The Salem Missionary Triumphs : A Change of Heart

Week #48

You know you're at an LDS missionary zone conference when they use boxes of Book of Mormons as the door stopper.

This week we had zone conference. The missionary department has changed the schedule so that we have interviews and zone conferences every transfer now instead of every other transfer. We get to see President Tateoka way more which I really like. We also have had a change in our missionary schedule. We plan in the morning now and we have a little more responsibility to plan effectively. A lot of our training at zone conference was focused on planning. Planning has never been a strength for me so it really helped me. Hopefully by the end of my planning I will be a "master planner".

We also talked about having a change of heart. Fully giving our will to the Lord. Some things these last few months have really tested my testimony. I feel like it is a never ending battle for me to have a change of heart and have the humility that I need to give everything over to Him every night in prayer. I worry, worry and then worry some more about investigators, friends, lesson, etc and so it is hard to sleep sometimes. I'm learning a lot about real intent and a sincere heart. I have had to make it a daily thing to remind myself, and even sometimes write down, my real intent. What I intend to do to receive the help and blessings that I am praying for. It's a daily thing that I have to do and it takes away a little bit of stress knowing that I am doing my best to do my part.

This week we tried to do some contacting of people in our area book that we don't know or haven't been taught for a while. We knocked quite a few doors (even once two doors down from missionaries of a different church. . . ), but the only return appointment was . . . Iffy. The conversation went something like this.

Man: My wife isn't here! mi esposa no está

Hermanas: That's okay, how are you doing? esta bien

Man: My wife isn't here! mi esposa no está

Hermanas: That's fine . . .is there a better time that we could come back tomorrow when she will be here?

Man:Sí, en la tarde

Hermanas: a las 3?

Man:Sí, a las 6

Hermanas: . . . Okay . . .

Tarde (afternoon) starts at 12 and I'm still not sure when it ends. I've been told that when it gets dark it is noche, but it gets dark around 4:30 here and everyone is saying tarde up until we go in for night at 9. It depends on the person. It's so confusing.

I am constantly amazed at the dreams people have. Sometimes they are . . . a little out there, but a lot of the times that is how they get their answers from the Spirit. We talked to a recent convert this week and she shared her conversion story with us. She told us about how she dreams of staircases, all made out of different material. Wood, glass, concrete, and even one with flowers. There is always a white door at the top of the one with flowers. When she got baptized she started up those stairs so she has interpreted it to be that this is the path that Heavenly Father wants her to go. It's really cool.

Hermana Jensen and I figured out that we both have "teaching voices". We both talk out of the sides of our mouths. We did role plays just to see if we could duplicate them. We ended up laughing. That's usually how things end up with us. Laughing our heads off. That's when I do my ab workouts. We get transfer calls on Saturday, but I am 99% sure that we will be staying together. I don't want either one of us to leave. Is it bad to pray for that? We have so much unity that we both prepared training lessons for District meeting this last week on the same topic (the power of missionaries), even both reading the same talk to prepare. Comp unity is on point.

So this transfer hasn't been all peaches and roses. My companion and I have been constantly sick and between doctors orders to not talk/move it gets kind of hard to be a missionary. That is why we have to stay together. We have so much work to do still. We also have had some awesome priesthood experiences through blessings because of it. Hna Jensen received one this last week in Spanish and it was one of the most powerful that I have been present for.

There was a little comedy this week as well. My companion got a package from home with some CDs. We were listening to one of them and it has a bunch of cool hymn arrangements that I really like and then number 13 comes on . . ."Won't you come see about me. ." As in "Don't You Forget About Me". Not quite a missionary song. Yeah, we won't be listening to number 13 for the next 8 months. The Elders had to come over to our apartment to give a blessing which usually isn't allowed. It is probably the only time that they will ever be in our apartment, so they all conveniently went to the middle of our living room and did a full 360 (turn) while they waited for me to grab a chair. It was funny to watch them. They really like my Jesus wall ( a wall in her apartment that Hma Dickson decorated -focused on Christ).

I also saw my first Mary and Joseph Smith shrine this week. Just so we are clear. Latter Day Saints do not worship Joseph Smith or any of the other Saints. We believe only in worshiping our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We went to visit a less active member though and she has a full blown shrine. It's crazy how easily things can be misinterpreted. That is why it is so important that we have a living prophet to guide us and teach true doctrine.

I got my blood drawn this week and I wasn't sure if I was going to freak out of not, but I was fine. The funny part is that half way through, my companion quietly went out into the hallway and sat down. We are always supposed to be in sight and sound of each other so she just sat there. When we got home we walked in and my companion said "I need to lay down". I'm the one who got my blood drawn. I just laughed at her. Apparently she doesn't do needles. It wasn't the most pleasant experience because the needle was huge and he couldn't find my vein for a while, but it was all worth it when I got to laugh at my companion as she lay on the floor trying not to pass out. On the medical side I was also offered some illegal Mexican medicine this week. Translating the box is my next task in language study. The same member that gave it to me was surprised at how much weight I have lost on my mission because of being sick, but then told me not to gain it back or I would be "gorditia", aka fat. I love the members here. They are brutally honest though.

I was torn apart yesterday on my Spanish because I gave a talk in Sacrament meeting. There is a member who sits in the congregation with a notepad and pencil and writes down every mistake that he hears. So the first person to come talk to you is always him. It's really funny. Sometimes it's mean, but hey, we are learning more because of it. I talked about baptism and missionary work. Very appropriate for a missionary. I read the scripture that is on my missionary plaque at home.

3 Nephi 5:13 Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of Him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.

I re read that scripture often. Do our actions show that we are all disciples (followers) of Christ? We are all called to declare His word so that all can have the blessings of everlasting life con our families and with our Heavenly Father.

Tender mercy of the week: I got to see my mission President and his wife jump rope. They are really trying to motivate us to exercise daily.

Los quiero,

Hermana Lauren