Milagros de la Obra Misional

Wow. It's already July. The weather warmed up a little this week for a few days but it's nowhere near as hot here as in other parts of the mission. I feel very lucky to be in Oakland for most of the summer instead of in Antioch or Concord (where it's been over 100 degrees all week).

The only complaint that I have about Oakland is the simple fact that there is not a single library open on Mondays. And with the Family History Center closed yesterday for carpet cleaning, we weren't able to email. Which means I have approximately 5 minutes to email right now. Five minutes can't even begin to sum up all the miracles of the week, but I'll try.

Visitors' Center - we met people from Finland, Russia, Romania and Italy this week. I love being in a city with so many different cultures! Real quick story: the people from Italia came to visit their son for the first time who is a member and lives here with his wife. They didn't speak any English but we spoke to them in Spanish and we were able to understand each other pretty well!!! Amazing. I told their son that my dad served in Italy and he said "Tell him that Italians DO get baptized in Italy!" Most of the people my dad baptized in his mission were all from different countries. But his story is super cool - he read 7 Habits of Highly Successful People (or whatever that book is - I forgot the exact name). Anyways, this book was written by a member (I don't remember his name right now either, I just know he passed away recently). But anyways, he read this book and thought to himself, "there's something that this guy isn't telling me." Then he met a member of the church and they talked about it and he got baptized! It's just further evidence to me as to how true this church is and just how many ways that God speaks to His children!

Oakland Spanish - our ward had a crazy party for the 30th anniversary of the ward. There were so many people that we weren't able to do much, but it was good to support the ward leaders and recognize how far this ward has come throughout the years. Also, Sister Ivey and I have a teaching pool again! We're teaching nine people, of which half of them are progressing. They're all so different and it's taking all our work to arrange them all in our limited schedule. I fall into bed exhausted every night but it feels so good to be working so hard and doing it for someone and something that mean so much to me personally - the Lord and His gospel. Also, we taught English class this week!!! It was so much fun and I'm excited for more opportunities to do it. And there are so many non-members there! It's great.

Lesson of the week - you never know who is ready to hear and accept the gospel. We were teaching Guadelupe and Martin (who are doing AWESOME by the way) and their niece Ilene kept walking through. She didn't look interested AT ALL, but finally we just invited her to sit with us and learn! She ended up opening up to us and telling us that she had always wanted to pray but just didn't know how. She said she'd read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it's true! Even growing up in the church, I don't think I really understood it when I was 16 but the Lord prepares people in His own time and in His own way. We really are only instruments but as we take that responsibility upon ourselves to share the gospel, we really are doing what we've promised to do: "take upon ourselves the name of Christ."

Challenge - bear your testimony to a friend this week!

Happy 4th of July! Enjoy the fireworks for me!!! I'll be asleep :)

Hermana Hunsaker

Nine months

That's right. After starting our missions together, Hermana Ivey and I have hit our halfway point together. We celebrated by running around Lake Merritt - the whole three miles of it - for the first time! The day before, we went to a local burrito shop for dinner. And then on Wednesday, we just went out and found all day until we went to the Visitors' Center. We ended up running into two less actives from other wards and we found five potential investigators! Our goal was originally 9 for 9 months......but 5 in just a couple hours is pretty good! We also got this HUGE bag of chicarinas for 2 dollars on the side of the road (chicharina is the Guatemalan word but it has a million names and I can't remember what they called it) but you eat it with lime juice and they're crunchy and literally so addicting. Even more addicting than popcorn. I can't remember what we did at the Visitors' Center, but all the people from English class came over afterwards and we gave them a quick tour! I love English class! Hermana Ivey and I are going to teach it for the first time this week! And we have a couple people who are interested in learning. It's going to be exciting!!!

What else.....so much happened this week, I can't even keep it straight! I didn't do a very good job at noting our VC tours.....but the VC hasn't been super busy. The temple closed this week for six weeks so the VC has been pretty slow. We've mostly had member families coming in on vacation. But once the temple opens up again in August, it's going to be packed with weddings. For just one of the sealing rooms on August 17th, it's booked EVERY HALF HOUR from 8am until 3:30pm. It's going to be a mad house.

We found three new investigators this week! One was because of one of our 9-month-mark referrals - Gloria said we could pass by but wasn't home when we came. And actually, no one was home. So we waited a few minutes and then someone drove up and parked right in front of the house! His name is Anthony - he invited us in, we taught a lesson and he invited us back! And we already had a member with us so we were able to go in and teach him! It was quite the miracle. He works a lot so we'll see how often we get to see him, but he was touched by something we said. And there are three other people in the house, including the potential we were sent to contact. We'll see!

We also added this GOLDEN family. We met them a couple weeks ago in our miracle contacting day where we found SIX potentials in ONE hour on the SAME street. So we met this lady, Guadelupe, and she had been taught by missionaries over ten years ago. And then we met her husband this week, and he is GOLDEN. He's totally searching - his name is Martin. It was hard to set an appointment with them for a few days because Guadelupe wasn't feeling well but we finally saw them before church yesterday and they're ready! They said they'll come to church this next week and they'll get baptized if they know it's true!!! They also have two sons, Ryan and Martin, who could both be baptized as well. We're so excited to work with this family! We love them so much already.

As for our other investigators, we weren't able to contact or see any of them last week, except for Paul. I totally forgot to write about this, but Paul has a baptism date! It's progress because he really didn't understand the point in being baptized again at the beginning, but he still doesn't have a testimony of the Book of Mormon. He reads it all the time and keeps all commitments - Word of Wisdom, the law of chastity - he even fasted with us yesterday to help him receive this answer. That's what we're working on with him - recognizing his answer. He watched the missionary broadcast with us yesterday - we watched it in English because he wanted to hear the prophet's voice. He was blown away - he felt the Spirit, but we're just not sure if he recognized that feeling as the Spirit. His date is July 7th......we'll see if that needs to change. We've taught him everything - we just need to follow the Spirit to discern his needs and resolve his concerns. It's going to take so much spiritual power but it's going to be a great week with Paul. 

Speaking of the broadcast - words can't describe how powerful that was to watch. It was like General Conference all over again but better because it was ALL about missionary work. I feel so proud to be part of the 70,000 missionaries that wear Jesus Christ's name on their chests. It was so empowering and the Spirit was so strong. And it's so great to remember that we're not doing this work alone. Everyone is involved. We had a special missionary sacrament meeting yesterday before the broadcast - we have a new missionary in our district straight from the MTC, Elder Clark, so he spoke and then Elder Bradford spoke (this is his last transfer) and then I spoke. Nine months into my mission and there I was, giving my first Spanish talk in sacrament meeting. It was nerve-wracking but the Lord helped me so much. I don't need to make any excuses for why my Spanish isn't perfect - I'm exactly where the Lord wants me to be. 

I'm still stretching and growing and every day is a challenge. But I love it and I've seen how Christ has been able to extend my capacity to speak the language - He has helped me to become more than I could be on my own. I still have to learn A LOT, like practically all my Spanish teaching skills, but as I have the faith to open my mouth, I know it will be filled. And it fills my heart to know that even though I'm halfway through my mission, the things I'm learning on my mission will help me to serve as a missionary and bring others to Christ for my entire life, no matter where I go. Every member a missionary!!! If you're not doing missionary work, start now. How are we supposed to become like Christ if we don't teach his gospel to others? We have opportunities everyday to be Christ's angels, to speak His words to those around us who just need to feel God's love. They can feel it through us. I testify that the gospel is how we can learn to become completely selfless and charitable - without the perspective of the plan of salvation, we cannot truly love all others around us. So pray for and seek out opportunities to love and serve those around you, even complete strangers. All you need is love - the love of Christ - and that's exactly what the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about. That's exactly what His church is all about. And I know that His church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, led by living prophets and apostles. 

It's crazy to think back on just how much I've learn in the past nine months, and I'm so excited for the next nine! Que Dios les bendigas!!!

Hermana Hunsaker

Always in the middle

My testimony and faith keeps growing that there are prepared people EVERYWHERE, especially here in Oakland. I don't have time to list off all the miracles we've seen this week, but I know that this is the Lord's work. We're just instruments, working hard and showing up to help him find His searching children. We had a great zone meeting with Elder Packer and Brother Fairchild where they essentially asked us to do two things - exercise faith in missionary work and STOP complaining about everything. Hermana Ivey and I have been struggling with a tiny teaching pool and hardly any progress with these investigators so we definitely needed to hear the message. The next day, we tried contacting an investigator who can never meet with us because her work schedule is always changing. After once again not finding her at home, we decided to knock the whole street. It was a tiny street - maybe ten houses on it - and we'd been meaning to do if for a while. Even though it was the middle of the afternoon in the middle of the week, every door opened and we walked away from that street with six referrals! Not all were Spanish-speaking but there was one super solid family that we are going to see tomorrow afternoon. The mom, Guadelupe, took lessons from missionaries ten years ago and wants us to come back and teach her husband and her two sons as well who are both older than 8. We haven't been able to contact the others, but the Spirit knew that's where we needed to go even if it's just for that one family.

We've also had some amazing experiences at the VC. Saturday mornings are always crazy busy but Saturday nights slow down a lot. We had a whole wedding party from Africa come in and we got three referrals from them. There was a also a family from Mexico visiting their son who is going to school in LA. When the father heard that we have a living prophet, he immediately filled out a referral card. Their son's friend who was with them, who had grown up with no religion, said she wanted to learn too! It was a day full of miracles. There are times when I feel like the Visitors' Center takes away from my time in my area, but I know the Lord blesses our areas when we're using our time effectively at the Visitors' Center.

I'm lucky to be staying here in the Oakland 6th Spanish ward for yet another six weeks :) Hermana Ivey and I get to celebrate our 9-month-mark together this Wednesday! Halfway! Time flies so fast on the mission! Parker's only done with a quarter of his mission, while I'm already at half :/ but I'm just trying to make this time count! I've finally figured out most of the ropes of missionary work - now I just need to climb! Our district has some high goals this transfer and I'm so excited! I love this work so much and I'm so grateful to be a part of it :)

Hermana Hunsaker