One more week in the CCM

December 12, 2013

¡¡Hola familia!!

So this is crazy, but I leave the CCM on Tuesday! I´m not sure what time yet.  It´s probably going to be really early in the morning, like 4 a.m.. I´m so nervous, but I´m also really excited.  I love getting to go proselyting on Saturdays, but it´s sad talking to people and never knowing what happens after that.  This week´s experience was different.  I had been praying the whole week before for Heavenly Father to prepare people and put them in our path so we could talk to them.  We got nine references out of the 5 hours we were out and gave out 3 Book of Mormons. After every person we talked to Hermana Louder and I would look at each other and think, how did that just happen?  The third person we talked to was this young girl.  We rang the bell of the house before her´s and the gentleman there wasn´t interested at all, before we had even gotten to her door though she opened it.  We were confused so we went over and started talking to her.  She had never heard of us before and when we gave her a Book of Mormon, she kept saying things like "I believe you, and thank you so much, I´m going to read this." Another time we talked to this 16 year old girl and her younger siblings.  We gave them a Book of Mormon, but forgot to get their reference. We were so bummed, that we forgot, but while at the next door we were talking to this lady, who again was definitely not interested, right after we were done talking to her, the girl and her siblings came out of the house again to ask us if we wanted something cold to drink. All I can say is the Lord answers prayers, and really does prepare people to meet us.  Also, that was probably the best juice I´ve ever had in my life.  Maybe it was because of the Spirit or maybe it was just because it was so hot outside! I´m just sad that I will never know what happens to them, but we planted a seed.

The power went out again a couple of times this week.  It seems to happen when the weather gets stormy.  It´s fun though! Although, it always seems to happen right when we are about to use something electrical.  Tuesday we fasted from speaking English as a district.  We started before dinner and went until lunch the next day.  I felt like my brain was going to explode, but I was surprised with how much Spanish I actually know.  Honestly, I full heartedly believe in the gift of tongues.  In these short 6 weeks I have been here, I´ve been able to communicate on a level I was never able to do with my 4 and a half years of French.  Our roommates are so helpful and nice.  They reassure me all the time that my Spanish is really good.  I don´t exactly believe them, but I am proud of the achievements I´ve made here.  I definitely don´t feel ready to go into the field but, I know that if I continue to work my hardest and trust in the Lord he will help me.

On Sunday we were talking about a talk by Elder Christoffersen.  I´ve heard it before, but it´s a really good one and I think you all should look it up.  I don´t remember the name of the talk, but he tells a story about a current bush. There is a Mormon message about it too.  A man had just bought a farm and this current bush was like six feet tall and not producing any fruit.  So the man took some pruning sheers and cut the bush down until it was just a small stump. This bush looked like it had a tear and the man seemed to hear the bush say, "How could you do this to me? I used to be so tall, now all of the other plants will look down and laugh at me." and the man replies, "Look little current bush, I am the gardener here.  I cut you down so you could grow to be what you are, which is a current bush that produces good fruit." Anyways the story on goes to tell about the man not getting a promotion in the military that he was qualified for, because he was Mormon.  And he was mad and upset and accusing the Lord, saying "How could you do this me?" When he heard his own voice say, "I am the gardener here.  I cut you down so you could grow to be what you are."  Sometimes we need to be chastened before we can achieve our highest points.  We won´t understand why until much later, but the Lord knows.  I have had to put so much trust in the Lord since I´ve been here in the CCM, but I know that He is only cutting me down so that I can grow to be the best missionary I can me. Mosiah 24:14-16 (I believe) talks about bearing your burdens with patience and the Lord will make them light. 

I love you all so much.  I can´t believe it´s Christmas time, because it feels like July here!  But I´m so excited to get to talk to you in a few weeks!

Have a wonderful week.

 ¡Te amo!

Hermana Lindsay

Link to currant bush talk:

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/as-many-as-i-love-i-rebuke-and-chasten?lang=eng&query=currant+bush 

Link to video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr8xvw0cgw0