Week 16: Another Little Week of Miracles

Well.. first off I want to say sorry for not giving Dad a birthday shout out in my email last week.  I was so rushed with time that it slipped my mind but I am very glad he got my birthday card! :) so... HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, DAD!

Tuesday was our p-day last week.  Sister Lightheart decided to be adventurous and attack Calle Ocho, The Little Havana.  It was awesome.  We fit in right along with all the other white tourists.  The Cubans love to put parties on for the white people that walk past and they serenade you, too.  They are just too kind.  It was fun.  

We visited Geraldo and Michelle.  Tesla told us that she has a wedding date for the 16th of December and asked if we would be a part of it.  Oh man.  Broken heart.  We will be there in spirit for sure.  I can't wait for her to be baptized and then sealed.  What a beautiful thing! :) They are the best family.  I know that God has some really amazing plans for that family! :)

Wednesday we had interviews with President Richardson and Sister Richardson.  THEY WERE AMAZING.  Afterward, we went to see how G**** was doing and to see if V***** was home from the hospital.  She said that they had transferred him to a specialty hospital.  They wanted to keep him for 2 weeks to see how he was doing and if they could figure out why this happened... I CAN TELL YOU WHY. haha  She said that she really wants to send him to an adult living facility where they can help take care of him and control his meds.  haha GOOD LUCK!  This family is hilarious.  Every time I hear more stories or more things that happen during the week I can't help but think.. a dramatic television show should be made out of this!  :) haha

Thursday we set J**** and C***** with baptismal dates.  November 1st... but they had to come to church in order to keep that date and they didn't come... :( which means we will probably have to drop talk them this week.  Soooo hard to do as a missionary.  They are wonderful though and I know that one day they will accept this message.  They love the Book of Mormon and have a testimony of Joseph Smith.. but they don't act on the commitments we give them.. like come to church.  Sad day.  It was kind of a hard day.  All of our appointments were falling through and no one wanted to listen to us... and then Sister Lightheart felt like she should follow up with the wife of one of her recent converts. When we pulled up… E*****, her recent convert, was there and he was smoking.  HEART BREAKING.  We then taught him a lesson about commandments and repentance and how important his decisions were now because he had entered the covenant of baptism.  I think it made him feel really bad.  He asked us why we were so happy.. and why we were so receptive to the Spirit.  Well, its easy. Keep the commandments!? :)

Friday we did a harvesting exchange and a harvesting blitz.  All the missionaries in our district, the zone leaders, and the sister training leaders came to harvest in our area.  10 missionaries in one neighborhood all sharing prayers with families.  It was powerful! :) I was put with Sister Karl who is AMAZING.  She doesn't speak Spanish.. so I was freaked out.. but I DID IT! :)  God is great!  Geraldo and Michelle taught us the Plan of Salvation when we went over to their house. :) THEY ARE SOOO AMAZING!  What a wonderful family.  God has great plans for them.  Geraldo asks me everyday when I am going to come over and hang out with him.  What a cute kid!  (I think he has a little crush... its ok.  so do I.. :) just kidding.)

Saturday we invited one of the ward members to come out with us on some visits.  We went to visit M**** and her family that we had been trying to get a hold of all week long.  We walked up to the door and there was a party going on inside.  We knocked.  It went silent.  We knocked again.  Someone looked through the hole and didn't open the door.  This ward member got SOOOO mad and started to pound on the door saying, "We are here to see you and bring you this special message.  Open the door."  Sister Lightheart and I were soo embarrassed.  We had to ask her to stop and kindly told her how as missionaries one of the hardest lessons you have to learn is respecting there people's free agency.  That is something that you can't take away from them.. and you can't force them to open the door and accept your message.  She was sooo frustrated.  We took her to see one of the inactive members in the ward that we have been working with from my very first week in this area, J*****. J***** is very stubborn and makes excuses for not coming... but we thought that this member would be a great match for him. :) So.. they just had a wonderful conversation about who knows what.. and at the end we told him how much God wanted him to come back to church.  He hasn't been in years.  He told us he wants to go to the temple.  PERFECT!  Come to church and we will help you get there. :)

Sunday.... J***** CAME TO CHURCH.  This has been Sister Lightheart's goal from day one with me.  GET J***** TO COME TO CHURCH and WE DID IT.  God DID IT! :)  We were so happy. I almost passed out when I saw him sitting in the chapel.  Miracles happen, everyone.  They really are real. :)  J**** and C***** unfortunately didn't come.. so we have to drop them! :(  But… M***** and C***** and E**** have baptismal dates for November 8th.  So that is a miracle.  M***** still likes to call us by our first names.  We are working on that one... haha.  G**** came to church and she told us that V***** can move his fingers now so the hospital released him….. with a prescription of oxycodone.  So... I will keep ya'll updated this week and let you know how this weeks drama goes! :)  haha

Almost Paradise, 107 degrees

Our Church Building 

Its still an adventure here in Riverside South everyday. ;)  Never a dull moment.

I love you all and appreciate everything you do to support me! :)

Con Amor-

Hermana Snow