Semana 9- Intercambiar

Thus far this week we have found 22 new people who want to learn about the gospel. And in one day our district won for the zone area and talked with 70 new people about the gospel. (Obviously not everyone wants to learn more). Still though, it's amazing to be able to teach people and invite them to learn more about the most important thing ever!!

For cool tiny miracles we found a couple people who are ready to be baptized. They just need to be taught a bit. One lady said that she had been looking for missionaries she just hadn't answered earlier because she thought that we were Jehova witnesses. Once she answered the door she talked about how she was looking for a church that believes that Jesus and God are separate beings because she had been raised Catholic and that never made sense to her and none of the priests or pastors would explain it to her. Of course we talked about our beliefs of the God head and the Book or Mormon and it turns out she had previously downloaded it and already read some. She also said she loved missionaries and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints because we practice what we preach.

We also met 3 people who have been earnestly looking for a church and peace in their life and we showed up. Invited them to come to church and we have been sending them information. The only problem is 2 of them live pretty far out in our area, as in 45 minutes away in opposite directions of our central apartment location. We've still been talking to them though and it's been great. There was also a Facebook referral of another woman and we answered her call. She wants a Book of Mormon because she was almost baptized earlier when she lived in Laredo (more south-west texas) but had to move to find a place to raise her 17-and yes 17-dogs. She comes by our town Alice pretty often so we are meeting up with her to give her a book of Mormon because she lives in the middle of nowhere an hour away. ¡MILAGROS! Both big and small!

We were also able to be fed by one of the rancher families earlier this week. They have sheep that just gave birth on Tuesday and we were able to go see these tiny 8 hour old lambs. They were so cute! Also the day before my family just bought two bum lambs so it was funny having this dual connection of newborn lambs.

I had my first anti-member earlier. She told us that we were serving the devil and that we needed to get out. She said that she had been baptized and then because she was a chosen one she knew it was wrong and had left the church and tried to tell us to leave it all. I felt pretty sad. The gospel is here to bless people and people should act in kindness and love. This lady had also been baptized and promised to take the name of Christ and follow Him and still decided to leave it all.

We also had exchanges on Thursday which was super exciting! I was able to meet Sister River-Mendez who is the STL in the zone next to us but is over our zone to because there are only 4 sisters here in the Robstown Zone. She is from Dallas and Florida and her mom is from Mexico and is Baptist. Sister Mendez has lots of cool experiences and is bilingual and only has 2 transfers left. She was able to teach me a lot in our 24 hours and it was cool to see her speak the most beautiful rapid-fire Español. I also had to show the area because my compaion was the one who left not me even though I hadn't even been out in the field for more than 2 weeks. I really had to show that I knew what was going on, could coordinate lessons with member, had phone calling power, and knew directions and locations. It was a lot but I think it all ended well.

I also got to help some guy fix up his motorcycle with my companion. I feel like I need to gain deeper mechanical abilities just so I can help people in the future. There was even a guy later whose car wouldn't start. Sounds like the next thing after my mission is to learn how to repair vehicles beyond just batteries, jump-starting, coolant, and basic overheating. (Shoutout to Dani, Arielle, my dad, and the Oregon coast)

Scripture of the week: 3 Nephi 11:14 "Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world."

¡¡FOTOS!!

Lasagna for the new missionaries (old picture newly gotten)

TEMPLO DE MCALLEN

Exchanges with Sister Mendez

Finally the photos of the new missionaries in the field

Hemana Church and I

President and Hermana Larreal

Into the thick of it

Who let the dogs out?

This insane cat garden with 10 cats (some not pictured)

Just a fancy car that my brother would love