn't realize everyone would resurrect (wow i just spelled that so wrong. spelling has gone down the drain). But when he put his hand on my shoulder and said that, the spirit confirmed to me that my labor in the Lord's vineyard was producing fruits. Sometimes, its just hard to see. I was reading in True to the Faith (FAMILIES EVERYWHERE MUST READ THAT BOOK. Seriously so inspired and great Family Home Evening material) where is says the conversion is not a miraculous event, but a quiet process. That is so true. I have seen that in my life as well. I have never had a life changing event or earth shattering doubts about the gospel. I've simply always known that it was true. But as I see people making changes no matter how big or small, I am reminded why i know these things, this message which we share, is true. 

Also, Women's conference was so good! I loved President Uchtdorf's talk the most. Something he said hit me like a ton of bricks. As a missionary, sometimes its easy to lost in the "okay if you want this blessing... you have to do this. And you cant have this blessing... if you don't do this" but he changed that WHOLE outlook for me. When he said "Heavenly Father is constantly raining blessings upon us, but it is our fear, doubt and sin that, like an umbrella, block those blessings from reaching us," That's when it all made sense to me! I have SO many blessings that frankly, I didn't do anything to deserve. But my willingness, or rather, my ability to recognize them has varied depending on the level of my faith. Now I see how truly blessed I have been my whole life. I just love this gospel and I love my Father in Heaven. My relationship with him how grown so much as i can feel the love he has for his children.