Well there were a lot of things that happened this week and I'm just going to breeze through the smaller ones so that I can talk about the big ones! Okay, so we found some new investigators this week! :) we are back up to three: Antonio, Yolanda, and Nicole. Nicole is 9 and is a daughter of a recent convert and less active member. Funny story with her...people in the branch didn't remember if she was confirmed or not so we had to do some digging in the records to find out that she is in fact a member. Also, the atonement is working big changes in me because twice this week two different elders commented on the fact that I seemed different and when I asked how they meant it they both told me I seemed happier. Well, dang straight I've been happier! Haha I just feel bad that the branch thought I was a cranky butt all the time. But hey, can't change the past, draw the line in the sand and do better.
We had zone training meeting this week and we received some really good training. I was a little idiot and forgot my notebook so I ended up taking notes in my preach my gospel, which is good when I'm studying that specific topic, but when I want to give a brief overview I am at a disadvantage because I can't remember. But I remember I learned a lot...so this is awkward. In our mission, we do something called departing testimonies where everyone who is leaving at the end of the transfer gives their final testimony. Oh. My. Gosh. Probably like the least favorite thing about zone meetings. People take forever and tell us their whole life story and yadda yadda. I remember my favorite departing testimony was given by Sister Houser, she got up said she knew this church was true, Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, we have a living prophet to guide us, and Jesus Christ is our savior and then closed and sat down. That is how my closing testimony will be. Short, sweet, to the point, and done. Also, at the end of every meeting the elders and all the other sisters think it's social hour and so I always put everything away. Collect the chairs, put them away, break down the tables, put them away, take the couches back to the foyer, etc. except Elder Hermansen, my zone leader, always gets mad at me for trying to help because according to him I have a "bum shoulder" or something. Well, I need to take his advice because as much as I try and think I'm super buff and can put stuff away without consequences, I'm wrong. My body was in so much pain, I got a blessing, taught a lesson and then got home to take some muscle relaxers. Those things are a blessed gift from my Heavenly Father.
Then Saturday we had probably the coolest experience of my entire mission! This may or may not be the longest paragraph but I promise you it'll be worth the read! Stick with me! Do not skip this paragraph! Okay, now. We all arrived at the church at 10 o'clock in the morning so we could all ride together to the temple in a bus. Our branch rented a bus so that we could take all of our investigators and recent converts to the temple. After many months of planning we finally coordinated everything to make this trip possible and it was such a success! We loaded up our investigators and recent converts and then we realized that one family was missing. The familia Fregoso. Our family. Que oso. So we called them and they had just gotten up! Oh man I was very upset to say the least! But all is well because after 45 minutes of waiting, they finally got there and we could leave. We watched Joseph Smith the prophet of the restoration video on the way there and if you haven't seen it I highly recommend that you watch it. The spirit was so strong! So we get there and we take our investigators and recent converts into the temple. Before you blow your tops, let me explain. We took them to the waiting room. There the temple presidency came and welcomed them and taught them why the temple was so important, gave them the opportunity to ask questions, and then gave time for the missionaries to share their testimonies. It was amazing. I have never had the spirit so strong in a lesson before in my life. What was even cooler is our ward mission leader is a temple worker and he had just ended his session and came into the waiting room dresses in all white. Someone the investigators and recent converts knew came in dressed in all white. How powerful! Then Hermana Richardson and I went to go put some names in the temple and then we joined the group again outside for a tour. We met in the front of the temple, explained the holiness to the lord, house of the lord sign and then invited our group to go and touch the temple. It was so amazing to see how it lighted up their faces. Alexa, the daughter of the Fregosos, told her parents that she wants to go to the temple and I just about cried. I love that family so much, even when they're late. Then we took pictures and it was amazing because everyone was just so happy! Best day ever and the best thing about it was seeing Reyna touch the temple. She is a very special woman and she is going to do great things to help the work of the lord go forth. I love her and even if I never baptize anywhere else in my mission, I know I was sent to Joliet to know her. She is a blessing and a miracle and I love her! Her family is going to do some pretty great stuff. Later that night, Miguel got baptized. He ended his day by making a covenant with our father in heaven. To do this he had to quit his smoking addiction. And he quit! Cold turkey for two and a half weeks! We are so proud of him and for rosa for going back to church and making the decision to have the gospel central in their lives.
The English elders brought their investigator, Kelly, to the baptism so she could see what one was like and she loved it! It was so amazing. I really like Kelly and I hope they can help her enter the waters of baptism this next week. After the Baptism there was a little snack, more like a big snack it was awesome. I love Hispanics because there is always food. Anyway we were chit chatting with the elders and the members and turns out, Elder Baugh being the genius that he is, has a Spanish program that he made and he is going to tweak it to help me! Haha sweet! So stoked for this. Also, on the subject of Spanish, one of the members asked me and my companion who had been out longer and my companion said she had and he was like really? Okay, okay, now back to the good stuff. As we were walking out to the cars, I was eating a tostada, plain, how I like it. And then Elder Heiner was talking a little crap and so I faked throwing my tostada at his face and he told me to do it, so I did. I threw the tostada at his face like a frisbee and it totally smacked him in the face! Everyone was dying! I couldn't believe that I hit him in the face with a half eaten tostada!
Sunday was rough to say the least. It started out with a morning feeling like I got. Hit by a truck in the middle of the night. I felt like and old lady. But I got up and got ready to go so that we could study for an hour and go to branch council. So we left and we got there and we got the help we needed from the branch and then Presidente Ramirez gave us some counsel on how we can be better missionaries. Then we had church, shared our testimonies in the youth Sunday school class, and went to relief society. After church we had another meeting on how we can help our recent converts who are less active members now and we decided that we were going to make general goals and plans for our recent converts and bring them to MCM and make a branch vision so that the auxiliaries can be held responsible for this vision and plan. It was actually pretty productive. After we hustled out to Plainfield (30minutes away) for an appointment but when we got there the lady wasn't there. But then we went home and ate and studied a little bit and then headed back to the church for the activity we were in charge of. Here is where the day changes for the worst. My shoulder had been hurting all day and the pain had crept up to my neck and the base of my head during church and then finally when we had gotten to the church for the second time, my whole body was in pain! I was nauseous and shaking and it was so embarrassing because practically everyone who came to the activity thinks I'm diseased now. But I got a priesthood blessing from our branch president and Elder Craig and I know that everything is going to be okay. I'll be healed to the point where I can finish my mission and that I can be an example to those I serve with as well. But my body shut down. It took an hour for my left side to be able to move without hurting and my whole right side of my body hurt for the whole stinking night. During the middle of the night I had to get up and put some cold water on me because it was hot and I was going to throw up if I didn't and then I fell asleep praying for comfort, I guess that's a good way to go.
So what I learned this week is that there is always trials and difficulties in life. The only thing that will make them better is to what extent we use the atoning sacrifice of our lord and savior Jesus Christ. Even in the worst of circumstances, we can choose to be grateful, we can choose to be happy, we can choose to help others. That's basically what I learned. I also studied grace this week. I've been having anger issues, shocker, and slipping up with them, I know even a bigger shocker, and I was getting really frustrated with myself, probably the most shocking thing you've ever heard, and the lord led me to study grace. It's amazing what happens when you seek the lords help in knowing how you can improve. The lord is there with us, every step we take, walking with us. I know that is true. I know in my moments of pain he was there with me, giving me comfort because he knew exactly what I was feeling. There are no words to describe the love I have for my savior or for the gospel he has blessed me with. I would not be the person I am right now without His divine help and plan. I know is church is true and following the gospel plan will bless you in an infinite number of ways. This is the church of our savior Jesus Christ, we are his representatives here on this life, and he loves us. This is the time for us to use the atonement. Change our ways and repent. I thought I was living a good life before my mission, and I was, but what I am learning now is that there are so many more blessings that the lord wants to bless us with. Seek those blessings by drawing near to your Heavenly Father. As you do this, you will fight your battles with a smile on your face and a happy heart. I love you all, I wish you the best week! Thank you for all the continuous support!
Sorry this is a lot like my weekly, I just added a few more stories that were pretty funny to me! I love you all and I hope you have a great week! Besos!
Love, Hermana Kunz