25 Agosto 2014

Hey Hola!  

This week had its ups and downs. Fernanado, a joven who was so excited for his baptism which was supposed to be on the 23rd started to act different, where we couldnt get in contact with him and then when we finally met him he shared with us his doubts and we were happy he did, sounds like he is confused because he goes to a catholic church and his grandfather is catholic and he says he hears things from different places that confuse him. We shared with him the key to know if anything of what we share is true is the book of mormon, at the end of that visit he walked away happier and was acting normal again. Doubts are normal and we know we can work through them, the next day we had another visit with him because we wanted to talk to him about the holy ghost, so that he can understand and recognize it, so that when he gets his answer he will know that that is what it is. He came in to the visit not really looking at our eyes and you could feel that there was this barrier between us that he was putting up. Im not sure why but I just felt so sad and hurt. It hurt my heart to see how he had felt the love and knew with a surety that this is what he wanted and now talking to other people, he has forgotten about why he said yes to baptism in the first place. I feel like i looked at him with the eyes of a big sister. and felt like he was my little brother who was lost and that i wanted to give him this happiness and he was touching this happiness with his fingertips but that something was holding him back from really grasping it all in his hands. . I have loved everyone that I have had the blessing to teach and met, and even though his doubts are the same as many other peoples, it just hurt my heart so much to see how close he was and how satan attacks. we are going to keep working with him and loving him. I know though that after this trial of his faith he will come out stronger and that this experience is to strengthen him and prepare him for his wonderful spiritual future that he has ahead of him. I feel like this young 13 yr old boy was my friend in heaven and I dont think I have ever prayed harder for someone on my mission than for him. He has so much potential and God needs him on his side. 

Our other fecha, Alejandro had to get postponed to this next saturday because he had really bad back pain and couldnt meet with us last week so we still have to teach him more stuff, but this saturday he is getting baptized! he is 11 and the best experience was yesterday when hna scoville asked him why he wanted to get baptized.. his answer was, "because I want to follow the gospel and be a child of god" I love that! he gets it. He gets it better than many adults we have taught. We are all children of God  but we must BECOME children of god and that is through baptism and obedience.  like it says in Mosiah 5:7 :) He gets it and that makes me really happy! 

So as you can see this week has been full of really good happy moments and really sad moments as well. I read a poem that was talking about missionary work .. one part said, 

Ive never been so happy, 

Ive never been so sad.

Thats exactly how I felt this week. many ups and downs, but thats the mission, and thats life. I can only imagine the tears Christ sheds for every one of our wrong choices and the smile he gets for every one of our correct choices.... lets make him smile :) I know we have and I know we still can. 

con mucho cariño, 

Hermana Hair

Agosto 18, 2014

Happy Monday everyone! 

This week has been really good. We have 3 fechas (baptismal dates) for this weekend. Two of them are thanks to a recent convert and the other one is through a member! member missionary work , works! :) 

All three of these are jovenes (youth) Fernando, 13 . alejandro 11, and maria luisa is 14. I think i have testified of this before but its because i see it so much on my mission. The jovenes are the ones being the anchor in their family and bringing the gospel to them. They are the faro (lighthouse) of their home and it makes me so happy and so proud to see these jovenes so strong in the gospel and not progressing alone but bringing everyone they can with them. 

We also had a very big miracle on sunday. Some antiguos (old investigators) who have been seing missionaries since 2009 came to church for the first time! We decided to pass by them on friday and invited them to church . I dont know what was different or what finaly got to them or why they decided that after so many invitations to finally come, but they came! and they brought a menos activo friend with them! The greatest part is that this family was a member reference from barc back in 2009. perserverance and mucho faith are the magical keys and sincere love :)

Things are going really well here in Valencia. we are pretty sure that at least one of the three fechas will be baptized this saturday and the other two if not this saturday will be baptized shortly after:) Maria luisa is deaf so it will take a little more time to be able to communicate to her the lessons and help her understand the basic. She can understand , we just have to take more time with her. but she is excited to be baptized , we just really want her to know what she is doing and why. .she is so special and so smart! We know she can do it. 

Well im running into a lot more colombians here. there are a handfull in the ward and many in streets. its been fun. I hope everyone is healthy and enjoying their summer. 

lots of hugs and kisses from spain, 

Hermana Hair

Agosto 11, 2014

Valencia, Valencia.... its really hot and humid here... like really really hot and humid :) 

Here is my compañera and I !

So I was so sad to leave all the people I love in Barcelona but once again the lord has shown me the great gift that as missionaries we just have the biggest capacity and space in our hearts to love people the way he loves them. I came into Valencia ready to love this ward and its amazing at how I can meet someone and instantly love them with all my heart. I already love Valencia and all the people who live here. I also love my new compañera, Hna scoville! she is an angel and I know that I am going to learn a lot from her as I have from all my companions and areas. She is from Utah and goes to BYU-H. She has six months left on the mission and this is her third transfer here in V-town which means she will probably leave after this transfer.

This transfer is going to GREAT!. I can feel it and its already started out to a great start. We have already seen SO many miracles. Biggest miracle for  me was...... JOSE LUIS AND SUSI!! do you remember them ?  I was teaching them in barc but a couple days before transfer calls they moved back to valencia. Well... we were walking home one night this week and I see sussi in front of a piso talking to two ladies. When i saw her i felt so much joy in my heart! we had a very big hugging celebration as we were both so happy and surprised to see eachother. the best part is that they live in our area! and the worst part is that they leave for bolivia in 9 days... :/ But I want to help them the best way I know how to and keep teaching them and guiding them to make those decisions they have to make so that Jose luis can be baptized.. I know that if they dont get married here they will in bolivia and he will for sure, no doubt, be baptized. He is so prepared and ready. They came to church on sunday! 

Talking about sunday.. I had to give a talk and so did the other two elders that are new this transfer. apparently once every month sacrament is dedicated to missionary work and the missionaries take turns talking. I think its a great idea! So this ward is a new ward that was created last october, so less than a year ago. which means that our area is pretty new, especially our area, it has the least amount of members that live in it and its been the area that has least been worked on over the years. So... you guessed it. back to lleida and las arenas times. haha . there has only been 4 other hermanas that have worked here before... im the 5th. so its a very new area still

Our fecha here is alejandro he is a recent converts nephew he is 11 but turns 12 in october. He wants to be baptized and has a fecha for the 23rd. Yesterday he was playing with other boys his age after church and we wanted to have a quick visit with him and the recent convert, Santiago. Since he was playing with two other member boys, we invited them in for the visit too . We told them we were going to have a visit and they had to be reverent  if they wanted to be there with us. they agreed and sat down.  the greatest thing happened in this visit. While we started to teach about the importance of reading the scriptures , praying and going to church.. these two jovenes started to testify of how it has blessed their life to do those three things. They were the ones teaching Alejandro through their experiences and testimonies. I could just see both of these jovenes in 6 years with chapas and a tie. It was perfect to have alejandro goofing around with these boys 5 minutes before and then hearing them share their testimonies... It was a beutiful cita, I was so proud of those two young boys. I know the Lord is preparing the youth of this church to be great leaders and parents in this church. They are going to carry  on the work for the lord and the best part of the lords work is just beginning and the peak and greatest part of this work is going to happen with these youth when they go out and teach and preach. 

I am so proud of my siblings, jessica joe and ashley who all have a strong desire to serve, Im proud of their example to me and to many other people, Im proud of every friend and family who are young and so strong in the church. The youth are so important and I admire their faithfullness and testimonies.

Sorry this email got kind of long. :)

love you all! 

Hermana Hair

The view from our apartment... Im back to a two person apartment with just us two.

5 Agosto 2014

Querida Familia Y Amigos, 

Today is my last day in Barcelona. Im all packed and ready to catch a train at 4 this afternoon that is going to take me to Valencia, the most south part of our mission. Transfer calls came in Saturday night and when Hna. Benson and I heard the news that I was leaving, It was hard not to look at eachother and not shed some tears... Its hard leaving companions who become your best friend since day 1. 

I honestly didn't think that I was going to leave becuase Hna. Benson leaves for home in two weeks... but they are sending two other hermanas and they will be in a trio for those two weeks and then after that they are basically white washing (when two missionaries are in an area that neither of them know) I just pray that they will still work with everyone we have been working with and that they wont forget the members or less actives who are so important me. 

A small group of women in the Relief Society... not all of them :/

Sunday was hectic as so many members came up to me trying to say goodbye and as I tried to talk to everyone and give them all my love.  Im glad it was fast sunday because I was able to get up and bare my testimony along with two other elders who are also leaving the ward. It still amazes me to see the member's love that they express to you with words, hugs and tears when you are leaving their ward. I read a scripture yesterday in alma 27 Where it says , "for they were treated as though they were angels sent from God" and that is how I felt these past couple days but i dont know why... the thing is I know its not me. that what makes people treat us like that is the power and presence of God that is with us. Its because we live the gospel every single minute of our lives and that allows the spirit to be with us constantly and even when I dont think i deserve it... the people see something that even us as missionaries dont see or feel.... I can honestly say that i dont think i deserve to be treated like an angel because I am far from being one. but I know its something special that God allows us to have and I am so grateful for that love that I feel from the members. and the love that i am able to give back to them. becuase I do love them with my entire heart. Every area is so difficult to leave, they become your family and I love them. 

Im a little bummed that right as we started getting that calendar visit going I have to leave... haha. but i think it was ment to be like that becauase now the new sister missionaries coming in have visits already set and i hope they can love these members here even more than i have.  

Ive loved my mission, every experience and moment... except the bed bugs ... and okay packing and traveling with luggage is always going to be on my list of least favorite things to do- :) but besides that its all the best , especially having friends and family like you who support me and send me lots of love. Thank you!

**Sending a huge hug for everyone with a ton of love**

Hermana Hair

Here is Jose Luis and Sussi.. Remember them?? She is from bolivia and he is from VALENCIA and they just left last week back to Valencia but they are leaving for Bolivia on the 20th. I am going to see if They are in my new area but either way i will be in contact with them and will try to help them get married so he can get baptized! 

What a miracle that Im going to valencia right? I thought i wasnt ever going to see them again. ooohhh im so excited to see them again and keep helping them progress:) 

 

Aleida is a member from Honduras and she has been bringing her nephew , Daniel, for this last 3 months to church. HE LOVES IT. Him and I instantly became best friends. I was always so excited to see him at church. He turns nine on the 15th and his parents finally gave him the OK to be baptized!!! (his parents arent members) the sad thing is that it will be this next saturday and i wont be here. he almost changed it to yesterday so that i could be there but his parents had to work and they need to be there too. we were both sad i wasnt going to be there but man, i just love this kid. Hes number one! and im so happy for his decision he is making. it will bless his life forever.