also, Kare asked me about more or less when the missionares go home... and Im pretty sure its a Thursday. But around Dec 9th. But super far away! :) I still have LOTS to do!
Well to start off, R and N are getting married this Friday and baptized at night!!! WHOOOO! :) SO SO HAPPY! soon to attach pictures :)
What an adventure. So we finally got all their papers etc. that they needed and asked for permission to go to the alcaldia.... which is like city hall (more or less) haha and MIRACLE, along with the missionaries who have helped other couples get married, gave us some names of peeps who work there who could help us out. Normally you have to go 15 days before to schedule a date of when you can get married there, but we with the help of the Lord, we got a date within exactly a week of when we went! :) When we got there, because there was an error with ONE letter of R's name on the birth certificate of one of her sons, we weren't going to be able to get a date for them to get married and the guy there was telling us it was going to take a month or two to have this fixed on the document! Ugh, we were stressed! But luckily on the other birth certificates of her kids, her name was spelled correctly and we were able to get them the date! :):) We ended up leaving, going back, to the alcaldia 3 different times that day to get everything arranged.... haha but in the end it all worked out! :) I'm super hapy for this family because it has been a year since the missionaries first met with them. It just wasn't their time. Through the example of their kids who got baptized, they are now so ready, and seeing the blessings of praying together and reading together the scriptures. N came to chruch last Sunday, but R was sick and couldn't make it. But I know that as a missionary lots of times I'm hoping and wanting conversions on my own time table so I can be a part of it! But I have learned that we cannot rush conversions but simply help Heavenly Father's children experiment and identify the blessings of being part of this gospel. I'm grateful for the Elders who worked hard with this family, and were patient with them, they gave us this reference and Elder W even after he left continued to keep in contact with them writing letters and encouraging them to work to get baptized. And that's where we came in! :) and when R and N began to take the lessons and listen to us! :)
Also this week Hermana Q and I saw the fruits of our labors this last week together. We had worked hard this change, and even though we didn't have any baptisms this change, it has been one of the most rewarding changes I have had. Familia R is getting baptized this Friday. Other R who we found contacting 2 weeks ago, showed up at church and accepted a baptismal date for the 18th of July. We recieved a reference Sunday of a family who came to church last Sunday and whose friends have been working with them! We also had some AWESOME lessons with some young adult girls who we have been trying to get hold of. And they are SO prepared! The lessons were great, and even though they haven't accepted a date exactly, we can see that they are ready! We have been so blessed to teach, find and be a part of this journey with our investigators who are AWESOME!...
What I have learned this end of the change is to trust in the Lord. We were able to go to a baptism of one investigator who got baptized, that Hermana Q found and started teaching in one of her old areas. Super cool. And Pres. Fortuna was who baptized her. Well after the baptism he told Hermana Q that she had changes, and that I did too.
Devestated! I literally have cried these last few days, because I just have come to love our investigators and being in this ward. :( I was sad thinking like was there more that I could've done, or told Presidente to try to keep our area open? But I know that we did everything we could here in this change. We were thinking that other hermanas were going to come, but because there are less missionaries coming than are leaving this change they have to close 7 areas. :( And because there are 3 pairs of missionaries in our ward, and where we are there have been less baptisms in the last 6 months, they are going to close our area. Super bummed becuase I was here such a short time, but I just try to remember that like every time we moved to another place, I was super sad, but with time began to love it. So I know that I need to trust in the Lord, that all will be okay with our investigators. Presidente always said to leave your area better than you found it... and well I just didn't think it would be so sad. And that we would have to give all our investigators to the elders :( but I'm good, and I know that the Lord needs us somewhere else. Please keep in your prayers the R family, that all will go well with their baptism, too this week. If I'm close I can get permission to go! :)
I have learned to trust in the Lord, because he knows what is best in the end. :)
I will let you know next Monday where I am :)
Love you all,
Hermana Nichols
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