Beautiful World

Hola Familia!

 

It has been a jam-packed week!

 

We started the week off good with focusing a lot on Tara. After last week, she was feeling a little overwhelmed and emotionally drained. Although, her spirits are on fire!

 

On Wednesday, we took Nancy, a Young women who was baptized a few months back. She had gone through some similar trials as Tara so we thought it would be good. Tara made us dinner, and we had a super interesting lesson. Nancy grew up in the gang-life, and completely switched her life around. But She brought some spice to our lesson, and I felt super old because I didn't understand the majority of the slang she was using. It's a good thing I have a companion that is super hip and could translate the "Hood" talk for me. Haha.

 

We had a super impactful lesson with the girls. We made Tara, Nancy and Jocelyn (Tara's cousin) make lists of what they want in their future husbands. Tara is 100% set on getting married in the temple. I AM SO PROUD! I am so happy she knows that her own "Happy Ever After" CAN happen, it just depends on us. She is ready to break the trend and be an example to her family.

 

We were doing a mini testimony meeting, and role play of how to share her testimony with her mom, when her mom walked in! Immediately Tara said..."Mom, I AM getting baptized!" and her mom said "Oh, okay. When?"......We were utterly shocked. We had been fasting and praying for her mom to give permission for weeks.

 

Her mom is kind of wishy washy, and by a miracle, Hermana Moleli had a baptismal record in her bag still for her mom to sign. She signed it right there. So....long story short, Tara is getting baptized this Sunday!!! (Finally).

 

We went and visited a lot more members this week. We are trying to get to know our members, and connect with them in the work. We love visiting members. It has been incredible to see each family get more excited about missionary work, just by being visited.

 

Friday night, we had a huge ward party. A few of our investigators came, so that was awesome. It was SUPER hard not to dance though (we aren't allowed to), but it was great to see more members, and our investigators get closer to the members as well. Not to mention, at the party Hermana Moleli finally got her Ukelele! She bought it a few weeks back, but it finally came.

 

Saturday, I woke us super sick. I swear, I get more colds as a missionary than elementary school teachers. I took a lot of naps, and we got to practice a musical number with the ukulele.

 

Yesterday, we had a baptism in our ward. The Elders had been teaching them for only a short amount of time. It was a beautiful family! They were so touched, and all crying. It is incredible to see how many people are out there searching for the truth, and they don't even know it.

 

Me and Hermana Moleli sang our song "My Heavenly Father loves Me" at the baptism yesterday and we had everybody complimenting the ukulele (I don't think people get to hear the ukulele often!) and they were asking when the CD comes out :) Way to boost our confidence!

 

Things are so good here. Oh so good. I love what Mom said in her email this week, our Heavenly Father does answer every prayer...."Why do we forget that?" There have been so many times where I forget that, but Heavenly Father never lets a prayer go unanswered. Sometimes not in the way we expect, or want, but always answered.

 

I celebrated my year mark this week, me and Hermana Moleli did the traditional and burnt a skirt. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way, that hairspray IS flammable, and the skirt was only on fire for a few seconds because it got too close to my hand. Haha. It was a good memory though, all on video.

 

Thank you for all that you do for the Lord. Thank you for your work in your part of the vineyard. Don't forget to work hard! There is ALWAYS things to do! Even if that means writing a note to somebody. Me and Hermana Moleli have been writing thank you notes to the speakers and members at church, and they have been loving them. I never realized how much people just need to be thanked sometimes!

 

I love you all. Keep up the good work :)

 

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Spencer