3/12/12

Hola Familia!!

Oh how I love you and I love hearing from you.  You must know I think about you everyday and pray for you all the time.

So you know you miss mom's cooking  when your pensionista gives you popcorn or porcork for dinner and its the best meal ever!

So you know you are a true missionary when you are always tired and the 10 minute taxi puts you to sleep.

So you know you are having a great time on your mission when the Noche de Misional turns into a water balloon fight between the missionaries and the ward mission leader.  So funny.

So you know you are a good missionary when you and your companion wake up at 4:30 in the morning to call the other hermanas investigators to wake them up and go to work so that they can go to church.

:)

Last Monday, we spent the majority of the day at a funeral.  I didn't quite know what to expect, we were there for three hours in the morning and I was fine (there was no casket), but when the casket came in I don' know why happened.  All of the memories from Lindsay's viewing and funeral came flooding back.  I don't remember all the details, but the overall events.  I guess I could never fully appreciate the significance of having the gospel as part of our lives during that time.  As I sat in the chapel on Monday, i watched people cry, and mourn because, as for their knowledge, this was the end.  Oh how powerful it was for us as missionaries to stand and testify of the plan of salvation.  Because its real.  'He lives to grab me daily breath.  He lives and I shall conquer death.'  It's because of the atonement, crucifixion and the resurrection that we are able to conquer just like he did.  He is our perfect example.  

Thanks so much for being great examples to me during this time.  It was hard in different ways for all of us.  It would have been easy for all of us to be done or stop being productive for a while.  but we had this unseen force behind us.  Thank you for pressing forward. 

This past week has been quite the experience. We only have about two investigators and we have been searching for new people like crazy. Seriously it’s been a roller coaster. But the Lord knows what he is doing and why. And he knows who he wants us to become. I have been thinking about the talk from general conference about where the Lord is the gardener and He knows what we can become and this is why sometimes he is cutting us back. Because HE LOVES US!!! Its true, He loves us so very much.

I was having some struggles and during our interviews with our zone leaders on Tuesday I asked for a blessing. And you know what, it was the coolest. I have found so much strength through the blessing. During the blessing I heard some things I wasn´t expecting to hear but throughout the week I know why the Lord wanted me to hear those things. After the blessing Elder Elmer told me to go write those things down because they definitely didn´t come from him. It’s so true. Those things come directly from God, Our Father in Heaven. I invite those of you who are struggling right now in your life to ask for a blessing.  You will receive the guidance that you need and feel the peace and then if you follow the council given you will feel the support and help from God as you go about those things. I know the priesthood is real and it has been restored to us in these latter days.

As for my 2 investigators; Ceni is such a hoot. I love visiting her. She has a restaurant and gives pension, which means basically she regularly feeds people. She always calls us ‘mi amor’, which means my love. I love hearing that. So this is her struggle. She can´t come to church and doesn´t have much time when we can really teach lessons. But I swear one day she is going to be future relief society president. She is such an amazing person. Please pray for her that she will be able to sacrifice one hour Sunday morning to come to church with us.

Our other is Annamelba. Her daughter was baptized with Hermana Oliveros. (who I got to see this past week!!! So fun) I visited annamelba with Hermana oliveros and she wants to be baptized but doesn’t want to commit to a date. She doesn’t feel like she has her absolute answer. But she loves coming to church and wants to be baptized. Its funny. But we are planning her baptism service for the 24th. I know we can help her, she is great!

WE had quite the encounter with an hermana last Sunday. Her dad was our investigator but she doesn´t want him to listen. She was yelling so loud neighbors were coming out of their houses to listen and see what all the commotion was. It was horrible. I just sat there and cried. She yelled at me, you must not understand Spanish because I told you two months ago i don´t want you to visit my dad. The thing is her dad wants to listen and it’s not even her dad. Her mom and her are renting rooms there. He is married to someone in Spain. Its so weird. But it was awful.

So last week we received an invitation to read the Joseph Smith Story multiple times before General Conference in a couple of weeks. I invite you to do the same. I know it will help us receive personal revelation during Conference (Its the most wonderful time of the year). :)

Anyways I love you all so much! Thanks so much for everything

Love Hermana Sandstrom

DC 6:13,14-19