I took a week off from emailing - kinda - because there was a lot going on last week. So I have double the things to talk about but once again - no time. We're already two weeks into the transfer - it's flying by so fast and there's so much to do! I'm already hoping to have another transfer here but I feel like my mission clock is ticking a little faster and I still have to get out of the VC and go full-pross for a little while. We'll see what happens - I feel like there will be a lot of changes this next transfer. But no need to worry about that right now!
We had a few investigators drop us these past two weeks which was a little heartbreaking. But the investigators we have right now are AWESOME. And though it's taken some time for them to really understand the importance of our message, they're all right on the brink of developing their own testimonies of the gospel.
Martin and Guadelupe: We found out this past week that Guadelupe is a member!!! We've been teaching this family for two months and we had no idea that she was a member! We knew she had taken the missionary lessons in the past but she didn't say anything else about it and we never asked her if she got baptized so she never told us! So......that was kind of crazy. Also by a miracle, their whole family came to the Visitors' Center! We didn't have many nights available to have lessons so we invited them to the VC to have a tour given by Hermana Ivey and her new companion. A member family met us there and it was simply magical. The whole family came and their sons, who have literally ran from us when we get to the house to teach, loved it! They actually wanted to come to church! There were a few things that got in the way so they didn't make it, but we have high hopes for next week! After watching God's Plan for the family, Guadelupe even expressed the desire to return to church and teach these things to her son! She's been hot and cold for the last two months but she's so ready! I just remember the day we knocked on that door - it was pure guidance from the Spirit and every little thing that happens confirms that we were led to this family. I'm just praying that I'm here to see the day when Martin and the boys get baptized.
Marilu and Atzidi: They're back from their trip to Los Angeles!!! Marilu is still very skeptical about religion, but having her member friend Hna. Preciado living right across the street will help her get there. They came to the ward picnic this past Saturday and then they came to the VC while we were working! We were the only Spanish sisters available so we gave them a quick tour. Atzidi is still doing awesome. She's reading the Book of Mormon picture book and sharing it with her Christian friends! I love this family so much and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to teach them the gospel.
Veronica and Jenny: Veronica was better last week, but got sick again this past week so we haven't seen her much. She was so sick that an ambulance came over to bring her to the hospital. She almost accepted a baptism date, but she wants to give it more time and she wants to do it with her whole family. We have a lesson set up to see all of them on Friday - each one of her kids needs the gospel so bad. She's kind of given up on her two oldest sons even though they live with her but that's why we have repentance through the Atonement of Christ! She's most thinking about her two girls. Jenny is 15 and she opened up to us last night a bit. She's going to start praying and change her life to express her gratitude for keeping her mom alive. It's so great having them living in the home of the Preciado's. We literally couldn't do missionary work without the members in this ward.
Familia Gomez: We added three new investigators this week! I met this family through a lady that lives with them, Anabela, who started attending our free English classes. We tried teaching Anabela and she was interested in our church but wasn't interested to learn more. She is going back to Guatemala at the end of the month - she just came to the States for a few months for the experience but she has a friend who is a member back in Guatemala. She introduced us to the family because one of the sons has leukemia so she asked that we come visit him in the hospital. We did and we gave him a Book of Mormon but it's been hard to get in touch since. Sunday morning was a little crazy and we got out of the house earlier than planned before our Sunday meetings, so we stopped by the Gomez family. We taught three of the five members of the family and met another woman that lives with them, Monica. We talked about the Restoration and though they initially didn't want to change, they invited us back to teach the whole family this Thursday night and anyone else who is home! It's going to be great!
Our whole mission is really focusing on finding families to teach because families really are so important to the plan of God. The gospel helps everyone, but as it is specifically applied by every single member of the family, that is how we find happiness and joy. I've heard it said before that when we make Christ and His gospel the center of our families, we can experience a little bit of heaven on earth. Those perfect happy moments with our families....that is what heaven will be like. If we can't learn to have moments of that joy here, how do we expect to have it for eternity?
Anyways, just some thoughts. We have Zone Conference this week so I'm super excited for that. We have a lot of appointments set up with potential investigators and tons of time - two whole full pross days - to teach them, to teach our other investigators, and to find more! I feel like I'm waking up out of a coma every morning, but it's all so so worth it. I'm also eating GREAT/healthy despite the fact that I'm in a Spanish ward and the grocery store of choice is usually Grocery Outlet where the fruit doesn't even last a week. Sister Pena and I are staying fit and active running and playing sports every morning - even though she leaves me in the dust. And I'm truly learning to love Spanish even though my perfectionist self has a hard time dealing with making mistakes. But I try to hold that part of me back unless I'm cleaning the apartment or the car. There are miracles everywhere and I'm learning from the Lord every single day. Being a missionary is the best calling ever and sometimes I just never want to leave.
Good luck with everything this week! I love you all!
Hermana Hunsaker
