Here is Shayna's email from September 16th, Sorry it's late - I have been out of town. -Laura
Buenas Tardes!!
How is everyone doing?? We are doing just great here in Mcallen. It has been another crazy crazy week in the valley. =D SO in church yesterday they announced the Hurricane. And yes.. Its true! Hurricane Ingrid in the gulf right now (i think that's what they named it). AND I ate my 72 hour kit.. I guess i got a little hungry last week. Thank goodness today is P-Day and we can replenish them. It is supposed to hit down in mexico and completely miss us. But we have flood warnings and lots of great tropical rain storms. So it has been really fun. =D Yay hurricane season! Yay drenched missionaries.
This week has been really awesome. We had exchanges again this week- of course. I am sorry if i repeat things... i can't remember what i wrote about last week. The weeks all smooooosh together. They are going by so fast. I hit my 6 months on the 13th! Crazy right? Man i feel like i just left the MTC. That was a weird day. Haha time flies when you are having fun and working hard. =D I don't think i have ever been so exhausted in my life. We just GO GO GO. I love it. So anyways- exchanges- I went up to Edinburg with a Sister named Sister Church. She is actually a visa waiter- waiting to go to Argentina. We had a lot of fun and saw some great miracles in her area. We were playing detectives and looking for a less active member- that no one had contacted in years- and we find this little house with a fence around it. And there are 3 very unhappy looking dogs. 2 littles and a big. And if we got near the fence they would freak out. I put my pencil in through the fence to see if they would really bite us.. and it definately bit the pencil. Haha stupid sister wiser. Don't know why i thought that would be a good idea. Anyways... So we decided to leave a note. Then Sister Church had the idea to knock on the neighbors door to see if anyone knew who lived there. So we knocked the square around house. The neighbors weren't home, so we turned around to go back to the car- and Sister Church Stopped suggested that we knock one more door. She felt like we should knock it. So we went and found a new investigator! He was super prepared to. He asked us for a book of mormon and set up a return appointment for the next day. it was legit. Following the spirit really works. It is amazing. I know i probably say that every week- But everytime it works it just strengthens my testimony SOOO much. =D it is wonderful. i learn so much from all the sisters on the exchanges we go on. I am so blessed.
Poor Sister Ninataype was sick this week. She was a trooper though and pushed through. Thank goodness for the priesthood and ALL the doterra. haha =D yay. =D - Little side note- It is freezing in this library. i am shivering. weird. That NEVER happens here- Anyways. She is on the up and up though.
SOOOO Oscar and Mina. We had an amazing miracle with them this week. We had some good lessons. Started the Wedding planning. Then on thrusday night Mina texted us and told us that she needed to talk to us. and we were like 'OH NOOOOO!!!" So we prayed a lot and went over there friday afternoon. And we sat down and the first words out of her mouth were 'We aren't getting married anymore!'. She kinda just blurted it out and then went off for like 15 minutes. So we just listened. I was literally praying the entire time for the spirit, so that we could know what to do. I know sister ninataype was as well. And after she had finished we were just like 'okay'.. then started teaching. And to be honest i have absolutely no idea what we really said. But we talked a little about the importance of keeping the ten commandments and blessings. And i was super strait up and bold about the Law of Chastity. BAHHHH. JUST KEEP THE LAW OF CHASITIY!!! c'mon people. marriage is great! not that i have ever tried that- i just know the blessings i have seen from keeping the commandments. la ley de castidad!!! I don't think i have ever been so bold in my life. and i can be pretty bold. I just love them SOOO much. and I can just see how the gospel will bless them!! So i was super fuerte with love. After we had talked for a little bit we just stopped and asked her what she had learned. And she just said 'its super important to keep the commandments.. and we are blessed when we do.' Nothing more than that. but you could tell that the wheels in her brain were turning. So we left her with a prayer and a commitment to share some scriptures and watch 'finding faith in christ' with Oscar. we set up an appointment for saturday. And decided to do a special fast. So we were fasting and praying with all of the faith we had. We went back Saturday and oscar had to leave. So we went over 'finding faith in christ' with Mina and answered some questions she had. She is searching for the truth. She wants to know everything. and ALL the details. it has taken us 3 lessons now do to the plan of salvation. and we are not even done with it. They just love to learn and have a billion questions. That is why it is so important to teach people- not just lessons. Everyone is so different. And different things stick out to different people. Oscar said he would be back around 6 and so we went back later in the evening when they were both there. I don't think i have ever prayed so much in my life. because i knew that we had to bring up the marriage thing. and i was dreading it - just because we weren't sure how to approach it. We felt like we just needed to teach them. and not address it. So we started off where we left off with the plan of salvation. We were teaching our life on earth. and started with a song (i am a child of god) Then went right into faith. And the SPIRIT was there SOOOO strong. I cant even explain it. I felt prompted to share Mom's cancer story. and how as kids we prayed that mommy wouldn't lose her hair. And the miracle we saw as a family through fasting, prayer and faith. It was wonderful- the spirit truly testified as we shared our testimonies of faith. Then oscar asked us a question. he had an experience when he was young- when the man that introduced his mom to the church( yeah- we found out that his mom has been an active member for years- crazy right) had lost his 14 year old son in a swimming accident. he then asked why bad things happen to good people. The family when to church every sunday, kept the 'laws'( that is what he said) and their son still died. It really shook him up. I then shared the experience with Grandpa Wiser. I felt prompted to. With tears in my eyes i was able to testify of God''s plan for each of us. And even when we have the faith and prayers- We have to follow the will of God. And that through our trials we are made strong. And how i WILL see Grandpa Wiser again. because of the blessings of the temple. I told them about Grandma Wiser. and her strength and her example. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. Sister ninataype backed me up with a powerful testimony as well. I then felt prompted to have them close their eyes. (weird right? i had no idea what was about to happen or what words i needed to say) but the words just came. And i told them to picture their lives right now. the trials and thngs they were going through. then i had them picture Jesus Christ. The savior of the world. Then to picture their cute little family ALL dressed in white. Entering the doors of the temple to be sealed for time and all eternity. Then i shared my testimony on forever families. The spirit was THICK. i get chills just thinking about it. after we asked how they were feeling. And they were both like. 'we need to get married!' and we were like!!! AHHHHH!!! THE SPIRIT!!! MIna then said that when she was picturing christ- she knew that she was focused on the wrong things. she wanted a big wedding- like any girl would- but she said- i know what god wants me to do and the material things just dont matter. The best part was that we didn't even say the word marriage until this point. It was wonderful. They came to church on sunday- and in relief society - Mina shared the entire experience and shared her testimony. it was amazing. I feel so blessed to be apart of the work here!! it is truly amazing. Fasting really works! Prayer really works!! The spirit is real!! and we are having a WEDDING!!!! AHHHHHH!! Missionary work is the best. The spirit really truly does change people.
So- we will keep you posted on that. Pray for Mina and Oscar! we still need miracles with them. =D yay for bodas!!! wahoooo!!
THis week is insane. we have 3. yes THREE. exchanges. back to back. and zone conference. and ALL sorts of things. keeping it busy down here in el sur de tejas.
Well! i love you all! and i am praying for you! look for missionary opportunities. help our brothers and sisters come unto christ. Be bold and OYM! (open your mouth!) I would love to hear about your personal missionary experiences.
Moroni 10:32-33 -> mosiah 27:25-26
Love you ALLLL!! Have a wonderful week!
Con amor,
Hermana Wiser
-Also pray we don't die in a hurricane. haha just kidding. we will be fine. pray though. =D love love love!!
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