Week 42 - Woodland

Hola hola! Como estan? 

This week we got to meet with Miguel again! It was so exciting and he had read in the Book of Mormon! He said that he was enjoying it and we talked a bit about the Plan of Salvation. We were on exchanges this day and I was with Sister Irvine who isn't speaking Spanish on her mission. So I got to see kind of how far my Spanish had come since I was kinda solo for the lesson. But it went super smooth after I chilled and relied on my faith that the Lord would help me say what I needed to. Miguel asked a ton of questions during the lesson and had some follow up questions at the end. He hadn't prayed about what he had read yet so we are still encouraging him to do that but he is really moving forward! We plan on asking him about baptism this Tuesday!

Maria is well, she was so happy this week most of the times we saw her. She's been reading everyday on her own and you can see the small differences that it is making. Small and simple things make great things come to pass! We KNOW that one day will be such an amazing day where Maria enters the waters of baptism. When that will be we aren't quite sure but we know the Lord has a perfect plan for everyone, so we will continue to be with her and help her until that day comes.

Let's see we had a lot of service this week and mulched for what seemed like forever but I made a two year old friend who was playing in a sand pit and was slowly but surely carrying the sand from the pit to the sidewalk on the other side.

We also helped a member make raviolis and we had a taco fest on Saturday night for our branch! It was so fun and awesome everyone brought different kinds of tacos and there was music for people to dance to, it was super fun. The members here are just my favorite.

I'm so nervous to find out about transfers this week I want to stay here in Woodland but I know the Lord has the perfect plan for me! 

We saw a drug bust go down in the church parking lot. Three cop cars actually pulled over this car and blocked us into the church parking lot so we watched that go down and that was quite entertaining. They searched the whole car, brought some dogs, and put some stuff in bags in the police care. It was like watching TV but not.

We lost our gas card? Yea well we haven't gotten another one so we have to keep using someone else's and we were like super out of gas and didn't have the card so we drove with the elders all night. During this all there were multiple conversations but Elder Osorio got the quote of the day when he said "man there are like four girls in your family that means your family must be loaded, girls are way too expensive."

I read a talk from the 2007 March ensign this week as well that was called "Forgiving Oneself" it is an amazing talk if you have time to read it but I'll include one of my favorite parts! 

"The Savior, in contrast, would have us understand that we have sins that need to be cleansed, but we are much more than those stains. If I spill ketchup on my shirt, I have a stain. Perhaps it is right in front where everyone can see it. But while I have a stain, I am not the stain. I need to recognize that there is a good deal of my shirt that is clean and white. I believe that God sees the white shirt--the goodness in His children--and offers, through Christ, to remove the stains. If we obsess about the stain, however, it will become who we are in our minds and then in our actions."

The atonement is being talked about here and how through it we are cleansed from sin and then the next step is forgiving ourselves. God has commanded us to forgive ALL even OURSELVES. Which that leads to my continued reading in the Infinite Atonement this week and I'm SO grateful for the atonement and it's so amazing to be able to study it as a missionary it is so true that everything revolves around this one selfless act done by Christ.

Because of this EVERYTHING will be ok in the end and that is something that can give us each hope as we go through each day. I testify that this gospel is the best and that it is true. I love it and being able to share with others the things the atonement can do for ones life.

Yea...  being a missionary helps you see how much can be done in Wards that isn't happening. But hey it's all good because I never would have known any of that if I hadn't come on a mission. Being a missionary doesn't lack frustration and down times but along with that comes some great ups and awesome experiences. I am where I am supposed to be!

Love you all lots! Que tenga un buen semana.

Nos vemos 

Hermana Foster

A rock I painted