Que paso esta semana? No recuerdo pero yo se MUCHO.
First thing. This week it RAINED. I have some great pictures of Hna Nielsen just ... LOVING the rain. haha slight joke but it was fun for a change. Certainly didn't feel like we were in Arizona. We left a families house one night and we park a block away in a church building. We walked out of their apartment and literally could not see sidewalk -> it was a complete puddle! And when we walked on the sidewalk on a pretty busy street there was no difference between street/sidewalk because there was so much water! Puddles everywhere. I guess it's a good thing we're wearing skirts all day or we would've gone out and had some fun in it. We'll save that for after the mission.
We had a recent convert tell us she needs to talk to the bishop. That's heart breaking. It's one thing to tell someone their past sins can be forgiven and they can be clean if they have faith, repent through the Atonement, and are baptized. But someone who has already been baptized. Ohhh man. We did not know what to do after leaving her house. She already struggles so much. It is one of her sons though, that every time I see him I see the face of a Stake President. Kind of weird since he's only 4, but oh I pray that she is able to repent and make her way back and shortly be able to go to the temple. We will see. Satan is hard at work with those who don't keep their guard up.
DOMINGO was an awesome day. We have investigators we really want to come to church (for various reasons ... one to feel the spirit and see others living the way we are teaching them) so before church and after our meetings we went by a few peoples houses to see if they were coming. We went to a woman's house who we've been teaching named Karina. She is the mother of 6 kids and is expecting her 7th .... sometime this year. Church is at 9am so we felt bad knocking on these doors but ... hopefully our smiles that early in the morning will help them see how important it is to come to church. Anyway, we knock on Karina's door and after a few minutes her son, Nahua comes to the door. We had definitely woken him up. He said that she was not here and we kind of just sighed (we'd gotten a ride for her and her 6 kids). I asked him what he was doing today. He said nothing, so we invited him to church. He, to our surprise, said yes! The ride we had for Karina and her family was there in a few minutes and we followed them to church! Soooo Nahua came and all we knew was that he was 14 and he's in 8th grade and doesn't like science but likes to do math. We got to church and I walked up to a boy that looked about 14 and said asked him to be his friend and take him around church. After church we talked to him for a bit and he said he really liked sacrament. He wants to come again next week. We asked what the mutual activity this week was and he thought it was something like cleaning the church. We asked, doubting anyone would willingly desire to come clean a church, if he wanted to come if we found a ride for him. Once again, he expressed interest. Nahua is a pretty shy teenager, I'd say. Man did we see a smile on his face though when we went by his house later to day to find his mom. He loved church!!! That was INCREDIBLE to see, literally, change in him. We also met his brother Heider, who is 12, and he wants to go to the activity on Wednesday too because he heard Nahua liked church. Needless to say ... we are excited. These two young men are excited and both have great attitudes and desires to try something new. I don't know if they know it yet, but their lives will change forever if they keep on this path of being willing to try these things out. We watched Finding faith in Christ with their family (great movie by the way .... all Christians really like it, even if they have no interest in the church) and we're not even sure if Nahua and Heider were there at the time (lots of kids are always there .... I think I'm their younger sisters new best friend too :) Declaire? Not sure how to spell it ... their names are awesome!) Anyway ... wow are we excited about that!!! We literally were just in the right place and the right time - we did absolutely nothing! We're trying to find where the YM president lives though and getting them a ride from Jose (recent convert who changed his life because he felt something he wanted in his life everyday at church .... if you remember that story). Yeah, way excited for them! I pray I keep writing about them every week!
Then later on Sunday we went by a woman's house who we'd talked to before and set up an appointment with but wasn't there. Let me explain the situation. Dalia is a young mother (19) with a 2 year old who's expecting another child this next month [we are currently teaching 3 pregnant women right now and trying to teach another woman who just had a baby!]. We only spoke to her in Spanish before but she said she had real desire to learn about this plan God has for us. Well we went by again Sunday and kind of talked about things, with our broken spanish. Then she said something in english and we talked .... about everything. She asked us all these questions she has. She explained her fears for her children. She doesn't want them to grow up in the same environment she did. We taught how the gospel of Jesus Christ helps each of us be better people, mothers, children, etc. How the home is the place where we can teach our children good morals and such. Her desires seem right in line with teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ (hmmmm wonder why?) She's been reading in the Bible and saying ... I guess I shouldn't be living with my boyfriend then, that's wrong isn't it? Anyway, yeah. She is so much fun to talk to, has desires to be better, and we are super excited to teach her and have her come to church next Sunday.
So ... hopefully .... next week you'll hear more good news about Nahua and Heider and Dalia. Oh I pray we have more write to write about them because they will all see great blessings from this gospel! Oh it makes me soooo excited!!
Yesterday we had Zone Development Meeting (extention of Zone conference ... go over same things/practice them/discuss how to be better). We talked a lot about how to effectively use members and get to know Bishops and such. What an incredible opportunity we have here in Mesa. We have members. Lots of them. Yet we have investigators. Lots of them. Something that's brought up a lot here is the need for missionaries here in Mesa. All the English members think everyone is a member. Well, truth be told, there are lots of english and spanish speaking people learning about the gospel everyday and being baptized every week. 20-40 people are baptized each week in our mission. The members are seeing more and more opportunities for missionary work in their everyday lives and it's fun when they recognize and share them and then want to do more! Member missionary work is REALLY where it's at. Full-time missionaries take them after they've been found (it sounds like we kidnap them .... nevermind). anyway, member help is CRUCIAL and HUGE. It is so awesome to see it in full effect here in Mesa!
Que mas? Since ZDM is a refresher from Zone Conference we talked more on faith and miracles. Sister Bassett shared a thought about the man who came to Christ to heal his son. She talked about grace and how yes, we need to have faith in Jesus Christ. What we need to ask for help with though is the same thing this man asked. "Lord, I believe, help though my unbelief." or something like that. Mark 9:2 something??? Anyway, doubt. Miracles are wrought when we focus on the Savior and put our faith and trust in Him, admitting our faith is not perfect and with all of us, we still are not able to do it all. It is only THROUGH the Savior that miracles are wrought.
Ok. Yes this week was hard with the rain. The sweetest moments, however, make any moment of frustration forgotten. It is a cycle and we must continue pressing forward, with a steadfast faith in Christ, no matter what happens. 10% of life is what happens. 90% is what we do about it. These moments were the most sweet and bitter. Sunday night I just about died from exhaustion. Somehow though we were able to find strengh to crawl into bed :)
This is the Lord's work. I am his servant and I know only through His help can people come to taste of this sweet joy offered if they will simply come unto him (Matther 11:28 .... Alma 7:14 ... there are more). The Bom of the word of God. Jesus Christ is our Savior.
I love you all. Thank you for prayers and your love!
Amor siempre, Hermana Clark
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