Aug 12, 2013
Dear Fam Bam and Friends
Life
is wonderful down here. Hermana Mahterian and I are working hard as we can,
because Hermana Mahterian has brought a measure of enthusiasm that I never
realized that I had lost a little of. We have five people with baptism dates,
and are teaching up a storm--teaching three brand new families and three
different part member families. Our problem is that we don't know how to fit
everyone in the schedule!!! (and we are trying to get them to come to church.
really people, why is church SO scary to you all????)
This
week I wanted to share something a little more personal and a little more
serious, but it´s something that made a huge impact on the way I look at my
mission.
This
week we had been praying--A LOT for a certain family to know how to help them. On
Thursday, we went to knock their door, and just as we went to knock, I turned
around to tell Hermana Mahterian that I felt like we should pray before we
knocked, and as I looked to the side, she grabbed me and said tersely "we
need to leave. I feel like we need to leave NOW." And so we turned and
left. As we did, I could feel it. A palpable darkness that surrounded my soul
and it felt like shrouds were just clinging, striving and suffocating. I could
FEEL the darkness. I have never felt the pressing, real presence of obscurity
before in this way. As we continued on our way, I could still feel it clinging
onto my soul and happiness. in the night as I kneeled to pray, I begged
heavenly father to help me feel his spirit again, I realized the power of the message
that we carry. There is a verse in Doctrina and Convenios that says something
like: "what is God is light...and we will waste and wear out our lives,
bringing hidden things to light and chasing the darkness out from among
us."
We
don't realize the LIGHT and power of the message that we have until we feel the
realness and darkness of what we are fighting against.
Also,
this one little miracle and neat experience this week...we went to visit a less
active and her husband is not a member and has had some very negative
experiences in the past, and we were shocked that he welcomed us in and brought
his daughter down to talk with us. He said, "I need you to talk to her. I
need you to help her. I will do anything for her. I will go to church if I have
to. But help her, please. I´ll sit down too, and listen too" His oldest
daughter, who is 17, is about to have her first daughter and you can see that
the whole family is devastated. As we taught pure doctrine, focusing on our
relationship with Christ and the doctrine of repentance, the spirit came
pouring in. He said "this message is different, you sisters are
different."
I
don't think it is that we are different, I think it is because we taught
people, not lessons. hashtagthanksheavenlyfather
Other
fun fact: Our toilet is REFUSING to function, and periodically over floods
every day. We think it is because Satan is annoyed with us so he decided to
take up residence in the bathroom, since we are kicking him out of all the
other homes. oh missionary humor...
All
is well here!! and these pictures are of Purranque and with our Mamita, who
feeds us every day and also built our watermelon house!
Love
you!!
Hermana
Monroe
Purranque
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