3 March 2014

.....that means the 9 month mark! whooohooo. Doesn't feel like it's already been that long--sheesh.

 

This week absolutely flew by. Mostly because I spent a lot of time at the doctor to try and figure out what's going on. I had appointments Monday, Tuesday, and my Endoscopy was on Wednesday and things went well. Had to take it easy for a few days which made it hard for our #s in lessons. HOWEVER, it turned out to be a really good week.

 

Despite not knowing exactly what is going on with me I have truly found a lot of comfort in the scriptures and through prayer. Family, you can testify of this, but my prayers haven't always been my forte... I am so blessed to have such an amazing companion who gives me the perfect example of the power of prayer. I truly have been blessed to have her through this whole experience--she's been an absolute blessing. It makes things a lot harder to know that transfers are coming up and she will be leaving so that's another emotional trial I have to deal with! We have gotten really close in the past 4 months--lots of trials will do that with you (proverbs 17:17).

 

This week we had an activity with the branch that we decided to go support. Apparently each ward in the stake gets time in the bowling alley for free every few months. So it was our branch's turn! We thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get some investigators there to meet the branch members. Well it turned out to be a success!..... except for the fact that IT WAS THE WORST POSSIBLE PLACE FOR MISSIONARIES. haha. We were DYING. We thought the place was going to be rented out or something but NO. so on a FRIDAY night we went to the bowling alley. there were like 21502961210769614964.3 people  there. it was a nightmare. We are most definitely not doing that every again.

 

I'm sure I've mentioned this before... Sundays we have a mission prep class at 7:30 am (which sometimes makes our days ridiculously long when we have a meeting at 6 am too...). I don't think these kids realize how awesome their teacher is! Kids will be kids but I hope something is sticking. One of the young men got his mission call to Russia--super excited for him! He's such a good kid, he will be a wonderful missionary. Anywho. sister Tonks (the teacher) was talking about how it doesn't matter what scriptures you use, how well you know the bible--there is no possible way to make someone believe that we have the true church. Instead, she focused on the power of testimonies and how the spirit leaves the moment we begin to be contentious... it was SO GOOD. If anything we are learning how to be better missionaries! What a blessing she is. Sister Tonks served in Italy and it has been so inspiring to see how her mission has affected her life as wife and mother. Blessings of missionary work last a life-time.

 

Sunday, whether it was because we started our day at 5 am and I was sleep deprived or because of everything that has been going this week on means I had kind of an emotional day. My poor companion was so sad cause she didn't know what to do with me, haha. Bless her heart. it was so interesting to me how the only thing I wanted ALL DAY was to take the sacrament. I couldn't focus really in any of the classes because all I kept thinking was being able to take the sacrament. last week I was working on the Christ-like attributes in PMG and I was going through and reading the scriptures that accompanied the quiz. I found that one of the scriptures related to faith (I think) was the Sacrament prayer. It hit me SO HARD. The Savior is ultimately the only one who can help carry our burdens, our worries, our insecurities. In order for us to let Him take them we need to use the Atonement. This means we have faith in Christ, faith that if we leave things in His hands things will work out. Maybe not when we want them to but they will. As I got up to bare my testimony in our little branch I had the strongest feeling that everything would be okay. I didn't know when, or how, but that things would work out.

 

I must not have been the only one that felt that way... After the meeting President Molina (our branch president) invited us into his office. first thing he says "Hermana Calero, what can I do for you?"... uhhhhh what? haha. That man is SO INCREDIBLY INSPIRED. So he gave me the most beautiful blessing I have ever heard. Will I be healed? who knows! but who cares! These trials are for me to strengthen my relationship with my Savior. It's for me to understand myself and others better. it's for my patience to grow. So "come what may, and love it".

 

What an absolute blessing it is to serve a mission. As we consecrate ourselves to God we don't just change what we do. We aren't just going through the motions and being good by action. Consecration means A PERMANENT CHANGE. It means becoming a new creature. it means depending on our Heavenly Father, His timing, and His will.

 

I love this gospel. I love my trials. I love my Savior.

 

I hope you have a wonderful week!

 

Hermana Calero