ENJOY TO THE END: Work, work, and a little more work

This week was a miracle week. We worked our little hearts out and Heavenly Father blessed us SO much. We kicked off the week with a cool experience and it just got better from there....

CONTACT SOMEBODY

So a while back I made a personal goal to always sit next to a stranger when we take the bus to be able to make the most of out time and contact them. We dont hardly take any buses or taxis in this area because there really arent any but every week we have to take one to make it to our district meeting. So always on our way back I tell my comp, "You going to contact somebody today?" For language barriers and sometimes because no one sat down next to her shes never had the chance or the guts to go for it. But as I chatted with the person I was next to I glanced over and saw my darling and BRAVE companion contacting the person she sat next to. Such a proud mama moment. This Hermana Hancock is making leaps and bounds. So next week when we get to take the bus again and I say, "so, you gonna contact somebody today?" Im pretty sure I know what the answer will be.

BEST DAY EVER 1

We had divisions on Wednesday and I sent little hna Hancock off with one of the sister training leaders to go work in another area for the day. The other sister training leader came with me and we got right to work! We contacted, we found a new family and invited them to all be baptized with a specific date and they accepted, we taught a powerful lesson to some of our progressing investigators who finally have been succeeding with their goals to stop drinking coffee and alcohol! It was one great thing right after the other. So this family of progressing investigators are amazing. They started out strong but there was a time when things just got hard, the trials came and they stopped praying, reading the scriptures and completing their goals but after a powerful lesson on Sunday they picked themselves off the ground and have been on fire ever since! They have been reading the book of mormon as a family every night! And they havent drinken one drop of alcohol or coffee in a whole week! Weve been sending texts of animo and even dropping by with little sodas or cookies to help them out with the temptation. We love them so much. They have come so far! We also ran into the father of the family on our way to another appointment later on that same day. We stopped his motercycle and came over to talk to us. He was beaming. He proudly told us how well he has been doing with his goals, especially leaving alcohol behind. He literally seemed to glow as he told us of all the miracles and blessings they are beggining to see. Then halfway through a sentence he stopped and began to silenty cry, "Hermanas, Im just so thankful and so happy. I know its not going to be easy but I taped the plan of salvation drawing on our wall and Im keeping my sights set. We are going to keep fighting and staying strong just like you told us. Thank you so much hermanas." I was smiling so big I thought my mouth might fall off my face. I love them so much my heart just about melted. God is working miracles with them. At the end of the day we reported as usual. Our leaders were so thrilled with the success we had that they ordered us tlayudas and had them delivered to our house. BEST zone leaders ever.

TRIALS (BEST DAY EVER 2)

So we had a hard morning the other day. Studies were hard. Animo was down. We were just plain old tired. We left the house and it was HOT and no one was home. The food was late. But once we got to the afternoon things took off.

We found another new family and invited them all to baptism and they said YES. We ended with a kneeling prayer and as we left the mom stopped us. "I think God sent you guys here today." I grabbed her hands, "I know he did." I assured her.

We also went around searching for a contact we had made the other day just to set up an appointment for another day because we can't enter into a home where a man is alone. And lo and behold, as we wandered around very lost in a new part of our area that we had never been to before, looking for this guy we said a little prayer in our hearts, and in that very moment he drives past and happens to have a member in his car. Glory glory.

We ended up teaching him a fabulously powerful lesson and he accepted a baptismal date and is more than thrilled about reading the Book of Mormon. These are only a few on the marvelous and amazing things that happened this day.

The day started out hard but turned out being the best. It's a pattern I've seen a lot on the mission. Just when you feel like giving up and that you can't handle one more rejection or can't take one more step THATS when the miracles happen and when the prepared people are put in your path. It reminds we of a scripture

2 For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven.

3 Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation.

4 For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand.

5 Remember this, which I tell you before, that you may lay it to heart, and receive that which is to follow.

D&C 58:2-5

Good stuff. It was an amazing week. Probably the best week I've had in maybe my whole mission. The zone leaders personally called to congratulate us. But we all know who really was doing all the work. Christ. We just came along for the ride. We gave Him our all. Heart might mind and strength. I LOVE being a missionary.

*we took a lot of pictures..

*these bowls are hand painted and 20 years old. Its a cultural tradition in the pueblos here in el Itsmo to dress up in these fancy HAND STICHED outfits and fill these kinds of bowls with fruit and candy and throw them to the crowds as they walk through the street. It takes full time work of 6 months to be able to finish one of these kinds of outfits. The ones they let us try on today are worth 1000 american dollars. It was a fun monday spent chatting about cultural traditions! I love Oaxaca.

*sometimes the houses we go visit have a limited number of chairs so sometimes we teach people sitting in a hammock. EVERYONE has hammocks here. This particular hammock is an arch enemy of mine. Its really hard to get out of and it makes my legs fall asleep. But it always gives us a good laugh! Good memories.

*Our zone leaders bought us Tlayudas for working so hard and having such success! Best day ever. Here where we live they have tlayuda delivery. All you have to do is call and 20 minutes later a delicious tlayuda with a variety of salsas shows up on your porch! Best ever.