The Spirit Speaks

This past week has been a blast! I LOVE HERMANA CAUDEL. She is so amazing! It's fun being able to serve with someone that has been out the same time as you because I feel like we are both on the same page as far as goals and we both really just want to work hard and see the miracles that will come.

Me and Hermana Caudel

Our first day together we went to visit Fausto.  

Hermana Caudel was pretty excited because this is her first somewhat Spanish area her whole mission. So it was her first time speaking in Spanish for 14 months. Well, long story short we had an AMAZING lesson! Fausto set a baptismal date for July 21st! It was honestly such a powerful lesson, even though I couldn't understand every little word, whenever I wanted to speak it was just like the words would come to my mind, literally right before I would speak.. AHHH it was the greatest thing ever! He's getting baptized, and he knows it's true! We are seriously so excited for him. He is such a good guy, and has the best kids. Every time we come over they sit quietly on the couch and have their scriptures open and participate in the lesson. They're just so good and innocent and sweet. Saturday we stopped by to say hi because it was his youngest kids birthday.. and they had been waiting patiently for us to come so they could sing happy birthday to him when we were there. We then enjoyed homemade Dominican cake. I loved it, even though I was already stuffed from our dinner appointment. That's one thing I can now say I have learned on my mission- how to really eat. haha.  

Me and Sister stoker who was on her way home! :(

The Visitor's Center has been crazy busy. Everyone has been coming in to see all the church history sites. My favorites groups to take are the youth groups. They always teach me so much and are so willing to participate on presentations and make their experience meaningful. Something I have realized as I take people through the Visitors Center is that they are the ones that make the experience good, not me. So I love it when people come in wanting to have a spiritual experience and they make it that way. On Friday, during our Visitors Center weekly training, the sister leaders talked a lot about how we shouldn't just go through the motions, but really love what we do. I have to admit, there have been times on my mission when I've just gone through the motions, and it's been miserable. But every time I really try to give something my all, I am so much happier and love what I am doing. It definitely takes effort, just like with all things in life, but it's always worth it! Life takes work. Once we realize that and get to work, we will enjoy life. Simply put. 

OK enough of my rambling.. the whole reason why I was telling you about the Visitors Center was because I had a girl that came in the other day with a Young Single Adult group from Ogden and she asked me, "Why did you come on a mission?" So I told her my story, and then she said, "This whole time I've been out here on this trip I keep thinking I should go on a mission, and now after seeing other sisters and hearing your story.. I really think I am going to go." It was pretty awesome. Of course I enforced that decision and told her it was the BEST decision I had ever made and that I would never go back on it! Earlier in the week, I also took a younger youth group through and one of the girls asked me the same question.. by the end of the tour I felt like we had become pretty good friends and she came up to me and said, "Can I take a picture with you?" Before I know it, all these other girls are asking if they can take a picture with me. It was so cute, haha I felt like I was a royalty or something.. All the sisters and I agreed that the youth truly do look to missionaries as their heroes and it made me realize that I need to be worthy of that praise. It made me think, "what am I doing each and everyday to set that example for those youth?" It's just so important that as missionaries we remember that... that people are looking to US! Who would've thought. ;)

Sunday I had the opportunity of speaking in church on Alma 37:6-7 which talks all about the small and simple things and how great things come to pass. Honestly, that chapter is one of my favorites in Alma and especially those verses because as I look back on my life.. I've never done anything super grand and great, but I have done small, little things that have brought me to where I am today. I know it really is the small and simple things that matter most in life. What are we doing today to get us to our tomorrow? Leading up to my talk though, I was really nervous for some reason, I couldn't figure out what exactly I wanted to say to the ward members, and it wasn't until I was on the stand that I felt impressed to talk about how the ward members are the small and simple means that can bring about something great. When I got up to speak, my talk was not the one at all that I had written down. The spirit definitely guided me and I couldn't really tell everything that I said, but I do know that I said what the Lord wanted me to say because there weren't my words. A couple days later, the Raytown ward sisters came up to me and said, "Do you realize what you've done?!" Staring at them blankly I said, "No, what are you talking about?" They then went on to tell me that they had an investigator (who has been debating baptism for months) that came to our ward because she couldn't make their ward time and that after she heard my talk she really felt like she needed to be baptized... So ya, that was pretty awesome to hear. You just never know what the spirit will do. The church is true! 

 

Well everyone, I love you all. Thanks for all your support and encouraging words. I love this work, I wouldn't trade it for the stars above! 

Love, Hermana Conrow