Its Not About the Numbers

Hola Mis Amors

Okay so this week was a lesson in why its more important to teach people and not lessons and how there is a soul behind every number... almost all of our RC are inactive... and there is a family who is suffering because the missionaries forever ago rushed them into a marriage that really should have never happened... I hope that every thing is well with all of you.. I think of you often and remember you in my prayers...this week was a great week for us... I admitted to Hna Chavez at the beginning of the week that I had always had a personal goal of teaching 40 lessons total in one week... we worked really hard this week and end with 42.. for the first time since my mission started I was happy to report numbers with three investigators in Church and two of them with baptisimal dates it felt really good to finally see that things are coming along.. slowly... but they are coming. 

First I will talk abou tthe fecha we put thi sweek... it was probably one of the most interesting lessons I have ever taught in my life as a missionary... he asked us to come at 8am and so we did... but almost every ten minutes or less we were interrupted by someone... just when the Spirit was strongest someone would come to his door or pass in the street and say hello and we would have to work to bring the Spirit back... Hno. Jesus has to quit smoking in order to be baptized and so we worked to set goals and at first he told us that we could not understand because we have never had an addiction like that so we proposed that if he would give up smoking we would give up chocolate... so Hna Chavez and I are chocolate free until he gets baptized or one of us leaves the area... whatever comes first... but he accepted a fecha for the 24th of August because other than smoking he has some things he has to work out before he can be baptized but he is very optimistic, has attended Church twice, and wants to make the changes in his life that he needs to make. 

Earliar in the week we had a lesson with Jesus where we learned all the things that he needed to change in order to be baptized... it felt like being in a confessoin or some thing.. when we asked Jesus to give the prayer he bowed his head and prayed silently... it is so hard not to laugh when that happens and it happens often... thus commenced the strangest day of my life... whats comical about it is that I asked Hna Chavez in the morning if she was ready for all the strange experiences we would have that day.. she told me that I should not say things like that... I was going to jynx us.. and I think I did. 

After Jesus we decided to contact in a part of our area where we live that we had never gone in being careful to avoid the red are that is at the the opposite end of where our house is... we contacted an older woman in her home and I was in the mdidle of introducing who we were when she got up and left the room and did not come back.. it was weird... then we contacted a guy in the street and it turns out that he was a Pentacostal preacher from Florida that speaks English.. he asked us about polygamy and our other Bile... oh man it was so weird.... he talked to us for like 30 minutes... then after passing by a less active member we passed by a house and a guy was standing i nthe doorway.. he told us to come in because he had a friend of ours there.. we were hesitant because we could not see anyone else and the guy was a little off... then we heard the voice of a woman so we went in and they acted like we knew them but I am confident I have never talked to them before iin my life.. the woman then started to argue with us about weather the Sabbath was Saturday or Sunday so we left pretty quick... not commmiting to come back... 

To end the night we were walking down stairs when a group of four dogs decided to try and attack us.. we fortunately had my little umbrella and that fended them off long enough for us to walk a distance away but itwas one of those moments where I am sure my heart stopped... anyway... that wsa Wednesday... the weirdest day I have yet had... and Hna Chavez and I are pretty sure its my fault... so now we do not say the words... experiencias raras... in our house... 

Another weird thing that happened this week was talking to an investigator about baptisms fo rthe dead... she told us she was worried about her parent who had died and not accepted Christ and so we talked to her abou the ways we vcan help those that have passed on... we then talked to her about how the Book of Mormon and the Bible support one another and she is one of those people that wants to investigate every thing so we left her with a promise to retun this week and are praying that she comes to know through tthe Holy Ghost that this is the church she is looking for...

We found a guy by the name of Hno. Tuñon... he knows his history bette than most people I have met and he just wants to learn... we contacted him on Wednesday and ended up teaching him two lessons worth of material in one visit which lasted almost an hour and a half... we spent 20 minutes alone talking about the Apostosy and when we introduced the Book of Mormon he told us that he wanted a week to read it... he accepted Joseph Smith and every thing but he told us that he wanted time to read the book and that we could come back on Wednesday... Hna Chavez and I are studying hard to be prepared to answer the questions that he might have... we are also going ot try and put a fecha... time will tell.. 

Jus a brief language update... we contacted a 19 year old girl named Crisol and her three year old son Julio... she asked me if I was from France... I am taking that as a compliment that I am sounding less like a gringa then I thought even though I still cannot trill my R... Hna Chavez is working with me. and we practice almost every day.... we also speak in Engish at night and some times I get frustrated because I feel like I talk slower in English than I do in Spanish and I just want to say things some times and so Hna Chavez has to remind me to talk in English.. also I was talking in my sleep three nights ago... loud enough to wake Hna Chavez up and she told me that I spoke in Spanish so its a good sign right.... 

Anyway, this week we had a lot of weird experiences but we also had a lot of blessings... the biggest blessing is seeing the beginnings of the fruits of our efforts here and the other blessing is the love that Hna Chavez and I have... we are praying that we do not have transfers but we know that God is in charge and we are prepared to accept his will in all things... one of our goals as a companionship this week is not to cry... wish us luck... 

Just want you guys to know that I love you so much... I am praying fo ryou and thinking about you often.. I am learning how to really appreciate all the things I had at home.. yesterday there was a huge bug in my food.. it looked like a cockroach.. the members laughed when I told them I was not sure if I could continue to eat my food... always an adventure haha...

Anyway time is short so I will say Hasta luego but know that I love you.. the Church is true and the time is passing way to quickly.. I will complete four months this Saturday... its sad... anyway... love you

All My Love, 

Hna Wilson

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