Is This What Missionaries Do? -Yajaira

HAPPY FATHERS DAY EVERYBODY!!!!! 

So at the beginning of the week our mission president promised Hermana Wallis and I that our tiny branch will become a ward soon. I was skeptical. We have a consistent 30 people at church and that's IT! And I can only think of a few that are converted to the gospel. But Wallis had enough faith to believe it so I just rode on that and was quickly humbled by the end of the week. No we aren't a ward yet, but the hand of the Lord was working over-time this week! I'll just go day by day and share what He did in Santa Fe.

-Monday: We were at the store doing our groceries and I smiled at some random man. He came right up to us and said, "Are you Mormons?". We pointed to the tags and said yes! He said something along the lines of, "I didn't see the tags, but I thought I would take a chance because of your smiles! I could just tell! I got baptized 4 years ago in Arizona. I lost contact with the church a year ago when I moved here and I miss it so much!"

THEN get this. On Monday night Luis took us to dinner. We were just chatting and I made some joke about everyone asking us when he will get baptized. He said, so casually with out looking up, "Let's plan it."  I about choked on my orange chicken. I say, "WHAT". And he says, "Let's plan it, i feel ready." Just so casual. I think I left my body for a moment. But now I am calm and the baptism is planned and we are on for next Monday night!!!!!!!

-Tuesday! Tuesday was a little unproductive because we made a stop into urgent care cause the mission made me x-ray my ankle. I tried to teach everyone the gospel but nobody bit the bait haha.

-Wednesday we went to see a less active/recent convert who we were losing hope on. We couldn't get her to want to progress. But this time we started talking about the temple and she said that she wants to go! She came back to church this last Sunday and is getting ready for the temple! 

-Thursday we got out to contact some potentials. We knocked a door and they let us right in. They say "Hey sisters, we are members!" It was a mom and her son. Turns out the son used to be best friends with the elders like 5 years ago. He actually referred his whole extended family and they all got baptized! So he knows where nearly all of our less actives families are! AND he said he can't wait to start coming back to church! He also is connected to all of the families who got offended and started the huge problem when 99% of the branch left the church about 3 years back. He is going to help us find all of those families and rebuild the branch from the ground up! So exciting!

-Friday we went out contacting and talked to EVERYONE!!!! By the end of the day we had 7 solid news to teach. We also taught the regular investigators which was fun. Hopefully we see some progression coming up!

-Saturday we took Yajaira, our recent convert, out for the whole day again. We found so many news and talked to so many people! As we approached the first person Yajaira says, "What are you doing? We don't know this guy- oh wait....is this what you do?" HAHA.  By the end of the night Yajaira was actually contacting on her own! She just walked right up to people saying "Hi! What's your name? We are missionaries for Jesus Christ. Are you religious? That's great. We are MORMONS! Have you ever wanted to learn about how to be more happy through Jesus Christ?" 

It was AWESOME! By the end of the day she was so tired so we took her to ice-cream, took some ice-cream to Luis, and called it a day.

-AND SUNDAY!!!! Sunday morning we got a phone call from a random number. It turned out to be a less active who we had texted a while back. He wanted to know what time church started! Once we got to church we sat down in our little Gospel Principles class. We only had Luis, a recent convert, and Douglas (our JW investigator.) As we were about to say the prayer the branch president brought in a non-member and 4 more completely less actives who decided to show up for the first time in years! It was a miracle! Our class has never been so full!!!! 

After church we were still so blown away by the miracles. We have never seen that many less actives all in one place! We decided to go try some former investigators. We knocked on a door and a woman answered. She said "Hi sisters! I'm Hermana Rincon! Sorry I haven't been to church in a while!" Turns out she is a less active that we try by almost EVERY DAY. She is never home, we always leave a note, and we text her all the time and never get a response. Come to find out that she is married so she usually hangs at her in-laws house. We about fell off the porch once we realized who she was. Another lost-forever less active FOUND.

So as you can see, I have been humbled to the ground. There is no room for skeptics in the mission! Especially when the Lord has a plan! He knows His children and knows how to bring them into His Church! We just need to work hard enough for him to be able to show forth His hand. 

I also want to say that dad's are the BEST! I think I have the best one in the whole world! I am so grateful for the example that my dad has always shown me. Thank's to all of the righteous dads out there who teach their families the gospel! You all make a huge difference in the world!!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!! 

xoxoxoxox

PICS:

our most PRECIOUS recent converts Zayan and Esmerelda reading their book of mormons on their own! Their mom snapped this pic and sent it! Couldn't be prouder!!!!

My fun little trip to urgent care for my ankle lol

The present I sent to my dad! I'm happy to report that the PB&Honey made it to idaho. He totally ate the sandwich, too:)