True story. They talked to us because they saw our UNITY. Best ever.
So let's be honest, I was feeling a touch nervous to be senior comp and lead the sector and all, but it turned out to be completely doable and enjoyable. We did a lot of contacting, a lot of teaching, a lot of inviting (for baptism, to come to church, etc.), and a whole lot of getting to know each other. Fun facts, Hna. Davila is a convert of three years, the only one in her family, she loves Diet Coke, her first boyfriend ever was deaf and she learned sign language to communicate with him, and her strongest missionary attribute is that totally rad ability to apply what we are teaching to what we know about the person.
Basically, I'm totally smitten with my comp. The moments in which we are not talking and laughing are few, we totally mesh and have a ridiculous amount of things in common, and what's more, we teach with unity and with the spirit. I had been praying that I could receive a companion that has a true desire to work hard, and someone that I could enjoy my mission with. I wasn't going in with any sort of expectation for her to be my best friend or to be a perfect missionary or anything like that. I know that God answered my prayer with someone who is delightfully what I wanted and truly NEEDED. It is the BEST to be able to work for the Lord with someone who you feel is truly your best friend.
One of those that we visited this week is Nancy. We simply read a chapter of the Book of Mormon with her, since we invited her a few months back to read the whole thing. Little by little she is accomplishing that goal, but we are always there to help her along the way. Somehow, it's all just a little more doable when you can do it together (total double meaning!) Honestly, it was just reading Mosiah 7 together, but it was amazing to listen to her think out loud and apply these simple verses to her own life, and to have the chance to testify that truly, when we read the book of Mormon every day, it will help us in our lives and guide us to know what to do to stay close to our Heavenly Father and be in his path. It doesn't matter where we are in our reading, I guarantee that we will always find something that will touch our hearts :)
Oh, btw, got the best package EVER from the darling lil Camilly X) chock full of USA sweets and candies, a cute banner, paper straws (swoon), scrapbook supplies, nail polish (freaking out), and BLUE TIGHTS. Oh my goodness. Talk about best missionary care package ever.
We also are progressing beautifully with an investigator named Evelyn. This week, we were talking about how we find answers to our prayers through the holy ghost, and what we can do to feel that spirit. Prayer, scripture study, coming to church, ya know. All that wonderful stuff. She confided in us (almost immediately, it was rad) that she feels that she lacks faith, and that she feels that there is something missing in her life, but she cant quite put her finger on it. Talk about best opportunity EVER to bear testimony of how the gospel blesses our lives! It was all I could do to keep myself from bouncing up and down in my seat and yelling "I KNOW! I KNOW WHAT YOU NEED!"
I promise I was calm and dignified as I testified :)
Another great lesson that I re-learned this week; we were invited to have lunch at a member's house this week, and this dear sister is struggling right now. She lives humbly but never stops helping and serving others when she sees that they are in need. She has a co worker that was looking for a place for her and her three young children to live and couldn't find anything. So this sweet sister told her that she could come and stay at her house until she finds another place. Her house was already small and humble, but she didn't think twice; she saw that someone was in need, and she offered what she could. I think we can all learn a lesson. Sometimes we feel that we have so little...but truly, there is always something we can do or give to help someone in need.
Also, a GREAT story that we heard from one of our investigators this week. She was a referral from another companionship that was very excited to accept us in her home, and immediately told us the story of how the other missionaries contacted her. She was leaving for work one morning and was in la Plaza de Maipu, a very busy little city about 20 minutes from El Abrazo. She saw these two missionaries saying hello to everyone (as we always do), and that no one was stopping to even say hello (which happens a lot). She decided that she would be the difference. She was honestly in a bad mood, going through a hard time, but the hardness of everyone else motivated her to be different.
When she approached the missionaries and said hello, one of the missionaries hugged her. And it was so touching and so sudden and exactly what she needed. She hadn't even realized that that was all that she needed to feel better; to simply receive a hug from someone. She felt loved. And for that, she gave her information to the missionaries. Because she felt loved and wanted to continue to feel that same love.
Talk about BEST STORY EVER.
And to finish things off, a great experience that we had with our little pal the holy ghost. We have an investigator named Erika, who I honestly believe is going to be baptized this month, who has received almost all of the missionary lessons. We are to the point of teaching what is called Lesson 5 for us missionaries, which is 6 lessons that talk about temples, family history, service, and others. We had planned to teach her about temples, but as we studied, we both felt prompted to teach her about enduring to the end.
Bueno, we always follow the promptings of the spirit, so we planned a lesson about endurance and doing it with faith and using the Sacrament. But as we got to her house and began teaching her, the lesson evolved into talking about the holy ghost, and how it truly helps us to know the truth.
I just KNOW that this church is true and that our Heavenly Father communicates with us through the holy ghost. Be bold, stay rad, and do what you do!
Hermana Harkins
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