Hi from Donna!

Hello hello hello!!

 

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a wonderful mothers day yesterday! Shout out to all the amazing mothers out there! Thank you for all you do! Feliz Dia de Las Madres!!! It was darling!  in the spainsh ward the program was a bunch of the primary kids and youth that gave talks about mothers and why mothers are important.  It was really cute.  My favorite part was the primary kids singing though!  The spanish ward down here is SOOOOO strong! It is cram packed every sunday.  It is awesome.  And everyone is just so loving and accepting.  The kids got up and sang and the spirit just came in.  It made me tear up.  If only we could all have the faith of little children. Imagine where we would be!  I loved talking to you too family!  I kinda realized that i talked a lot.  Haha let me know how things are going for you. Dad- sales school, work, the missionary challenge and the NFL thing. Mom-School, your calling, all the crazy things you do all the time- you know.  Sterling-the mission prep/ and questions that you might have/ your last month of high school!! how is it going??  Stanton- how the play try out's went. what you are doing next year/ the selling job/ are you doing lifeguarding?  Shelby- the officer stuff! your last month in as an 8th grader.  Just tell me ALL the things. =D  It was so good to talk to everyone. Love youall SOOOOO much!!

Oh man oh man!! This week was CRAZY. Totes loco. On tuesday- thursday- our trainer was at a training for all the trainers/leaders.  SO sister Larrabee and I were all alone! haha it was nuts.  We were definatly blessed with miracles.  we found some peole that were really prepared and we have return appointments with them.  The first one's name was Blanca- we started the door contact in compelely spanish.  ha usually at this point we both would turn to Sister Sanders and smile at her while she talked to and understood the human that was speaking spanish.  But this time there was no sister sanders!! So we started speaking spanish to her and introducing ourselves and going through the innitial door approach, and sister larrabee- bless her heart, she took french in highschool and is figuring out the sentence structure and stuff- started to talk to her. and the lady just starts speaking to us in perfect english "uh... i speak english too." haha and we both just smiled and continued in english.  It was a blessing.  And now we have a return appointment with her.  She is pregnant with her first baby and has no real knowldege of God or of Jesus Christ.  She was terrified about being  a mother and really wanted to know her purpose.  I know that we were led to her apartment.  i will let you know more after our appointment this week.  Little miracles like this really just show how much God leads his work. He is our Loving Heavenly father! and he really does know us personally and individually.  I know this to be true, because i have felt it in my life. Also- He does every ordinance -like baptism, recieving the holy ghost, endowments, blessings- every ordinance is individual to the person.  i just love this! It really shows that God's plan is individual and made for each one of us personally. The gospel is great!

The next person me met/found is names Myra.  She is a latina fire ball. =D She is really fun, opnionated and has a strong personality.  She has had background on the church and met with the missionaries before.  Her Grandma and aunt are members of the church.  So It will be fun to teach her and talk with her more.  she keeps us on our toes. =D  I gave my first official baptismal invitaion. It was awesome.  she accepted and is preparing to be baptized on june the 2.  it is just great being a missionary!   we have a lesson with her tonight about the restoration and joseph smith.  it is going to be good. =D

We also had an AMAZING LESSON with Alma.  She is the one that got hit by a truck and has all the herniated disks in her back.  last saturday we had a lesson with her and you could tell she was in pain.  So we told her about preisthood blessing and blessings of healing.  She wanted one. So she asked us to come over on wednesday.  So we took two of the elders that are working in the Southern part of Donna- Elder Merrill and Elder Sanchez- and we went over. Picture this- My companionship of three sisters, the 2 elders, we had a member come (sister Lopez) and she brought her daughter.  Ha the MORMONS ARE COMING THE MORMONS ARE COMING!!!  It was awesome to have 7 of us there.  I don't think we freaked her out. ;)  We started with a song( I am a child of God) and a pray (of course) then had the elders explain the priesthood.  Elder merrill gave her a beautiful blessing. The spirit was there SOOO strong.  After the blessing Alma was smiling.  She said "What is this happy thing i feel?" haha you should have seen us. all seven of us just started smiling from ear to ear!  Then we helped her identify that 'happy thing' as the Holy Ghost.  It is so awesome when you know that your investigator is feeling the spirit. Alma was just beaming.  We talked about action, and that when we act on our faith the lord blesses us with the things we need.  In one of the pamphlets we use it describes faith perfectly- 'faith is not meerly a belief, its a STRONG belief that leads to action."  I love this! it takes me to 1 Nephi 3:7 when nephi says 'i will go and DO the things the lord commands' and later on when he is going back for the third time to get the plates from laban when he says i went into the city 'not knowing before hand the things that i should do.'  Nephi didn't know the things that he was going to encounter that night, he didn't know what god had in store for him, he only knew that the lord would provide.  But he did know that the lord does not ask us to do anything that we cannot do- He KNEW the lord would provide a way for him to accomplish the task that he had. Nephi didn't just sit around waiting for the answer.  he didn't know before hand that he would find laban passed out on the side of the street.  But because he ACTED on that faith, he was able to get the records of his fathers.  he was able to complete the task that the lord asked him to do.  I love Nephi's example.  When we act on faith, and get up and move- That is when the Lord can help us and answer our questions.  Anyways- we talked with alma about action. and that if she wanted to be healed of the pain that she needed to activly read, pray and go to church. It was really cool.  She then committed to go to church.   

It is really amazing being a missionary- i know i say this same phrase every single time i email home.. but it is true!! I have made SOOO many connections and SO many things really make sense now.  Really. The great thing is that God wants us to to figure them out for ourselves.  And when we really ask questions and study them out- ponder them in our minds and read the scriptures- looking for the answers - they come.  The Lord answers our prayers.  Prayer is SOOOOO important! man. If we want to know anything just ask in Prayer.  Heavenly father is only a prayer away.  I have especially learned her that when it is too hard to stand- KNEEL. and ask for the help needed to press forward.  Heavenly Fathers plan just makes so much sense :)

Since i am thinking about it i wanted to share a cool scripture chain that i have created since i have been here.  When we teach people about prayer i usually use this series of scriptures to teach about pray- what we need to do and how we need to do it- THEN- how the lord answers.  the order usually varies depending on the person.  usually first Moroni 10:3-5, D&C 8:2-3, galations 5:22, 3 nephi 11:3.  Its great.  I am going to invite you to look them up =D study them.  try out what it says.  then get back to me =D and if you have any more scriptures about it that i can add to my chain i would love to hear from you! =D  One thing that i really love about this gospel is how everyone is invited to try everything themselves- pray for yourself, go to church so YOU can learn the truth.  By acting - that is when we gain  a testimony and are truly converted to Christ.  it is great. =D  here are a few more scriptures on prayer/receiving answers- D&C 9:8-9, mosiah 5:2, alma 37:37, 2 nephi 32:5, romans 15:13.

 

Well! i have to run! but i LOVE you alllllllll soo much! i hope that you have a wonderful week.  onward and upward!!

 

-Sister Wiser

 

PS- i was looking at my wrist today and i just wanted to tell Brad and Angie thanks for the Positivity bracelet. I wear it every day. =D Thanks for all the support from home! and especially for the letters.  Honestly- it is SO great to have such supportive family and friends that have my back.  Thanks all!! have a wonderful week! you are in my prayers. =D

So this picture is taking with a family that we had dinner with. The mom is a memeber but the Dad isn't.  The kids are so cute.  The little girl wearing my name tag - her name is Mishka- wanted to wear my tag because she wants to be a missionary! Oraliz is the older daugher, and the son is names Javier. They are a beautiful family from the Mercedes, spanish ward. =D

The second picture is of the Guerra family!  The little Girl closest to me is names McKayla.  The Girl in the back is Ruby- the little girl that is getting baptized next week!!! yaya!  We love this family. they are amazing.  They have two other kids too. names malaki and desaree.

This picture is on Kalena's baptism!! It was a wonderful day!!!

here is a picture of me and my companions! Sister Larrabee is in the middle and sister sanders in on the other side.  There is cactus and palm trees everywhere!!

here is me and my bike!! haha you are welcome =D the house is also the house we are living at with Sister Chamberlin!

 

Hope you enjoyed the Photos! love you all!!!