Keep Trying

A DREAM

So here in Oaxaca A LOT of people seem to get answers to their prayers through dreams.  We had a cool experience with it the other day.  So like we always do we taught the first lesson with a new investigator and invited her to baptism.  She told us no.  She was already baptized in the Catholic church and she would never be baptized again because it would be showing doubt and disrespect to God. 

Instead of throwing a lot of scripture evidence and "your wrong and I'm right" comments, we just nodded and then asked her if she would be willing to ask God what He thought.  She stopped to think for a moment and replied, "yes." 

So we set up another appointment and came back a few days later.  We asked her how her prayer went, and she told us that she had had a dream that she was by a river and saw two men enter into the water and one baptized the other by immersion, she then said that she heard a voice of someone telling her that she needs to be baptized the way Christ got baptized and do it by immersion. 

We basically just listened and nodded and smiled.  Another evidence that we are simply instruments in the hands of God.  He's really the one who's doing all the hard work here, I'm just along for the ride.

STONING THE PROPHETS

Hermana Mitchell stoned someone this week, but it wasn't a prophet.  It was just a random guy who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  So there are a lot of random and fierce dogs here in Oaxaca, and as we walked down the road one day a dog came out of no where and started running towards my companion to bite her. 

So we did as any good Mexican would do and picked up the nearest rock and threw it at the dog.  My rock missed (haha, baseball never was my thing) and my companion's rock got close but barely missed the dog. 

BUT just as Hermana Mitchell threw her rock, the owner of the dog came out of his house and the rock richoted ((ri co shayed) how do you spell that word anyways?) off the ground and nailed him right in the knee cap.  She threw that rock pretty hard too.  He doubled over in pain grabbing his knee and moaning.  We tried to apologize, but he told us it was fine, but that he would like us to leave....haha woops.

COMPARE

This last week we had a leadership council with a lot of the leaders in the mission.  We talked about mission issues and how we would resolve them and what we could do to better help the missionaries we are in charge of to be obedient and have success.  As we sat there sharing ideas and making goals a wave of inadequacy washed over me.  In that moment everyone else just seemed so much more scripture smart, spiritual, successful, and effective than I was. 

I began to compare.  Thoughts of "you're not good enough" and "everyone is better than you" sneaked into my head.  I left the meeting feeling inspired but at the same time wondering where to begin.  So many great topics were thrown around, and I hardly knew where to start.

The whole way home I was wrapped up in deep thought and prayer.  The mission has a way of magnifying your weaknesses.  But I chose to do as Prophet Gordon B Hinckley's dad once told him to do, "forget yourself and go to work." 

I began contacting the people I was sitting by on the bus and it helped me get my mind off of what I'm not good at and back to what I am good at, chatting peoples ears off about the gospel in the bus.

But then when conference rolled around God sent me answers and comfort.

SAINTS ARE SINNERS WHO KEEP TRYING

So I decided to get over myself and keep trying.  I'm not perfect.  But I sure am going to keep trying. And you know what?  That's enough.  Just keep trying ok?  Don't give up and don't focus on the weaknesses.  Just try.

eggs - watching conference in ENGLISH with my fellow gringitas. So fun to be with so many white ladies! 

happy easter!!