"Ello Govenor or captain" (can't remember which one it is...)
Does anyone else remember that
commercial for Kellogs cereal? Well I do and sometimes I say it to
people here (the Elders and Hermans obviously...not like Argentines) and
no one really knows why I say it...haha Anyway. Nada que ver with la
obra misional, but I just sometimes don't know how to start the emails.
That's all.
First things first EVANGELINA GOT BAPTIZED AND CONFIRMED A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS!!!
We are so happy and excited for
her! It was such a great learning experience for me and an incredible
experience for her. Let me tell you why. So Evangelina comes from a very
difficult family situtation I guess you could say. Her mom and 2
younger sisters are members. The mom is a strong member and comes when
she can because she works really late saturday nights
watching cars. (She has to wait for people to come back to their cars
after the bars and clubs...which means they don't come back until like 5
or 6 in the morning). Really crappy job BUT they need the money and she
sacrifices a lot for her family. But her mom is a fiel member and is
just trying to do the best with the circumstances that she is in. Her
two younger sisters were baptized and then went inactive. Needless to
say...the ward doesn't have much "confidence" in the family that they
will stay active. Difficult situtation? yep. So when we would tell the
members that we were preparing Evangelina to be baptized they would
spout of comments that wouldn't be as supportive as a missionary would
like the ward to be. They would tell us that the missionaries tried to
baptize her last year and that the dates just kept falling
through...(insert thought process of Hermana Bosco. "Well its a darn good
thing that i'm not like the other missionaries that have served in this
area because she IS going to be baptized whether we have your support
or not. She is ready.") So the week before her baptism we went by the
house every day to make sure she was doing ok and that she was excited
for her baptism. Everytime without fail she was excited. She was ready
and I learned to just love her with all my heart this week. I was so
proud of her and the woman that she was becoming. (she is a single mom
with 4 kids and is 21 years old). I love her. Seriously. So saturday
comes, the day of her baptism and we go to the house and she was ready.
She was excited and ready to make this covenant with her Heavenly
Father. We walked to the church with 2 of the 4 kids and her mom. She
was baptized and it was perfect. (minus the scorpion that we found in
the water while we were filling up the font...after a really long
plunger thing, a few screams and a really frightened missionary with a
shoe, it was killed and we left tranquilo...we also didn't tell anyone
that we had found a scorpion in the water for fear that she wouldnt get
baptized or that the Hermano that was going to baptize her wouldn't get
in the water...haha I'll tell them in heaven). The next day we go to
church and we were like ok...we will see if she comes by herself because
we won't be able to go look for her every sunday.
Church starts at 9 and we have sacrament meeting at 11. We had time. It
was like 9:30 and still no Evangelina...ok we will wait a few minutes
more and then go look for her. 9:40...still no Evangelina. Bueno. Let's
go looking for her. We walk out of Relief Society and right when we were
walking out guess who walks in...Thomas S. Monson!!! haha jk
Evangelina, I would have been equally happy to see the Prophet as well.
Let me tell you, as a missionary one of the best sights or feelings in
the world is when you see an investigator come to church on their own.
As of right now in my life I think that is one of the most incredible
moments...it just feels so good. You just think "wow...she gets it. She
understands the importance of the gospel. She gets it and she loves it."
Its quite undescribable, but those of you who have gotten married in
the temple...I imagine you might be able to relate. (I wouldn't know I'm
not married but I'm just imagining that it will be a similar feeling).
She came and was confirmed a member and I've never seen her happier.
The church is true and I love it with all of my heart.
The next exciting thing that
happened this week. The christmas conference!!! It was so fun! Not going
to lie...the one last year was more fun (congratulations assistants
during the last year Christmas Conference) BUT this one still rocked. We
sang and had a spiritual upliftment but the best/weirdest part was
giving my last testimony at my last conference in the mission. Thats
right ladies and gentleman I gave my testimonio fiel. I clearly remember
the last Christmas conference and thinking "wow...I don't know if I'll
ever make it to that point on the mission" and looky here...I did it. I
have learned so much on my mission...SO MUCH. Its incredible how much I
"didn't know" before. Kind of embarrassing that I was a member for so
long and didn't dar cuenta (realize) so many incredible things about the
gospel. But for me the most precious thing that I have learned while
being here in Argentina is that I am a daughter of a King. I am a child
of God. I know he loves me and he knows me better than I know myself. He
has a plan for me and everything in this life happens for a reason.
There are NO coinsedences. They don't exist. Everything happens for a
reason. We meet the people we meet for a reason. We are given the trials
we are given for a reason. Everything that happens is part of the plan.
I love the plan and I can´t wait to see what my plan has in store for
me in my future. I also know that the plan would not be perfect if it
weren't for the families that we are given. I for one have been
extremely blessed because I was given the best family. I have learned
more from my family and feel closer to them more now than ever in
my life because they just get it. They get the gospel. They understand
the plan, especially my little brother Dallin (all of my siblings are
incredible but this experience just really has effected me while being
here on the mission) who just gets it. He really understands the whole
"god has a plan for us thing." And even though he won't be able to play
basketball his senior year in high school he is more excited than ever
to serve the mission and to spread the gospel that really does change
our lives.
One of my favorite pictures
I've ever received was a little picture of Christ with his arms
stretched out saying "I never said it would be easy, I just said it
would be worth it". I know that God lives and that Jesus Is the Christ. I
love my Savior and I am so grateful to know that he has a plan for me.
That if I do everything I should be doing he will take care of me. Being
a missionary is incredible. Being a daughter of a loving Heavenly
Father is EVEN better :). Sometims my thoughts are all over the place in
these emails but I just hope you all understand that I love my Savior
and Heavenly Father with all of my heart. I love them and I am so
grateful to know them. They have changed my life and I know they can
change yours too, but only if you allow them to.
I hope you all have an incredible week. I love you all so incredible much. I will see you all very pronto (soon).
Take care!
Enjoy the little things.
Hermana Bosco
No comments:
Post a Comment