Happy Thanksgiving

This week has been unbelievable. Filled with so many miracles that I won't be able to share them all!!

We Goofed 

Last week Hrn. Thompson and I thought we got 31 lessons, which we sent to the President in our weekly report. He texted us and said that this has never been done in the history of our mission. We were super stoked but also wanted to double check....turns out we only got 29. It's still a record but barely, and we felt bad that President was misinformed. We told the Zone Leaders and they told us not to worry about it, but then at Zone Conference President Guffey announced that "Rumor has it, a companionship hit over 30 lessons!" YIKES! Turns out it really is a rumor....that WE started....Then he told everyone that we shouldn't be surprised when he starts holding the whole mission to a standard of 30! AHHHH we felt so bad. So, this week we decided to hit 30 lessons, just to feel better about ourselves and make sure it's actually possible. Thankfully we did and today we are going to let P. Guffey know that we goofed. Ha....

Kind of funny....but really it's not about the numbers at all. Our 30th lesson was one of our best ones this week. It isn't about getting a ton, it's about being determined to strengthen as many people as possible in the time that we have. What we really wish we had was 30 baptisms! hahahaha....kidding but not....

La Hermana Borja

First of all, we went back to that member who went and knocked doors with us. Her name is Herman Borja. So, just to refresh your memories, Hermana Borja asked us if we would help her meet her neighbors two weeks ago. She was really nervous, but the first door we knocked on was a woman who lives alone with her son. Herman Borja, with no fear, opened her mouth and introduced herself. "Hi I'm your neighbor! I came because I have something that makes me really happy and I want to share it with you!" 

The woman, Max, said, "Hold on, I have a Blue Bible by my bed." 

Max came back to the door holding a Book of Mormon. As we left her home Hermana Borja broke into tears and told us how much she loves her father in heaven.

We went back to Hermana Bora's house this week to go visit Max. Max was busy, so Hrn. Borja asked if we would help her knock the rest of her block (Missionary dream come true). This woman, even though she was scared and didn't know what to do or say, was so courageous because she has a desire to serve her Father and Heaven. Behind the doors of her neighbors we found a total of 5 people who received us and agreed to take the discussions. That's more people than we find in a whole day of tracting most days. 

We went back into Hermana Borja's home and talked about her faith. She opened up to us that she is a single mom of three, she is working full time and doing school full time, and her family is on food stamps right now. They don't  have very much furniature or any nice things from what we could see. She said that every morning she wakes up at 3 in the morning because that is the only time she has to study her scriptures. Then she juggles school, work, kids, and trying to put food on the table for the rest of the day. This week she has a list of sick and lonely people she will try to visit if she has time. She has two free hours every Tuesday night so she invites us over because she wants to serve the Lord. As she told us this you can imagine my heart was melting. Her desires are truly to live the gospel. This woman is converted....she doesn't look at herself and think of her many struggles, she calls the missionaries and asks us to help her find people who need the happiness and peace she has. It is rare to experience someone with such incredible faith. My heart was so touched....I will honestly never be the same because I know Hermana Borja.

It was pretty late when we left her house. We had definitely overstayed and wanted to give her the time she needed to finish her homework and get to bed because she has to get up at 3am. But as we left she asked if we had somewhere to be. We said we were going to go knock a little more, so she said "Great let's finish this street".

Mensajeros De Dios

We went on splits with the other sisters this week to try and knock as many doors in our area as possible. Hermana Bosch and I started at one end of the road and Hermana Thompson and Hermana March started at the other end. Hrn. T and I picked this particular road because we knew there was a potential on this street, but we didn't know where and we needed to knock every door to find her. We prayed about it and knew that this was for sure the street to be on. Me and hna Bosch found the potential pretty quickly so we were super happy, but on the other end of the road something even more incredible was happening. 

Hrn. T and M knocked on a door that didn't open for the longest time. They were walking away when a woman named Nancy finally opened it. The sisters told her that they were messengers from God and Nancy invited them in right away! Nancy is on bed-rest because she has been trying to have kids with her husband for 9 years and finally found out that she is pregnant last week! Better yet, she is having twins! She has been taking it easy by staying in bed and said she is terrified to be home alone. In-fact, she never opens the door for anyone but when the sisters knocked something told her that it was messengers from God so she hurried and threw on some clothes and came to the door. 

Hermana Thompson and I came back later that day and taught her the first lesson that we teach about how the true Church of Jesus Christ is restored on the earth today. She kept emphasizing that she NEVER opens the door, and that she knows we bring the truth. She has been looking for a church...she goes to several different churches and just wants to be able to feel that "good feeling" about what ever religion she is practicing. She said she will pray to know if this is the true church, and if it is she for sure wants to be baptized.

Miembros Misioneros

This week we have been trying to tell every member about our experience with Hermana Borja. We want everyone to get on board with the missionary work. When I got here our binder was filled with investigators who love the missionaries, who have seen them from everywhere from 1-6  years. We have gone to each person and explained our purpose and turns out, not many people understood that we were there to help them get baptized and be in the Church, or they understood and really just didn't want to. That explains why there wasn't a baptism here for 7 months (until Ruben)! So we revived a few investigators, and dropped a lot. We have been doing a lot of finding and trying to focus on those who want the gospel, like Nancy or Hermana Borja's neighbors. We know that the best way to find people is through the members. Neighbors, family, co-workers....who ever it is it helps SO much when they already have a relationship with the church that they can trust. 

We were supposed to speak in sacrament, but an area authority showed up so we didn't have to speak. Better yet, this authority- Elder Torres, gave the most powerful talk on missionary work in the world. He explained that if we have faith, we need to act on it. We need to share it! He had us stand up and told everyone that the sisters are here to help them do what God has already asked of them. He gave the ward three things: 1- Pray for missionary experiences, 2- Give a name to the missionaries 3- Go to the temple regularly. Then he announced, "The sisters will be standing at the doors of the chapel to take your referrals down. Everyone is to give them a referral." He promised that the ward would be blessed beyond belief if they do this. 

I stood at the door with tears rolling down my face while people gave me name after name. They weren't just any names....people referred us to their parents, siblings, nieces/ nephews, and children. Not everyone gave us a name, but as the day went on we received phone calls from members giving us names. So crazy!!!

The Savior asked, after he was resurrected, for us to preach his gospel. Not just the missionaries, but every follower of Christ. Everyone who feels peace from the Book of Mormon, everyone who has or wants and eternal family, everyone who feels the comfort that the truth brings, EVERYONE who knows about the restored gospel is called to share it. I know that Heavenly Father will bless us for doing so.

Thanks for all of the e-mails and letters from you all! You are the best family EVER! Hope you have the best thanks giving evvvaaaaaaaa. I wish I could sit around at grandmas and hear about all of your blessings this year. If anyone asks, I'm grateful for every single one of you...and I'm REALLY grateful for the gospel. Don't forget how much you have to be grateful for. And don't take what you have for granted! If you need a reminder...come to El Paso. hehe.

Sureeeee love you!!! xoxoxoxox