Hey family,
Yes Dad, we were tuned into the same revelation channel as thepresident because Hermana Graham and I have another transfer together!Wahoooooo!
This week we've been working to prepare Indira Isabel for her baptism on Friday. She's been coming to church and meeting with the missionaries for about 2 months now and she's so prepared, we just had to wait because we wanted to work with the whole family and her mom has just started coming back to church and had a miraculous change of heart (I think I mentioned her last week).
We're also working with Karen and Alexander, a super prepared couple. Alex is already a member since he was 12 but has been inactive and doesn't remember hardly anything. (Sorry if I repeat info...sometimesI can't remember if I've told you something or if that was in myjournal or to someone else I wrote a letter to, haha) Karen is getting ready to be baptized Nov 6 and is so accepting of everything and so prepared. When we talked about the word of wisdom and extended the compromiso she said "Of course we won't be drinking coffee and Alex won't either because I'm not going to buy it or make it!" Haha.
When we talked about tithing she asked us "So when would be the best time to pay, sundays after la quincena?" She has been so prepared! They don't have any major desafios so Satan is trying to throw all the little stuff at them-yesterday they didn't come to church because Alex and their 1 1/2 year old baby are both sick, and they canceled the FHE we had planned for tonight with a member family for the same reason. Grrr. But things will still work out.
This week has been a little blobbly just because of the hassle of transfers (since we're out in the boonies transfers are a 2-3 day adventure waiting for new companions to come in and we have to shift around and be in trios and stay in other people's beds and stuff. ewww.) There was a fiasco with the buses and a brand new sister getting sent on the wrong bus with all the elders from her zone when she should have gotten off where we were waiting with her new companion. It's a long story, but basically we ended up waiting at the terminal alone until 12:00 watching all the crazy drunk people walk by until we were finally able to get ahold of someone and they told she was on a different bus, had already arrived ahead of Hermana Vasquez and was going to stay in a member's house alone. In the morning Hermana Vasquez took a bus alone to go meet up with her and it was all a big mess but in the end everything worked out ok and they met up and are alive and well.
I hope to have more miracles to tell you about next week but for now that's all I got, sorry!
Last night we taught a bunch of families and it felt so good but the most positive ones aren't from our area.... :( Lately we've been getting more creative and trying to have more fun in our lessons and it's even better when there are kids because we have an excuse to play games, haha. Hermana Graham gave an example from her MTC teacher about teaching to the needs of the people. She said it's like going into a suit store where all the suits are the same, but then the owner comes up and sizes you, tailors it to fit you, sells it to you, makes you feel special in your sweet new suit. That's all we have to do with the gospel. It's always the same message, but we have to tailor fit it to everyone's individual needs. Cool huh?
Ok love you all, thanks for everything!!
Hermana Dance
Alma 29:1-4 (I think that's it...O that I were an angel, and had the wish of mine heart...)
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Week 6=the best when you're with a companion you love:)
Hey family!
The miracles continue...
Remember Josefina, the can-collecting lady that came to church? Yeah so I made her that promise and then on Tuesday we went to a panadaria that one of the members owns to set up some folletos (uhh...pamphlets I think the word is) and some other stuff. (I felt like I was doing marketing or something but we ended up contacting a really nice ladyi n the process). While we were there Luzmila gave us a bunch of free bread and we sat down to eat and I noticed a recycling bin full of cans. It caught my eye just because recycling doesn't exist in Panama, and I had this weird I'm-in-America-but-not trip for a second but THEN I remembered that Josefina collects cans.... So I asked if she could take them and they said yes and when we passed by her house that same day we told her and she got ready right away and left to pick them up. Wam bam, promise fulfilled. It's cool how God always keeps his end of the bargain huh?
ANYWAYS, miracle 2= the amazing change we've seen in Indira, one of the investigator's moms. She got baptized when she was younger but then went inactive and got baptized in the evangelical church and has always been a little cold and negative towards the church the whole time we've been teaching her daughter. She hasn't been supportive and the first baptismal date the hermanas had with her daughter fell because of it; but since then she's separated from her sort of crazy husband and we've seen a night and day change. I think it would take me forever to try to describe it to you and I don't know if I even really can but it's been soooo amazing to see how much happier and hopeful she seems, how supportive she is, how she has a thirst to read and to know more and how she wants to always come to church with her kids, do family home evening and have family prayers. She really is an amazing woman and someday I will be able to tell you all about her and how much I love her and her family :)
Miracle 3: Karen (the one who came to church with her husband last week by herself the first time we invited her) asked us as soon as we got started in our appointment on Wednesday "So if I want to get baptized, what do I need to do?" She has definitely been prepared. She understand everything so well and it's amazing to teach her because since she's so open, our lessons are just guided by her questions. We set a date for November 6 (we'd been planning on extending the commitment anyways but she jumped the gun) and she accepted all excitedly.
Miracle 4: Remember Dionisia? She just paid her tithing yesterday without us even saying anything about it. We taught her about it a week or two ago and gave her a tithing slip but after that we hadn't mentioned it again and she just paid it on her own yesterday. The branch presidency was really impressed with her and everyone keeps asking when she's getting baptized but she can't because she's not married. Story of everyone's life here... :(
We also just found an awesome guy (we're trying to focus more on families and fathers) who had talked with the missionaries around 5 years ago. We found him Saturday and talked about the Book of Mormon, keeping the sabbath day holy, faith and works and invited him to church. He came even though people came to offer him money for an odd job earlier that morning and has already started reading in the Book of Mormon. He's 48 and super ripped and spear fishes in the river next to his tin shack house. He's pretty much like the Crocodile Dundee of Panama. We've taught his wife once too so now we just need to be able to teach them both at the same time but he had a good experience at church. I love this work! :)
Hermana Graham and I have been discussing why we've been able to see so many miracles this last week/these last two weeks and we've decided that lots of factors play into it but a big one is that we get along so well and love working together :) Plus since we both feel like we want to be together this next transfer (they will let us know the transfers tonight) and that we feel we aren't going to be transfered; so we've been working straight on through the normal Week 6 drag. The whole running straight on through the finish theory. Hermana Graham listed the example of Christ and EVERYTHING He did in the last week of His life and that helps us keep a vision of how we need to always endure to the end. (I'm guessing it's the same in your mission but everyone here usually sort of plods through Week 6 until transfers and then we're all charged up again) But this transfer it's been different and it's amazing the difference it has made. And of course the Lord has been merciful in blessing us with success.
Ok Ok I have to go but thanks for all the emails and love and support.Hope you all have a great week!!
Love,
Hermana Dance
The miracles continue...
Remember Josefina, the can-collecting lady that came to church? Yeah so I made her that promise and then on Tuesday we went to a panadaria that one of the members owns to set up some folletos (uhh...pamphlets I think the word is) and some other stuff. (I felt like I was doing marketing or something but we ended up contacting a really nice ladyi n the process). While we were there Luzmila gave us a bunch of free bread and we sat down to eat and I noticed a recycling bin full of cans. It caught my eye just because recycling doesn't exist in Panama, and I had this weird I'm-in-America-but-not trip for a second but THEN I remembered that Josefina collects cans.... So I asked if she could take them and they said yes and when we passed by her house that same day we told her and she got ready right away and left to pick them up. Wam bam, promise fulfilled. It's cool how God always keeps his end of the bargain huh?
ANYWAYS, miracle 2= the amazing change we've seen in Indira, one of the investigator's moms. She got baptized when she was younger but then went inactive and got baptized in the evangelical church and has always been a little cold and negative towards the church the whole time we've been teaching her daughter. She hasn't been supportive and the first baptismal date the hermanas had with her daughter fell because of it; but since then she's separated from her sort of crazy husband and we've seen a night and day change. I think it would take me forever to try to describe it to you and I don't know if I even really can but it's been soooo amazing to see how much happier and hopeful she seems, how supportive she is, how she has a thirst to read and to know more and how she wants to always come to church with her kids, do family home evening and have family prayers. She really is an amazing woman and someday I will be able to tell you all about her and how much I love her and her family :)
Miracle 3: Karen (the one who came to church with her husband last week by herself the first time we invited her) asked us as soon as we got started in our appointment on Wednesday "So if I want to get baptized, what do I need to do?" She has definitely been prepared. She understand everything so well and it's amazing to teach her because since she's so open, our lessons are just guided by her questions. We set a date for November 6 (we'd been planning on extending the commitment anyways but she jumped the gun) and she accepted all excitedly.
Miracle 4: Remember Dionisia? She just paid her tithing yesterday without us even saying anything about it. We taught her about it a week or two ago and gave her a tithing slip but after that we hadn't mentioned it again and she just paid it on her own yesterday. The branch presidency was really impressed with her and everyone keeps asking when she's getting baptized but she can't because she's not married. Story of everyone's life here... :(
We also just found an awesome guy (we're trying to focus more on families and fathers) who had talked with the missionaries around 5 years ago. We found him Saturday and talked about the Book of Mormon, keeping the sabbath day holy, faith and works and invited him to church. He came even though people came to offer him money for an odd job earlier that morning and has already started reading in the Book of Mormon. He's 48 and super ripped and spear fishes in the river next to his tin shack house. He's pretty much like the Crocodile Dundee of Panama. We've taught his wife once too so now we just need to be able to teach them both at the same time but he had a good experience at church. I love this work! :)
Hermana Graham and I have been discussing why we've been able to see so many miracles this last week/these last two weeks and we've decided that lots of factors play into it but a big one is that we get along so well and love working together :) Plus since we both feel like we want to be together this next transfer (they will let us know the transfers tonight) and that we feel we aren't going to be transfered; so we've been working straight on through the normal Week 6 drag. The whole running straight on through the finish theory. Hermana Graham listed the example of Christ and EVERYTHING He did in the last week of His life and that helps us keep a vision of how we need to always endure to the end. (I'm guessing it's the same in your mission but everyone here usually sort of plods through Week 6 until transfers and then we're all charged up again) But this transfer it's been different and it's amazing the difference it has made. And of course the Lord has been merciful in blessing us with success.
Ok Ok I have to go but thanks for all the emails and love and support.Hope you all have a great week!!
Love,
Hermana Dance
Monday, October 11, 2010
sometimes we get to see miracles
Hey family!
Woop beep bop snerp derp....estoy bien! Yesterday was a most excellent day. A couple that we found on Friday came to church without us having to go get them-we didn't even get a chance to extend the compromiso, they just asked us when church was and decided between themselves to come before we could even ask them about it. Yayy!! THey're super cute and in the first lesson as we sang Famlies Can Be Together Forever we all felt the spirit and could just see them with their little 1 1/2 year old getting sealed in the temple. Hermana Graham and I just looked at each other and smiled widely because we knew we were both thinking the same thing. (as a side note, the cool thing about being such good friends with my companion is that it's soooo easy for us to have unity in our teachings. We almost always get the same impressions about what things we should teach or questions we should use....you'd think the same God is helping us or something...haha)
So yup, that was miracle number one. Miracle number two was that yesterday morning we passed by this indigina lady that we'd taught once and that other sisters had visited. She was out early looking for cans to collect and turn in for money to be able to eat and pay for the things she needed. We were pretty close to the church so we stopped and talked to her and I said something like "Hey, let's go to church! You already have a dress on!" (their traditional clothes that they always wear are these sweet bright colored dresses). She said she had to look for more cans to be able to eat, etc etc and I just felt like I should make her a promise. I told her that if she came to church, I knew she would be able to find enough stuff to take care of her expenses. She nodded and responded like she wasn't going to come but asked us to pray for her. So we left to go get other people and I felt sad because I knew the gospel would help her and that God would've pulled through on his end to help her.
Soooo flash forward to halfway through sacrament meeting when she walked in the door. YAY!!! We were so surprised and excited because she really didn't seem like she was going to come. But she did, and we were so happy and the whole sacrament meeting I was praying and asking God to fulfill the promise I'd made because I really did feel like I should say it. She left after the first hour and we haven't seen her since but I know that things worked out ok. We're going to stop by on Tuesday to see how she's doing. :)
So yup, yesterday was a good day. We had a baptism on Saturday of Adriana, who's been listening to missionaries on and off for years, but it was so great to see how happy she was and how her husband came to support her even though he's never come to church. The members we supportive also. I love this area, it's so...good. everything is functioning how things should in the church. Yayy!
Now Hermana Graham and I are going to go biking and play frisbee after lunch. We're excited and feel like we're in Provo again. Herm, what else to tell you all...Oh yeah, remember how I told you about Dionisia who always comes with her little boys to church? Yesterday we did divisions and Hermana Graham went with Luzmila,this awesome hermana from our ward, and I guess she accepted to be baptized. Now she just has to get married first.....*sigh* But she's great and it's been awesome to see how much she's changed. She just started reading the Book of Mormon a week or so ago and is already in 2 Nefi 31. Sweet.
Mmk welp I'm almost out of time but thanks for loving me and for always writing. Love you all!!
Hermana Dance
P.S: Hey Jamison, are you still going to be a doctor? Hermana Graham's dad is a doctor and after hearing all the stories she's told I've decided there are lots of benefits to having a doctor in the family...so keep on keepin' on brudder! haha.
Woop beep bop snerp derp....estoy bien! Yesterday was a most excellent day. A couple that we found on Friday came to church without us having to go get them-we didn't even get a chance to extend the compromiso, they just asked us when church was and decided between themselves to come before we could even ask them about it. Yayy!! THey're super cute and in the first lesson as we sang Famlies Can Be Together Forever we all felt the spirit and could just see them with their little 1 1/2 year old getting sealed in the temple. Hermana Graham and I just looked at each other and smiled widely because we knew we were both thinking the same thing. (as a side note, the cool thing about being such good friends with my companion is that it's soooo easy for us to have unity in our teachings. We almost always get the same impressions about what things we should teach or questions we should use....you'd think the same God is helping us or something...haha)
So yup, that was miracle number one. Miracle number two was that yesterday morning we passed by this indigina lady that we'd taught once and that other sisters had visited. She was out early looking for cans to collect and turn in for money to be able to eat and pay for the things she needed. We were pretty close to the church so we stopped and talked to her and I said something like "Hey, let's go to church! You already have a dress on!" (their traditional clothes that they always wear are these sweet bright colored dresses). She said she had to look for more cans to be able to eat, etc etc and I just felt like I should make her a promise. I told her that if she came to church, I knew she would be able to find enough stuff to take care of her expenses. She nodded and responded like she wasn't going to come but asked us to pray for her. So we left to go get other people and I felt sad because I knew the gospel would help her and that God would've pulled through on his end to help her.
Soooo flash forward to halfway through sacrament meeting when she walked in the door. YAY!!! We were so surprised and excited because she really didn't seem like she was going to come. But she did, and we were so happy and the whole sacrament meeting I was praying and asking God to fulfill the promise I'd made because I really did feel like I should say it. She left after the first hour and we haven't seen her since but I know that things worked out ok. We're going to stop by on Tuesday to see how she's doing. :)
So yup, yesterday was a good day. We had a baptism on Saturday of Adriana, who's been listening to missionaries on and off for years, but it was so great to see how happy she was and how her husband came to support her even though he's never come to church. The members we supportive also. I love this area, it's so...good. everything is functioning how things should in the church. Yayy!
Now Hermana Graham and I are going to go biking and play frisbee after lunch. We're excited and feel like we're in Provo again. Herm, what else to tell you all...Oh yeah, remember how I told you about Dionisia who always comes with her little boys to church? Yesterday we did divisions and Hermana Graham went with Luzmila,this awesome hermana from our ward, and I guess she accepted to be baptized. Now she just has to get married first.....*sigh* But she's great and it's been awesome to see how much she's changed. She just started reading the Book of Mormon a week or so ago and is already in 2 Nefi 31. Sweet.
Mmk welp I'm almost out of time but thanks for loving me and for always writing. Love you all!!
Hermana Dance
P.S: Hey Jamison, are you still going to be a doctor? Hermana Graham's dad is a doctor and after hearing all the stories she's told I've decided there are lots of benefits to having a doctor in the family...so keep on keepin' on brudder! haha.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Herm, turns out there's a reason we usually check email BEFORE going off to play...
It's around 5 and we just got back from hiking all day in the mountains with the zone. We hiked up to the top of this huge waterfall and took lots of pictures and some of us fell waist deep in water but we all made it out alive. (I just tried to send you some pictures but I'm not sure if they went through...) Then as we were leaving we met a guy driving down in his cow truck (those pickups that transport cows) so everyone piled in back and I got to sit in front with an hermana who has knee problems and he gave us a ride down.
It was kind of terrifying because the road was really rocky steep and kinda wet but we made it out ok once everyone in back started pulling bobsled moves and shifting sides depending on which way we were tilting or turning. It was an adventure :) Then we had another long bus ride standing up to get back to town and now we're all really dirty and tired. But it was fun and I'm happy we did something adventurous instead of just play soccer.
This week has been conference week to the max but I've learned sooo much. It's hard trying to remember it all and put it all in practice in the lessons but we're definitely improving. This is a little of what I wrote to my presidente:
"Hna Graham and I feel like we've been able to teach more by the Spirit, like our teaching is more unified and that we're better able to answer people's needs as we've been practicing after the conference. For example, Friday we planned to teach someone about the gospel of Jesus Christ but in the morning we spent time to think of a couple of "inspired questions" and we planned on using "What has been the happiest moment in your life?" and then using their answer to explain that eternal life is going to be like that x100.
We ended up using that question in another lesson also and it was amazing to see how the hermana opened up and let us know more about her life. While listening to her respond, we could discern that she had doubts about seeing her mother again and that she needed to strengthen her faith in Christ. Just using that question helped us get to know her, created an environment when we were able to have an open conversation, and let us discern and teach to her needs."
So yup, things are good. We're seeing lots of positive changes and improvements. I love my companion, I love conference, and I love my zone. This is the first time I've really been in a zone with other Americans and that actually talk and it's fun. We're making thanksgiving plans already to go to a member's house and all cook together as a zone. Hmm, goes right along with President Monson's talk. Man, I feel like conference goes by so fast now! I was looking forward to it for like 3 months and it passed in the blink of an eye.
One of our investigators, Dionisia, came with three of her little boys. She is so sweet and has now been coming to church a month straight and is really progressing. We just need to be able to find her man at home now so we can get him to agree to get married and start teaching him too....Because it's been so great to see how she has really lit up with the light of the gospel. She seems so much happier.
I haven't had time to meditate and set new goals after conference yet, but one of the biggest things I got out of it was just being reminded of how awesome the plan of salvation, and how important all of this is and how everyone really really needs to know it to get ready for the day when we'll each appear before God again. Thats an Alma 34 scripture but that's a weak translation from Spanish to english. Look it up! (Alma 34:32 I think)
Love you all and hope all is well!
Thanks!!
Love,
Hermana Dance
It was kind of terrifying because the road was really rocky steep and kinda wet but we made it out ok once everyone in back started pulling bobsled moves and shifting sides depending on which way we were tilting or turning. It was an adventure :) Then we had another long bus ride standing up to get back to town and now we're all really dirty and tired. But it was fun and I'm happy we did something adventurous instead of just play soccer.
This week has been conference week to the max but I've learned sooo much. It's hard trying to remember it all and put it all in practice in the lessons but we're definitely improving. This is a little of what I wrote to my presidente:
"Hna Graham and I feel like we've been able to teach more by the Spirit, like our teaching is more unified and that we're better able to answer people's needs as we've been practicing after the conference. For example, Friday we planned to teach someone about the gospel of Jesus Christ but in the morning we spent time to think of a couple of "inspired questions" and we planned on using "What has been the happiest moment in your life?" and then using their answer to explain that eternal life is going to be like that x100.
We ended up using that question in another lesson also and it was amazing to see how the hermana opened up and let us know more about her life. While listening to her respond, we could discern that she had doubts about seeing her mother again and that she needed to strengthen her faith in Christ. Just using that question helped us get to know her, created an environment when we were able to have an open conversation, and let us discern and teach to her needs."
So yup, things are good. We're seeing lots of positive changes and improvements. I love my companion, I love conference, and I love my zone. This is the first time I've really been in a zone with other Americans and that actually talk and it's fun. We're making thanksgiving plans already to go to a member's house and all cook together as a zone. Hmm, goes right along with President Monson's talk. Man, I feel like conference goes by so fast now! I was looking forward to it for like 3 months and it passed in the blink of an eye.
One of our investigators, Dionisia, came with three of her little boys. She is so sweet and has now been coming to church a month straight and is really progressing. We just need to be able to find her man at home now so we can get him to agree to get married and start teaching him too....Because it's been so great to see how she has really lit up with the light of the gospel. She seems so much happier.
I haven't had time to meditate and set new goals after conference yet, but one of the biggest things I got out of it was just being reminded of how awesome the plan of salvation, and how important all of this is and how everyone really really needs to know it to get ready for the day when we'll each appear before God again. Thats an Alma 34 scripture but that's a weak translation from Spanish to english. Look it up! (Alma 34:32 I think)
Love you all and hope all is well!
Thanks!!
Love,
Hermana Dance
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