The Language of the Spirit

July 26th 2010

The last few weeks have been crazy busy, and even today is going to be fairly busy as well. In fact this week is going to be slightly disfunctional when it comes to how a missionary's schedule normally goes. I'm excited for what the week has in store though!

For 2 days this week I am going to be going to "leadership trainings" down in Moses Lake. They are going to be from 8 am to 4 pm, Tues. Wed. and Thursday. Since Moses Lake is 1 hr 1/2 to 2 hr drive...this means we are leaving Wenatchee at about 6 am....and wouldn't get home until about 6. SO, Tues night I will be staying in Moses Lake, probably with Sister Naylor and her companion Sis. Olsen. My companion Sister Perez will be on splits with one of the other sisters here in Wenatchee and will go to the appointments we have planned here. By us staying in Moses one night, we won't have so much of a lack of sleep as we would if we were having to get up at 430am 3 days this week (time to get ready in the morning and drive to where the AP's would be picking us up). SO, one night in Moses...2 nights coming back. It shall be a very interesting series of events, but I am excited to go to these leadership trainings! Plus I will get to see Sister Naylor too, which is always a good bonus!

Today as you know is P-DAY! Today we are planning to go check out one of the tourist towns about 30 min from here known as Leavenworth. We'll prob be up there for a few hours, and then come back...finish laundry and writing letters (if we have time lol) and then have dinner. Tonight Sister Wells is taking us to get some yummy olive garden before our p-day is through. THen we have 2 amazing lessons lined up, one with Koty and the other with Alicia and her 2 daughters who we are now teaching (Jessica and Merissa). We are so very excited for all the people in whom we are teaching right now!

In other news, we put 2 more people on date for baptism this week!!!! Neftali, who I told you a little bit about via tapes. We are so excited for him! And then Ireno, who is a miracle story in and of itself. We taught Ireno for the first time last night and it was the most amazing spiritual lesson I've had thus far on my mission. Ireno is a very special guy, just something about him. When he looks at me in the eyes, I feel like I've known him before. And I got the impression last night, that reminded me of something that was said in my setting apart blessing about that I would meet people on my mission that would have a familiarity about them and that I would recognize, and they would be familiar with me too. I feel like Ireno is one of these people. I have been on the search for that ever since I've been on my mission, but have yet to really experience anything such as this. There is a unique thing about Ireno though. We're not positive on what it is exactly, but we believe he has a speach disability. He seems to understand everything when you are talking to him...but he is slower in responding and speaking. It is somewhat difficult to understand him but last night, I know it was the language of the spirit in which we were speaking. Within the first couple minutes of us teaching him I could feel the spirit so strongly and I could feel so much love for him. (ps/ Feeling christlike love for complete strangers upon first introductions is quite the experience-let me tell you) As we were talking with him, I felt as though I wasn't even speaking Spanish. Although I know it was Spanish that was coming out of my mouth, I felt I was speaking to him-spirit to spirit. I felt like I knew him and that I was supposed to be there, right time, right place. Then came the strongest impression, to both my companion and I, that we needed to extend the baptismal invitation. My comp and I found this out later, that the both of us had received the same prompting about the same time. We kept teaching and the prompting came even stronger. THis was a different scenario for us, though, and it was hard not to push back the prompting until we got further into the lesson...but finally, after my heart had been pounding for 10 min straight I turned to my comp and said in english "extend the baptismal invitation"...more or less to get the confirmation to see if she was on the same page as I was and as the spirit was directing. Turns out, she had been receiving the same prompting...and we did just that. We invited Ireno to be baptized and he said yes! He was so happy when we asked him and he asked when...we set the date for Aug. 28. We told him that there was alot we needed to teach still, but that we would help him to feel ready by that date. The spirit was so strong! I cannot even begin to put it into words! It was a miracle experience, and truly one of the most amazing things I have experienced thus far on my mission. It was one of those sacred spiritual experiences that I guess can't easily be put into words. We are seeing miracles guys! That is all I really can say more about everything that is going on with missionary work here in the beautiful Wenatchee Valley!

SO we have 3 on dates for the month of August!
Koty- Aug. 14
Neftali- Aug. 21
Ireno - Aug. 28

Please, please, please keep these people in your prayers. We are going to be fasting for them sometime this week. We know that the advesary truly tests and works on those who have commited to baptism, because he will stop at nothing to keep us from doing what is right and following the example of our Savior.

It is amazing to see how at the start of this transfer, we had about 7 investigators - none of which were progressing. Now we have I believe over 20. We got 7 new investigators this week and 8 last week! The work is moving forward. I honestly feel like I personally have nothing to do with it too. I feel that I truly have become only an instrument in the Lord's hands. This is His work, and we are only the tools set in place to help move it along. I know that my number one responsibility as a missionary is to do all that I can to remain intune with the spirit, so that He can continue to work through me to bring God's other children into His loving embrace.

I know this church is true with all my heart! My entire being is changing, day in and day out. I am learning so much and it has been such a blessing to be able to recognize the Lord's hand in my life and in the lives of all those around me, every single day that I have been blessed to be here. Each day truly is a blessing to be alive. It's one more opportunity for us to learn and grow, and to love and serve those around us. Remember family, this life is not about perfection but it is about progression. Each day we try to emmunlate our lives after the Savior, and strive to have HIs image in our countance, which gets us one step closer to our ultimate destination. We can all live in the presence of God in the Celestial Kingdom again someday, and I have the faith and the desire to do so! I love you guys!

Make today better than yesterday :)